Dear Laura… Nutella is basically nut butter, right?

Hey team - welcome to ‘Dear Laura’ - a monthly column where I fashion myself as an agony aunt and answer the questions that readers submit. If you’d like to submit a question for me to answer next month - then you can leave it as a comment below or submit it here.

I’m happy to answer Qs about anti-diet nutrition, developing a more peaceful relationship to food and weight-inclusive health, body image challenges, and, of course, challenges with feeding your kiddos. Please give as much detail as you’re comfortable with and let me know if you’d like me to include your name or keep it anon.

Please remember that this answer is for educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical or nutritional advice; please speak to your GP or a qualified nutrition professional if you need further support. (I have a limited number of family nutrition spots available from September - if you’d like to work with me then you can email hello@laurathomasphd.co.uk to book a preliminary call to see how I might be able to help you.)

This month’s Dear Laura format is a little different - instead of a deep dive into one big question, I’ve picked out 3 shorter questions and attempted to give punchier answers (although not sure how well I succeeded there!). Either way, let me know what you think in the comments.

My 2yo always wants chocolate! Breakfast and bedtime are obviously a no no. How can I navigate this so I’m not “restricting him” but setting boundaries he understands?

Going to answer this question with a question - why no chocolate for breakfast?? Maybe you have to drop your kiddo off at Breakfast Club or leave them with a carer who decides what they eat, fair enough! But even then, what about weekends??

My sense is this is less about logistics though, and more about unwritten rules that chocolate is ‘bad’ and not a ‘sensible’ or ‘balanced’ breakfast option. So let me tell you something I once told a client whose kids had a thing for chocolate at breakfast: Nutella is basically nut butter.

She too gave me the world’s biggest eye roll.

But hear me out - chocolate spread is (usually) made with hazelnuts, sugar, oil and cocao - from a nutrition perspective it has a balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrate - which kids need a lot of. It’s filling and satisfying and sets them up pretty well for the day. I mean, half of continental Europe eats Nutella for breakfast.1

There is no good reason not to give kids chocolate for breakfast, if you ask me (which you did). And by exposing kids to chocolate throughout the day, it stops us elevating it and making it such a BFD. More on all of that in my series on sugar linked below.

Fundamentals: Helping Kids build a Good Relationship with Sugar

Part 1 of a new series exploring the more nuanced aspects of this conversation

Can I Have Another Snack?Laura Thomas

Fundamentals: Helping Kids build a Good Relationship with Sugar - Part 2

Part 2 of a new series exploring the more nuanced aspects of this conversation

Can I Have Another Snack?Laura Thomas

Fundamentals: Helping Kids build a Good Relationship with Sugar - Part 3

Third and final part of a new series exploring the more nuanced aspects of this conversation

Can I Have Another Snack?Laura Thomas

Remember that nutrition is not all or nothing - your kids can eat chocolate and berries and quinoa and hummus (or whatever the thing is you’re worried about). But by only making chocolate a thing they have to wait for at dinner time or can only have as a snack, you can inadvertently send the message that this food is a time-limited deal, and that can give the impression that it’s scarce.