Second Spring

I read a beautiful quote the other day which I thought was worth sharing...

Autumn... a second spring when every leaf is a flower - Albert Camus

So with the leaves beginning to change, the landscapes filled with hues of red, orange, yellow and gold its the perfect time of year to sample some of natures delights. Over this month I'll be focusing on a few of those delights, one of which is the humble pumpkin.

Pumpkin and squash are much over looked, often only used at Halloween as lanterns but they are one of the most versatile and delicious vegetables there are. Not to mention a great source of natural sweetness, something that tends to be lacking in modern day diets, often leading to cravings of the sugary stuff!

So lets wrap up warm, enjoy the second spring of colour around us and delight our senses with the delicious recipes to come. Your children will love them for sure!

Go Jamie!

• Do you believe that every child deserves the best start in life?
• Do you long to see a change in poor food quality in schools?
• Do you want to help but not sure how?

If you answered yes then please take a few seconds and scroll down to the bottom of this blog to sign Jamie's Food Revolution global petition. By signing we can use this global petition to pressurise the governments to make a difference.

Something so simple and we can then all help to make a change and bring better food standards to children's plates.

Let's spread the word!!

Lets Get Things Started!

Some days, whilst out and about I am shocked by the quality of food given to children. It is something, when I see a 2 year old being fed crisps and cola for breakfast on the bus, that makes me even more determined to promote healthy eating for children.

I believe it is sooo important as they are growing, developing their brains, studying at school, learning about life and with all this going on they need as much strength and vitality as they can get. And we, as adults are the ones who are here to set an example and teach why eating well is so important. We need to set an example, there is no way we can improve our childrens diets if we eat junk food all day ourselves.

So as with anything, we all have a choice. However just consider this for a moment...our actions can affect others and everyone has the power (no matter how big or small the actions you take are) to make a positive difference.

If you have any comments, tips and ideas please feel free to post them on this blog.

Lets join together and get things started!

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.

Influence

We all know how much children are influenced by their school friends, that is why it is important to keep in regular check with your children about lunch boxes.

Find out what they like and what they don't like, what their friends are eating, what things they are willing to try. Not forgetting to explain to them clearly and simply why certain junk foods may not be appropriate.

Children are a lot smarter and wiser than we give them credit for and if they know the reason they will understand and be more open and willing to try new foods rather than reacting and refusing just because they were told 'because I said so'.

Make the lunch boxes fun, appealing, wholesome as well as socially acceptable - this may mean to include some crisps at times so they feel like they fit in. The most important thing is variety and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

The Nitty Gritty

Ok so what should we include in a Lunch Box? What are the essential components?

Try to include some of each food group...

• Complex Carbohydrates - Whole grains such as wholegrain rice, millet, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, good quality wholemeal or sourdough breads. These will provide steady energy needed through the school day as well as nourish the nervous system. If your children aren't familiar with these products then slowly adapt the food at home and start substitute first the bread by using the best quality you can afford.
• Vitamins and Fibre - As mentioned in previous posts, vegetables can be added to sandwiches, used with pates etc. Essential for vitamins and fibre keeping the body and digestive system working healthily. A small amount of fruit can be added to lunch boxes as a snack or dessert for some added vitamins. You can always add some 100% fruit juice cartons, fruit slices, grapes, dried fruit pieces, mini fruits such as baby pears and bananas, fruit compote etc. However emphasise more on vegetables as too much fruit can have a relaxing effect on the body after the initial sugar rush which is not what children need during maths lessons!
• Fats - When I say fats, I mean good quality. A handful of nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds etc or some natural peanut butter or tahini (sesame paste) in sandwiches (works both well for sweet and savoury sandwiches).
• Minerals - If you are serving soup in a flask then be sure to blend in some cooked Kombu or Wakame sea vegetables for essential minerals and high calcium levels (higher and more easily absorbed than in Dairy). The main sea vegetable intake is recommended during home meals as children love to fit in with their peers and whilst lunch boxes should be healthy they should also be and socially friendly.
• Protein - as I have mentioned before, protein is very important for growing children. Their bodies are changing and growing constantly and the protein acts as the building blocks of their bodies. 

Sandwiches

To make a change from the usual sandwiches try some of the following....

