The Warren family take on the MILO nutrition challenge...plus a giveaway!

Sponsored by Milo Australia

2014 is now upon us, and like everyone else, one of our goals for the next 12 months (I’m not a fan of resolutions) is to continue concentrating on improving our health. Regular readers of the Life as we know it blog will know that we’ve been trying to eat more nutritious foods, exercise more regularly, and generally live a healthier lifestyle. So far, so good...but there’s always room for improvement.

When MILO approached the Warren family to undertake a nutrition challenge, we were definitely up for it. This challenge was designed to help us pin point exactly where we’re doing well, what aspects of our diets need a tweek, and to see where we’re dropping the ball.

Our children can be particularly fussy eaters, and I really do wonder whether they’re getting the right vitamins and minerals to sustain their growing bodies. MILO recently shared some very informative nutrition statistics that were quite eye opening. This couldn’t have come at a better time...

I was really pleased to discover that just by adding MILO to a glass of milk, the nutritional content of calcium (+70%) and magnesium (+160%) is boosted significantly, compared to a regular glass of milk. Calcium and magnesium are essential for building strong bones, and as hubby’s family has a history of severe osteoporosis, this is one key area which is of major concern. Let’s hope that by giving the kids the right nutrients now, their bodies won’t be affected in the future.

I was also surprised by the total sugar content! Did you know that a glass of MILO and milk contains 25% less total sugars than a tub of low-fat vanilla yoghurt? I would have thought it would be the opposite. Given the choice, our kids would always choose MILO and milk, over a tub of yoghurt any day, so that’s a huge relief.

So, what do our children currently eat? Let’s examine...

Meal	Seth (age 10)	Emeline (age 8)
Breakfast	·   Toast with vegemite, or choc-hazelnut spread; or ·   An egg (scrambled, poached or fried) with toast; or ·   Banana and Milo smoothie; or ·   Pikelets	·   Toast with vegemite, or choc-hazelnut spread; or ·   Cereal with low-fat milk; or ·   Banana and Milo smoothie; or ·   Pikelets
Lunch	·   A sandwich with filling, such as ham, cheese, or vegemite	·   A sandwich with filling, such as ham, cheese, or vegemite
Dinner	·   Small serve of protein (meat, chicken, fish, etc) ·   Steamed potato ·   Steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and beans); or a salad of baby spinach leaves, carrot sticks, grapes, apple slices, and perhaps some cheese	·   Small serve of protein (meat, chicken, fish, etc) ·   Steamed potato ·   Steamed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and beans); or a salad of baby spinach leaves, carrot sticks, grapes, apple slices, and perhaps some cheese
Snacks	·   A piece of fruit (banana, orange, mixed berries) ·   Rice crackers with cheese ·   Carrot sticks ·   Muesli bar	·   A piece of fruit (apple, grapes, orange) ·   Rice crackers with cheese ·   Carrot sticks ·   Muesli bar ·   Natural yoghurt
Beverages	·   Water ·   Low-fat milk (with or without Milo) ·   Limited soft drink	·   Water ·   Low-fat milk (with or without Milo) ·   Limited soft drink

Where are we doing well, and what can we improve?

• The kids always start the day with breakfast, however it could be better balanced to sustain them longer.
• We can add more variety and nutritional content to their lunch time meals by swapping out the white bread for a whole-grain choice, and adding a piece of fruit and some vegetables.
• We’ve almost got the balance right at dinner time, with their plates currently consisting of ¼ lean protein, and ½ fruit and vegetables; perhaps swap the potato for a whole-grain choice such as brown rice, or whole-grain pasta.
• The kids drink plenty of water, so no need to worry there, however we could eliminate soft drink altogether.

Thanks for the challenge MILO...it was a real eye-opener! Based on the above, do you have any other suggestions for how we can improve our kids diets?

Thanks to MILO, I have a great prize for one lucky Life as we know it blog reader to win this fantastic prize valued at over $145.00!

• 2 x MILO 1.25kg cans
• MILO hat
• Aussie cricket shirt signed by Michael Clarke!!

To enter*, simply leave a comment below telling me...

How do you ensure your children are receiving the correct nutrients in their diet?

Click here to read about our adventures with Aussie cricketing legend and MILO ambassador, Michael Clarke!

This post and giveaway is run in accordance with my disclosure policy.

*Terms and Conditions:

• Entries must be made via Intense Debate commenting system to qualify.
• Entries close midnight AEDST, Sunday, 2 February 2014.
• One entry per household. Open to Australian residents only.
• This is a game of skill. This competition will be judged by Lisa Warren.
• The judge's decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
• One winner will be chosen.
• The winner will be contacted by email, then advertised on the Winner's Circle page here at Life as we know it.
• Life as we know it...will take no responsibility for any delay, loss or damage to prizes sent to winners