Brussels Sprouts

Love them or loathe them they are one of the most popular components to a British Christmas meal. Full of goodness, the green chlorophyll helps to cleanse the liver from all the over work during the festive season, rich in fibre and vitamins they are a wonderful addition to the meal.

Here are a few alternative ways to present or cook them for added interest for kids...

• Line up onto a kebab stick for older children with homemade BBQ sauce (see previous posts for details).
• Saute onions until soft and sweet and add halved Brussels Sprouts.
• Brussels Sprouts sauteed with cooked peeled chestnuts.
• Boiled 4 minutes and served with tangy orange dressing (orange zest and juice, tahini, white miso and apple juice concentrate).

Let us know how your kids respond!

Top Tips

Top tips on helping children to try a new food… 
 

1) Stay calm and relaxed: Children can be very sensitive to what is going on around them and they will sense when there is pressure and tension around them about eating fruits and vegetables. Trying something new can be daunting and scary; in a relaxed atmosphere this can be easier.

2) Introduce new foods gently & consistently: Avoid pressuring, bribing, demanding…instead introduce a new vegetable in small amounts repeatedly with their favourite meals until they are willing to try it.

3) Make food appealing and fun: How can you present it in a fun, interesting way for your children? Pay attention to colour, cutting styles, flavour and texture.

4) Get them involved: Getting children involved with the prep work will make them more interested in eating it. They can help mix, cut (with a child safe knife), wash, peel fruits and vegetables.

5) Cut down on junk food snacks and fizzy drinks, especially in between meals: Not only is this harmful to children’s health, it can also affect their appetite for main meals.

6) Be Flexible and think outside the box: Just because your child doesn’t like carrots sliced and boiled doesn’t mean they won’t like grated carrot in a salad or carrot soup. Be inventive, creative and persevere.

Share your successes here...do you have any top tips that have worked for you and your family?

Have A Good One!

Is it just me or has this year flown by?! July already, things are hotting up and what a perfect way to enjoy some summertime treats.

Ideas and recipes to follow soon...if you have any thing you wish to share with other followers too, do post your comments on this blog.

Bring on a fun filled summer, full of new experiences, ideas, great food and joy!

Hug Game Explained Video

Watch This Space!

I am currently working on some very exciting new projects for My Fruit And Vegetable Friends...one being some brand new videos for this blog!

More useful tips and ideas coming your way...

Watch this space!

Pinterest!

Exciting news, My Fruit And Vegetable Friends is now on Pinterest! You can use this link My Fruit And Vegetable Friends for more great recipe ideas and photos.

See you there!

Vegetable Skewers



Vegetables skewers are always a fun way of presenting vegetables to  children*, being perfect for barbecues, parties as well as adding some fun to normal mealtimes. Vegetables can be roasted in the pan, on the barbecue or the oven and served with some delicious homemade barbecue sauce - guaranteed to go down a treat!

BBQ Sauce

Mix 1 heaped tablespoon of cornflour with 1/2 a cup of water in a saucepan. Add a generous teaspoon of Mugi or Genmai Miso, 1 tablespoon of juice from grated ginger and 1 tablespoon of apple juice concentrate. Mix well and bring to the boil and simmer allowing the sauce to thicken (continue stirring well throughout to minimise any lumps).

This works well with vegetables and fish...and not just for the little ones!

Enjoy :-)

*provided that they are old enough not to harm themselves with the sticks!

Tip #3:

So heres the 3rd tip for this months NLP theme on improving childrens diets...

Role Models

If you want to achieve a goal one of the best ways is to find a role model that has already achieved what you want to achieve and to notice what they did to achieve it. Model their behaviour.

How does this fit in with improving children's diets?

Find another friend or relative that has improved their children's diets and find out what they did...how did they behave, think, believe and feel in order to achieve their goal? What practical steps did they take? Do they have any useful tips and advice for you and your family?

Be curious, experiment with new ideas and enjoy seeing the healthy eating improvements unfold!

