If I asked my kids that question. I can be pretty certain it would be fish fingers, chips, and beans or spaghetti bolognese.
And the cost of wanting kids to participate in food choices?
In a typical serving of fish fingers, chips, and beans. The percentage of recommended daily values of any of the vitamins or minerals you care to mention is no more than 10%.
When a council asks the kids from the local schools to design a playground the same thing happens. There are 10 Fundamental Movement Skills that kids need to develop into active, healthy, and curious kids. Of course, when kids design a playground, few are chosen.
Eager to please we concede control to others, in the hope of engagement.
So what’s missing?
Leadership. The choice of leading our kids in an educated and informed way.
Design Principles. Healthy adults use design principles to make their food choices, not their emotions.
Leaders create followers. Followers create leaders. Informed and educated challenges are the basis of participatory fellowship.
To put it another way.
Learn to participate. Follow design principles and test them. Then lead us towards better ones.