A Former Miss Universe faced massive online backlash after she shared pictures of her daughter's lunch box. A massive number of people criticized the former beauty queen for not giving enough food to her child.
Australian mom Rachael Finch shared the image on Instagram. Later, the health-conscious mother received a message from a social media user with a comment that sparked a larger conversation. It said: "I really don't think she feeds Violet enough food."
It is not clear why the anonymous user sent such a message to Rachael, but later it was found that many people shared the same thought.
However, the ex-Miss Universe said: "That was a message that was sent to me by accident - but it opened a door for conversation around what I feed my kids."
"There were a lot of people saying that they were unfollowing because I didn't feed Violet enough food," she added.
The Lunchbox Shaming
Rachael shared the image of the lunch which she prepared for her daughter on the first day of her school. The box contained a healthy supply of cucumber, carrot stick, trimmed strawberries, a bunch of red grapes and a handful of rice crackers. Rachael also had provided a boiled egg, cooked wholemeal pasta and some cauliflower stalks in a separate container.
But to many people, this well-balanced lunchbox was not enough for Rachael's six-year-old daughter Violet. However, she defended her decision to provide healthy food to her daughter.
"I give them real food, I give them whole pieces of fruit, and I give them vegetables in their lunch box. So, Violet will go to school with sushi and a Greek salad, for example," said the 32-year-old mother.
She shared her comments on Instagram, where she has over 3,00,000 followers. Rachael wrote: "I've lost count of the number of times I've read comments or articles about how 'strict' my kid's food is or how I 'deprive' them of a normal childhood."
She explained that if a mother wants to feed her children cherry tomatoes instead of Cheezels then "she can" and this has nothing to do with deprivation or a screwed-up childhood. "It is because she cares, and perhaps she has learned from experience," she continued.
"Everything a child is given, even during pregnancy, has a direct result on their physical and mental programming. So why would I not choose to feed my baby girl smoothies and send her to school with salad and sushi?" said the mother of two.
Rachael, who often shares healthy recipes and tips on her Instagram page, also said that she will explain to Violet why "her plate looks the way it does"—mostly filled with green vegetables, good proteins and complex carbohydrates, as well as fats.
