A couple of weeks ago my niece Kirrily & Nephew Josh (they are actually a Grand Niece & Nephew…but that makes me sound a little old) who are aged 10 and 8 were at our place for a visit. These gorgeous children are an absolute joy to be with, smart, funny and engaging…a true credit to their parents.

After a bit of fun & games, some instruction on what iPad’s are capable of (by Kirrily & Josh) and some general chat I decided to dish out some treats as is my prerogative as a doting Grand Auntie.

“What would you like to drink?” I asked.

“Water please” they both chimed in unison.

“Would you like some ice cream?” I tempted.

“No thank you” was the response.

“How about a Kit Kat?”…. This had to work!

“Yes please” they both said

“Success!” I said to myself.

“Can someone please share my Kit Kat with me?” asked Kirrily.

Interested in why she was choosing to have half of a bite sized Kit Kat, I decided to delve a little deeper.

“Tell me Kirrily…did you choose to have half the Kit Kat because you only felt like eating half or was it for some other reason?”

“I did WANT it all but I decided to only eat half because I’ve already had my dinner and have had enough sweet things for today” Kirrily replied.

I was immediately impressed by Kirrily’s response as her parents were not around so this decision was completely her own.

“OK…what sweets have you had today?” I asked, expecting a long list of sticky goodies.

“An Icy-pole….” she replied. This answer floored me.

As Kirrily was nibbling slowly on her half a Kit Kat, I was struck by her wisdom.

Kirrily chose a tiny piece of chocolate even though she WANTED more, as she had taken into account everything else she ate in her day.

This principle of moderation lays at the very foundation of healthy eating habits.

The fact is that chocolate won’t taste any different if you have 1 piece or 20 pieces – the same taste will linger in your mouth but the fat will linger on your belly for a lot longer.

All you have to do is be mindful about how much you are eating just like Kirrily.

Kirrily looked at her day as a whole and decided that she already had sufficient sweets for that day

KIRRILY’S TIPS

Only eat one sweet a day even if you want more!
Say NO to Soft Drinks…even so called diet varieties
You don’t have to finish what is on your plate if you aren’t hungry

Thank you Kirrily!