Positive Changes For 2016 & Beyond

After 3 years and 134 posts later, it has come to the time to press pause for a while on this blog as I am currently involved in many exciting projects. Fret not, this isn't the end - its closer to being the beginning... the beginning of many more exciting adventures!

Great food is still a love, passion and strong value of mine... now I just go about it in a slightly different way. 

I am spending more time focused on NLP coaching, helping individuals to create a loving relationship with both themselves and food. Helping them to create the changes inside out so that they can become the best example to their children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. 

I'd like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU for your support along the way, this blog will still be up for reference so you'll continue to have access to the 134 posts and recipes of great food!

Phew! ;-)

If you'd like to keep in touch and discover more about my current projects and how you can benefit and improve your well being in profound ways check out my current website here. 

Best Wishes,

Emma 

Your Actions Count... What Action Will You Take?

Here is September's Archive Gem...

You have more influence than you think!

http://myfruitandvegetablefriends.blogspot.com.es/2012/09/lets-get-things-started.html

How are you helping to spread the word about enjoying Fruits and Vegetables to your children? Share your tips and comments below.

How To Wean Your Kid's Off Junk Food...

Here is a BIG TOPIC for our archive gem feature this August! 

Junk food, and how to start weaning kids off the highly processed stuff. 

You can view the full post using the link below...

http://myfruitandvegetablefriends.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/weaning-off-junk-food.html

Do you have any tips that you find work well? Please share using the comment section below, I'd love to hear your tips.

How To Stay Cool This Summer...

Feeling too hot this summer? Want something to cool you and your family down? 

Try this...

http://myfruitandvegetablefriends.blogspot.com

Whats your family's favourite? 

When Children Try New Foods...Top Tips!

Welcome to spring! :-) 

How I love this time of year, the sense of awakening, opening, freshness and colour that starts to creep out across the land. And not forgetting the wonderful warm sunshine! 

Talking about 'opening up to new things', I thought this would be perfect for another of our archive gems to get you excited! 

This Month we are looking at 6 Tips that can help children open up to trying fruits and vegetables. 

Have meal times become a battle zone trying to get your children to eat their greens? 

Do you struggle introducing new foods to them, only to have them demand chips and ketchup instead?

Wouldn't it be great to eliminate these struggles once and for all? Notice how great that would feel!

Click here to find out what the 6 Tips are...

http://myfruitandvegetablefriends.blogspot.com.es/2013/08/top-tips.html

And I invite you too, to post in the messages below what tips do you find work for your and your children? 

Green Loveliness

Happy 3 year anniversary everyone! 

Wow how time flies! 

Continuing with our Archive Gems, here is another gorgeous recipe by Montse Bradford...a wonderfully creamy, delicious avocado pate packed with monounsaturated fats that help with healthy development in children.

Avocado Pate by Montse Bradford

Perfect with vegetable sticks and delicious with pan fried asparagus, beetroot or as a dressing for salads, fish etc when diluted with a small amount of water.

• Remove the skin and stones from 2 large ripe avocados and blend with 1tsp of Umeboshi Paste (see below recipes for information) and 1 tbsp of White Miso (see below recipes for information), 1tbsp of cold pressed olive oil and the juice of half a lemon.

Enjoy! 

Power of Words

For February's archive gem here we discover the power of language and how that can have a huge impact on children's diet...take a look at the top tips here and notice what changes when you apply the tips!

How To Talk So Kids Will Listen

Most Popular Post To Date? Here it is...

This year I will be delving into the archives, pulling out a few gems from this blog and discovering what we have covered so far. 

It has been a wonderful journey creating this blog and since May 2010 when I started this project. We have touched on many different topics that can help children enjoy fruit and vegetables. 

So this month we start with the most viewed post of all time from this blog (at the time of writing this!) with over 870 people around the world learning how to include vegetables in Children's lunch boxes in a fun and appealing way.

Enjoy!

Lunch Box Vegetables

Making Vegetables Fun

Art, Food & A Lot Of Fun...

Creative activities can be a great way to educate children about different topics. When using the topic of food it can also help bring awareness about all the different types of fruits and vegetables out there, helping to expand awareness whilst having great fun in the process. 

I came across these websites the other day and thought I would share the link here for everyone to enjoy - simple creative ideas that children can be involved with...and good fun for those creative loving adults too ;-) 

Creative Food Related Activities

Vegetable Art Printing

Feel free to share pictures of your families creations here!

Pasta Pasta Pasta

Getting kids to eat vegetables can be easier than originally thought sometimes. We just need to use a little creativity and present food attractively with tasty flavours. Virtually all kids LOVE pasta and by incorporating vegetables with pasta can be a great step forward. 

Usually by adding vegetables to a tomato style pasta sauce can be a great start. Here is another way to add in the vegetables. This pasta dish is with sauteed diced onions and grated carrot, courgette cooked until tender...simple and delicious. Simply add a little olive oil, toasted sesame oil, soya sauce and a pinch of some dried herbs.

What ways have you found helps?

New Beginings

Happy New Year! 

How are those healthy eating resolutions coming along? 

Sometimes at this time of year motivation for doing new years resolutions can start to wear off, the initial novelty can fade once we get back into the day to day routine of school and work. 

We may set new healthy eating goals to loose weight and improve our health as well as our families after Christmas. We may also want to give our children nutritious foods so that they can grow strong and healthy with focus whilst they study at school. 

Anything is easier when we come together as a family, helping each other through the transition. Become role models for children helping them to eat more fruits and vegetables as well as improving the rest of the families diets at the same time. We cant expect to feed children more broccoli if we avoid it ourselves. 

Achieving goals is something I work with a lot in NLP coaching, helping others to achieve to achieve their desired outcomes. You can find a free download of Self Motivation tips on my therapy website here. 

• What will you and your children gain by eating healthily? 
• What will you and your children loose by eating more fruits and vegetables? 
• What do you and your children gain by continuing the same way? 
• What do you and your children loose by not improving eating habits? 

Superfood - Avocado

Avocados are unique. There is nothing really quite like them in terms of their texture, flavour, colour and properties.

They are very high in monounsaturated fats that help with healthy development in children. Seeing as they are a tropical food, an excess is not recommended in comparison to eating a diet based on local, seasonal produce, however including avocados once or twice a week to children's diets can give them some great quality fats.

If you havent tried the avocado pate on this blog you can find the recipe in the recipe page here delicious served with lightly salted corn chips.

Mmmm!

100th Post!

We have reached our 100th post here at My Fruit and Vegetable Friends!

 

A big thank you to all of the followers out there whether you are on Google+, Bloglovin or Twitter. You are very much appreciated! Thank you for spreading the word and contributing to make positive changes towards the health and well being of our future generation.

 

Together we can make a difference!

Superfood - Sweet Potato

Sweet Potatoes are wonderful for the autumn. Not only for their wonderful warm, orange colour and natural sweetness but also for their ´superfood´ qualities.

It has been noted that they contain huge amounts of Beta Carotene that the body converts into vitamin A, essential for healthy eyes, strong immune system as well as acting as a powerful antioxidant. Good stuff!

They are especially great for children as they are naturally sweet, helping to nourish the spleen and pancreas, relaxing the body and helping to reduce cravings for sweets and candy in between meals.

Try out the sweet vegetable bake recipe here

Enjoy!

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!