This also works the other way - children use adults as role models and if they are surrounded by a healthy eating family who enjoy good, home cooked food, and are able to explain the importance of good food in a fun and creative way them then they are likely to follow in their footsteps.

Children will have a very hard time believing that vegetables are good for them if the rest of the family is eating microwaved junk food and fizzy drinks!

Be that role model for your children.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” Gandhi

NLP - What is it and how can it help?

What is NLP?

NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming, and I often describe NLP by saying that it is a tool...a tool to understand any unhelpful patterns we may be creating unconsciously in our lives, and to enhance or alter our patterns of thought, behaviour and emotion so to become the best version of ourselves.

So what does NLP have to do with Fruit and Vegetables?

I wanted to share some NLP skills on this blog that can help improve situations with getting children to eat fruit and vegetables - NLP can be used in any situation, for anyone - not just in coaching sessions!

Not only will you be equipped with great recipes and food ideas, you will also know how to positively influence your children through the use of body language and words!

So here is the first tip...

Tip #1: Building Rapport

You cannot lead and positively influence your child if you do not have rapport with them. Rapport is a sense of trust, a common ground, a connection which can be increased by a few simple steps.

First, a few things to take into consideration when building rapport are…

Be genuine – If you’re not genuine they will pick up on it

Be curious – Ask them questions, find out who they really are and how their brain works

Step into their shoes - Aim to see the world from their point of view

Body Language - adopt an open posture, subtly matching and mirroring your child's body language.

This means if you want to talk to them about the importance of vegetables, get down to their level physically so you can communicate at eye level to gain better results. You will come accross as more welcoming, friendly and less threatening.

Notice how differently your child will react if you stand over them with your arms crossed compared to talking to them at eye level with a friendly expression and posture.

Voice And Language - adopt a friendly way of speaking, subtly matching and mirroring your child's voice and language.

This means if you want to talk to them about the importance of vegetables, use language that they understand and also deliver it in a way that they understand.

Notice how differently your child will react if you shout and demand that they eat their vegetables compared to using a similar pace, tone and words to what they use?

PACE: Start by aiming to see the world from their point of view

RAPPORT: Build rapport between you

LEAD: Now you have the opportunity to positively influence them

One more thing to mention is your state. You cannot positively influence your children if you are in a negative state, and by state I mean feeling unhappy, sad, angry or irritable.

93% of communication is non-verbal!

Notice how differently the each of following two examples play out...

a) Parent is feeling angry and irritable, because of this they may stand over their child and demand that they eat their vegetables, they may have also adopted a crossed arms posture or tapping their foot, a harsh tone of voice and stern words...how willing do you think the child is to cooperate in this situation?

b) Parent is feeling optimistic and motivated, because of this they may to get down to the child's eye level and explain why eating their vegetables are important, they also may choose to use words that the child understands, a friendly expression and acknowledge the child's feelings...how willing do you think the child is to cooperate in this situation?

Your thoughts→  Your behaviour/physiology→ Communicated to other

Whatever you think will be communicated to others on some level. By thinking positive thoughts you will start to feel more positive. By feeling more positive you will start to behave in a positive way through your choice of words and body language, therefore gaining a more positive reception from others.

Try it and see what happens!

How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & How To Listen So Kids Will Talk

'How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & How To Listen So Kids Will Talk'

by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish has to be one of the best books I have read. Practical, useful, eye opening and entertaining with great tips on how to communicate with children.

This books helps to bring peace and harmony to the home with tips and ideas on how help children gain confidence, responsibility, initiative and most importantly knowing how to acknowledge their emotions so they can grow to be happy and healthy individuals.

A few tips that can help with children eating vegetables...

Give Information: Explain WHY vegetables are important - children are smarter than we give them credit for and if we explain the facts in a way that is easy to understand they will be less likely to react and refuse than if we say "because I said so"

"Vegetables are important to eat because they help your body to work well so you have energy to play and study at school"

Write A Note: For older kids you can leave a fun post-it note near the fruit bowl or by some healthy snacks saying

"please eat me if you want a snack :) "

However the best way to reduce junk food consumption is not to have it in the house in the first place!

