What I ate as an '80s child is very different from what my kids eat now.

I was born in the ’80s and there was a lot of great stuff about my childhood. I had an extensive collection of mixed tapes and scrunchies, I played outside a lot, and screen time was limited to searching for Carmen Sandiego on a computer the size of a microwave. At the same time, I don’t subscribe to the overly nostalgic view that my childhood was somehow superior to the modern day. Because I reckon there is a lot to love about parenting in 2018. We are more open to recognising and celebrating our kids’ differences. Kids’ fashion contains way less parachute material. And healthy, organic food is more readily available.

When I was a toddler, snacks were either fresh… or loaded with junk. I either ate a banana or a bag of chips that contained enough preservatives to embalm a rhino. It’s not that our parents weren’t health conscious, it’s just that the organic options didn’t exist when it came to pre-packaged snacks.

These days are a little different. My kids have a lot of choice when it comes to healthy snacks that are convenient, varied and available at our local supermarket. When we’re heading out for a busy day of play dates, park visits and swimming lessons, I stash my bag with some Whole Kids snacks and I know my boys will be filling their tummies with good stuff they'll actually eat.

The Whole Kids range has been a favourite of mine since my kids started solids. Why? There are a few reasons. Firstly, whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, a working parent, or a bit of both like me, life with young kids is busy. Finding time every week to bake a batch of savoury muffins or roll 48 protein balls? Not gonna happen. At the same time, I don’t want to resort to feeding my kids junk. Whole Kids makes healthy snacking easy - I just grab a few fruit bars and some veggie puffs out of the pantry, load the kids in the car and I'm done.

Secondly, the Whole Kids range is the brainchild of an Aussie mum and I’m mad for supporting a local lady startup. Monica Meldrum and her husband James launched Whole Kids from their Melbourne rental in 2005 and it’s now the biggest range of award-winning organic snacks for kids in Australia. Monica and James are passionate about sustainability, ethical sourcing of ingredients and funding projects to support people experiencing disadvantage. Their values are aligned with mine and purchasing their products makes me feel good.

Thirdly, Whole Kids snacks are certified organic and made from real ingredients. They don’t contain any artificial stuff - just honest food that happens to a big hit with the kids. From the cocoa-flavoured farm animal biscuits to the rice and corn puffs, there has not been one snack that my kids haven’t loved. My parents would have loved having Whole Kids available when I was a food-obsessed two-year-old, instead their only choice was an apple or additives (yes I’m looking at you Polly Waffles, Tasty Toobs and Dunkaroos).

Say all you want about the ‘good old days’ but I reckon the rise of ‘conscious consuming’ means we are far more clued up about the impact of our purchasing decisions on the health wellbeing of our families.

No more guzzling soft drinks and sucking on fruit roll-ups while dad smoked a ciggie on the settee, we now have the knowledge and the resources to better support the health of our families. And we have brands like Whole Kids to make it easy.

What did you eat when you were younger? Is it as good as what kids have now? Have you tried Whole Kids? Tell us below!