• Vary the bread, opting for good quality wholemeal or Sourdough versions (Spelt, Rye, Wholemeal with added seeds or nuts).
• Instead of sliced bread why not try filling some bread rolls. Children can help with this the evening before give them a choice of fillings (which go along with some added vegetables/salad) and they can fill their own rolls.
• Wholewheat or Corn wraps work well too for many different fillings such as hummous and salad
• Salads - Pasta, Wholegrain rice, Quinoa, Millet etc. Wholegrains are essential for children to develop a strong and healthy nervous system as well as providing stable energy during their school hours. Again children can choose which vegetables they want to add to the salads and help with the preparations.
• Soup in a flask with bread rolls.
• Selection of pates with corn chips and vegetable sticks.
• Rice or Corn cakes with a selection of pates.

Please Note: Be sure to serve protien rich pate's  or plenty of added protien to salads if these are used as a sandwich substitute.

Pack Them In!

Vegetables can play a significant role in Lunch Boxes without loosing the appeal for children. Try the following...

• Sandwiches - The best way to add in the vegetables. Try adding some salad leaves/lettuce, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts, saukraut, grated carrot, cooked beetroot slices, tomatoes, or avocado...etc etc.
• Vegetable sticks and dips - Fill a little tub with a pate along with some vegetable sticks for a morning snack or an extra to their lunch.
• Shapes - Cut some vegetables into shapes to make them more appealing, see previous posts about carrot flowers and cucumber rings.
• Sweetcorn - Cooked sweetcorn on the cob cut into slices (2 cm thick) make a great extra for lunch boxes and are just as tasty cold as they are hot.
• Soup - During the cold months some warm soup can be put into a little flask if your child is old enough - a great way to pack in the vegetables (Carrot and Orange Soup, Pumpkin Soup, Beetroot Soup, Lentil and Fennel Soup...the possibilities are endless)

If you have any tips, questions, or recipes, then feel free to post them on this site to share with everyone.

Back to School

Its back to school time! This brings back many memories of stationary shopping before starting school. Always one of the highlights!

So with all this talk of school, I thought it would be fitting if this month we focused on the big topic...the big topic that is LUNCH BOXES!

I will be featuring ideas and tips to bring a little fun to lunch. To make lunches both appealing for children as well as healthy and nutritious so they can get the best out of school.

Lets get started!

Fresh Vegetables are Always Best!

Enter the wonderful world of growing your own vegetables!

If you don't have time or space you can always just start with ordering an organic veg box for your weekly vegetables instead of relying on supermarkets. There are so many different box schemes out there and prices for organic produce can be more affordable than previously thought. We are what we eat, and children deserve the best quality food that is affordable to become fit and healthy as well as performing well at school.

Weird but Wonderful!

This is one of the fun, exciting parts of growing vegetables which children willl love - harvesting the vegetables and finding supprises!

We are so conditioned to what vegetables should look like through the selective demands of supermarkets we often forget that they are a product of nature and that differences can occur. This doesn't mean to say the tatse or goodness is any less if one carrot differs from another in size or shape.

Fruit Flan Recipe

The recipe for the delicious celebratory Fruit Flan that I previously posted about is now in the recipe section of this blog - perfect for any occasion and fruit/colours/designs can be altered for any occasion!

This is great for getting your children involved. If you have individual dishes every child can create their own design with varying colours of different fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, kiwi slices, banana slices, tangerine segments etc etc - happy creating!

Growing Tips

Thought I'd make the most of my time visiting the family garden expert the other day so I made the point of getting some extra tips for growing vegetables for everyone.


Baby carrots are perfect as a lunchbox snack/filler and are so easy to grow in your garden, patio pots, windowsills etc etc (all they need is about a 20cm depth). You can buy seeds from local garden centres for small carrot varieties.

The following tips help to produce a good crop of baby carrots...

• FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD - Use fertile soil (garden compost or fertile soil from garden centres)
• BRING ON THE WATER - Keep the soil moist
• NICE AND COSY - The soil should be warm (this means planting in March/June to get a summer crop)
• LET THERE BE LIGHT - Grow in an area of the garden or a widow that recieves plenty of sunlight.

Enjoy!

A Splash of Colour

Its Olympic time! This is something I whipped up for our last minute Olympic ceremony party which went down a treat - a Summer Berry Flan suitable for children as well as adults, filled with lots of fresh fruits (feel free to experiment with different fruits). Completely sugar free, dairy free and wheat free but absolutely delicious mmmm!

Recipe will follow shortly...

New Recipes Posted!

Check out this months recipes in the recipe section of this blog, the much loved Summer Berry Polenta cake recipe as well as the promised Vegetable Sand Castle recipe.


Happy cooking!