Give Choices And Show Respect: Give children a choice allowing them to choose what vegetables are cooked for dinner...

"do you want green beans or broccoli with your dinner?"

If a child is struggling with a vegetable then acknowledge their feelings and show respect...

"It can be weird trying new things at first...what would be better eating it with your eyes open or closed?"

Describe What You See: When a child is trying to eat vegetables describe what you see...

"I see_(name of child)_trying some vegetables"

Describe What You Feel: After describing what you see, add in some feelings...

"Its a pleasure to see the vegetables being eaten"

Sum It Up: After the two previous descriptions, sum it up in a word so they can also expand their vocabulary...

"That's what I call perseverance!"

Try these tips and notice what changes!

Jamie Oliver's TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Jamie Oliver! He has been such a great inspiration to many people around the world, campaigning for better education about food and improving school meals around the world.

Another great Ted Talk, well worth watching!

However you needn't be a public figure to make a difference, this change is down to everyone. We can all help, we can all make a difference no matter how big or small. Even a small change such as changing that chocolate bar in your children's packed lunches a few days a week for some dried fruit or fresh fruit slices will start to get the ball rolling...

Notice how great it will be to see children grow up to be strong, healthy and happy!

Ida Frosk

Some of you may already be aware of the talented, quirky food artist from Norway - Ida Frosk. If you haven't checked out her stuff you can do so through this link Ida Frosk.

I first came across her work through Instagram and absolutely love it! Goes to show that food doesn't need to be dull and boring, it can be fun, inspiring and creative!

Perfect for getting children involved with fruits and vegetables...

Pan Fried

Add more interest to vegetables this springtime...

We can serve bright, colourful, crunchy, sweet and delicious vegetables which will be far more appetising to children than mushy, over boiled vegetables that do no favours in getting kids to eat vegetables.

Try this:

Pan fry some lightly steamed carrots (cut once length-ways), sliced cooked beetroot and asparagus or green beans with a little olive oil and few drops of soya sauce or tamari. This is great served with avaocado pate and as part of a meal (see recipe section of this blog for the avocado pate recipe).

A delicious, colourful, and appetising way to serve vegetables that will go down well with all family members!

Mmm Pancakes!

Pancake day on Tuesday!
Here are a few healthy and delicious ideas to try...pancakes are so versitle and a great way to get children involved with fruit and vegetables.

Savoury Pancake Fillings:

• Stir fried vegetables
• Stir fried vegetables with walnuts
• Stir fried vegetables with prawns
• Stir fried vegetables with braised tofu
• Scrambled tofu and sweetcorn
• Scrambled tofu, leeks and smoked salmon
• Pan fried asparagus and bechamel sauce (see earlier posts for cauliflower bechamel recipe)
• etc...

Sweet Pancake Fillings:

• Rice syrup and lemon juice (just like the traditional sugar and lemon but a healthier version without bringing hyperactivity to your kids!)
• Rice syrup, lemon juice and cinnamon
• Apple compote and caramelised nuts
• Rice Syrup and caramelised nuts
• Strawberries and rice syrup
• Mixed berries and rice syrup
• Banana and carob sauce (Carobella spread found in health food shops works great as a chocolate alternative without sugar and caffiene)
• Banana and caramelised nuts
• Pan fried banana and cinnamon
• Pan fried sliced apples, cinnamon and raisins
• etc...

The lists are endless...

Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

So how was Christmas? And New Years Eve?

I hope you all had a wonderful festive break and just to help you all ease into 2013 with a bit of fun I will be posting new recipes very shortly.

Whether you have a New Years resolution to try something new, eat more healthily, encourage your children to eat more vegetables, have fun in the kitchen etc there will be something for you on this blog so watch this space!

Do get in contact if you have any food related questions or want recipe ideas for a particular vegetable...and I will post answers on this blog.

So Happy New Year, welcome to 2013 and lets make it a good one!

