Princess Anne was in straight talking form on Tuesday as she urged families to teach their children the value of good food calling nutrition “a basic requirement of life” during an appearance at The Royal College of Physicians.
Princess Anne has been a patron of the British Nutrition Foundation since 1988, stepped out in London to support the charity’s mission of giving families trustworthy, expert backed guidance on eating well. And as ever, she didn’t mince her words.
“Children are never too young to learn about food,” she declared in her speech.
“It really does make a difference to raise that level of respect for nutrition at all levels, at all ages. Food and education should never be left out.
It is part of the basic requirements of life, and it attaches to all sorts of other subjects.”
Anne regularly champions the Foundation’s Healthy Eating Week, often visiting schools to quiz youngsters on where their food comes from and remind them that good eating habits aren’t just important but they’re essential.
Acknowledging today’s endless flood of online information, the Princess Royal noted that while parents and teachers have more tools than ever to teach healthy eating, getting the message to actually land with children is a very different challenge.
“We all know that children's taste buds don't always match their parents’, even with the best intentions,” she quipped prompting nods of recognition across the room.
Then came the punchline, delivered with Anne’s signature deadpan charm:
“I won’t tell you what I refused to eat, but it’s been largely consistent and I’ve got this far.”