Comfort Food

Ok so the blackberries may have disappeared by now but any fruit will do for homemade compotes. Apple and banana work really well together, making a delicious and comforting dessert - especially with the homemade granola and custard!

The trick is to use eating apples instead of cooking apples, which means you don't need to add any sugar (thus removing the hyperactive behaviour afterwards!) Bananas too add a wonderful sweetness and a tiny pinch of sea salt will bring out more of the natural sweetness of fruit.

Simply peel and chop the fruit (children can help with this with supervision), and season with some orange zest, little rice syrup, (tiny pinch of seas salt as previously mentioned) and a little Kuzu or Maize flour as a thickener and cook until soft. Perfect!

For the homemade granola, mix a packet of sugar free muesli with some rice syrup with a little olive oil and orange zest and bake until lovely and golden. Perfect on top of compotes and porridge etc.

This dessert is wonderful for the little ones around an hour or two before bedtime, as the natural sweetness will have relaxing effect on them by the time they need to go to bed.

Make Soups Fun

As seen in the photos section of this blog, adding a decorative element on top of soups can help children to be more interested in eating it.

Dont worry this needn't be a Picasso masterpiece, however a simple smiley face, a heart, a sunshine etc will add a bit of fun to their meals.

Through using nuts, seeds (If your child cannot chew properly then grounded nuts/seeds in a coffee grinder work just fine), croutons etc...

Small cubes of fried Tofu, Seitan or other good quality proteins also work well giving extra protein and a delicious crunchy texture to the soup which kids will love.

Mmmm!

Flavours to try...

Creamy soups (Blend to create creamy consistency at end with a hand held blender)...

• Carrot and Orange (add some orange zest when cooking carrots with the sauteed onions)
• Pumpkin and cinnamon (add a touch of cinnamon powder when cooking the pumpkin with the sauteed onions)
• Pumpkin and chestnut (add some cooked, peeled chestnuts to the pumpkin and sauteed onions)
• Lentil and Fennel (add red lentils and chopped fennel to the sauteed onions)
• Cauliflower (Add a few bay leaves or a little nutmeg along with the cauliflower and sauteed onions - This makes a perfect alternative to bechamel as well)
• Courgette and leek (Add courgette and leeks to the sauteed onions. Wakame sea vegetable works very well with this soup)

The list is endless...


Just experiment! Remember the sauteed onions are key and also watch how much water is added. Keep the soup nice and thick and creamy, bringing lots of nourishment for the little ones!

Nourishing Soups

Soups are the perfect way to cram the veggies in, and the best way to start a nourishing, creamy soup is with onions.

Sauteing onions is the key to bringing natural sweetness, creaminess and body to soups.

Finely slice 2-3 onions and saute in olive oil with a pinch of sea salt for 10-12 minutes until they become transparent. The longer onions are cooked, the more natural sweetness they bring, something that is really lacking in modern day diets. No need for dairy, thickeners etc. You can make completely delicious soups using only vegetables and a few natural seasonings.

Once you have the onions sauteed, you are then free to add many different vegetables as you like, a little water (adding hot water instead of cold will create more natural sweetness) and cook until soft. To season try adding some white miso before blending, which helps to reinforce the intestinal flora and strengthen digestive systems (perfect for growing children) as well as adding great flavour.

For extra nourishment add a piece of Kombu sea vegetable (available from health food shops and large supermarkets) and cook with the vegetables. Kombu contains high mineral contents and its calcium is much easier to digest compared to dairy foods. Keep it in the soup when blending to ensure that all of the minerals remain in the soup. Once blended its completely concealed, and it will not affect the delicious flavour of the vegetables.

Why not give it a try? You may be pleasantly surprised!

Lunch Box Vegetables

Add some colour to lunch boxes this Autumn with some vegetables cut into shapes. See previous posts for June 2012 for information how to cut carrots into flowers. Surprisingly quick and easy!

If your children are not used to having many vegetables and are a little fussy then serve delicious pates to go with the vegetables - see Recipes page for ideas.