Video: The Real Bears

Fizzy Drinks: Great video for both kids and parents

Making A Change

Great to see so many parents taking an active interest in improving their children's health and well being and attending the 'Natural Nutrition For Children' course at the Montse Bradford School in Barcelona.

Education starts at home and if we can all provide healthy, nutritious meals for kids, that is definitely a positive step to help them have the best possible start in life.

Fizzy Drinks

Fizzy Drinks are very popular with children and teenagers, however with so many different types widely available on the market it can be easy to forget the serious health concerns related to fizzy drinks.

So what is actually in fizzy drinks?
Leading brands (especially Cola drinks) often contain the following...


SUGAR

• Not only can refined sugars increase hyperactivity in children it can also bring extreme highs and lows of emotions, behaviour and blood sugar levels. This can affect children's concentration in school and can lead to the development of diseases such as diabetes.
• Sugar can affect the gums and teeth of growing children.
• Excess sugar can produce acidic blood in the body which leads the body to search for minerals from the bones in order to balance the blood to keep the body functioning normally.
• See a previous post on this blog 'A Spoonful Of Sugar' for more details about the side effects of consuming refined sugar.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

• Do not be fooled by the 'zero' sugar label of products on the market - always read the label as artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame (E951) and Sorbitol (E420) are just as harmful.
• They are artificially produced and difficult for the body to deal with.
• They have been linked with MS, muscle spasms, weight gain, cancer risk, lowered immune system etc.

PHOSPHORIC ACID

• Phosphoric acid is a corrosive chemical and it is widely used in Cola drinks.
• Excess consumption of fizzy drinks containing this can lead to pains, digestive problems, blurred vision, difficulties in swallowing and breathing, increased risks of cancer etc.
• Ever wondered why people sometimes use Cola drinks to unblock drain pipes? Is this really the best quality drink we can give our children when there bodies and digestive systems are growing into maturity?
• This also effects teeth and bones just like excess sugar can, affecting the enamel on teeth and creating an acidic blood where the body needs to find minerals from the bones in order to be able to continue functioning normally.

You will probably be pleased to know that there are plenty of healthy, delicious Cola (and other popular flavoured fizzy drinks) alternatives from health food shops and some large supermarkets which are naturally sweetened with agave syrup or corn syrup, without artificial sweeteners or added refined sugars and most importantly no phosphoric acid.

Sweet Potato and Apple Cake

This is my adapted version of a recipe from a large Health Food store. It is very easy to make this rich, moist and delicious cake...and there is no added sugar, gluten, wheat, or dairy.

Get children involved - they will love making this!

Check out the recipe section of this blog for the recipe. YUM!

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!

The Season To Start Growing

Once winter passes and the ground starts to thaw this is the perfect opportunity to start preparing the garden for planting summer crops. If you don't have a garden or space for a few pot plants outside, even some fresh growing herbs in the kitchen will be great for children to begin learning where food comes from and the wonder of growing your own food.

Sweet Vegetable Bake

Ok so this is not for dessert but as part of the main meal, however by bringing into the meal sweet vegetables such as carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin you can reduce chocolate and sweet cravings afterwards.

Naturally sweet vegetables are great for nourishing the spleen and pancreas, and help children to relax after a long day at school - as well as the parents after a long days work!

• First of all finely slice plenty of onions (5-6) and saute with olive oil and a pinch of sea salt for about 20-25 minutes until very soft and sweet. 
• Whilst this is cooking, peel and finely slice carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips and pumpkin and start to fill a greased oven proof dish with a layer of vegetables.
• Scoop on top a little of the onion mix and then place more vegetables on top.
• Continue in this way, as if you were making a lasagne. If you wish to brush the layers of vegetables with a soya sauce, toasted sesame oil dressing as you go along you may.
• Bake in the oven until soft inside and golden and crispy on top.

Children will love this!

Beat The January Blues

Do you want something to nourish and warm your family from all this snow and cold weather so many of us are having?

Well keep posted, delicious recipes coming up...

Cauliflower is a much overlooked vegetable, often over boiled into mush where it can be bland and unappetising - no wonder kids don't want to eat it!

Why not try this recipe, gently steaming cauliflower florets until just soft, and then covering with a dressing made of peanut butter - smooth or crunchy choose whichever your family prefers (be sure to look for sugar free whole nut versions in supermarkets), white miso, touch of warm water (not too much as we want this dressing to be thick and creamy) and a little apple juice concentrate. Mix well and pour over the steamed cauliflower and grill until nice and crispy.

A great side dish which all the family will love!

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!

What More sweet Treats?!

I tend to use carob more than chocolate for children's recipes as quite often with the sugar and caffeine found in chocolate they can become very hyper. I am not saying that chocolate should be banned completely - just be aware of the effects. Try it for yourself and see! 

Why make life more stressful for yourself this Christmas? And why not give them an alternative which is healthier for them in the long run?

For these carob chunks all you need is 1-2 large bars of carob (naturally sweetened with no added sugar), some chopped nuts and dried fruit such as raisins, rice syrup, orange rind and cinnamon.

• Break the carob bar/s into chunks and place in a glass dish. Place this dish in a saucepan with simmering hot water and continue to simmer until the carob has completely melted.
• Caramelise the nuts in a pan with the syrup, cinnamon and orange rind (1 minute in the pan is plenty) set aside to cool and harden.
• Lightly grease a dish with a small amount of olive oil, pour in the carob and then start placing the caramelised nuts and dried fruit on top. Gently press ensuring that they are all pressed into the carob.
• Leave to cool (cools best in the fridge) and then remove from the dish and cut into chunks.
• If you have difficulty removing the carob from the dish you can use grease proof paper before hand or turn the dish upside down (with a plate underneath to catch the carob) and gently pour a little hot water onto the base of the dish - this will melt a little of the carob helping it to slide out easily.

Children with supervision can help chopping the nuts with a child safe knife and gently pressing the nuts into the carob.

Perfect Christmas treat for all the family. Even the fussy ones!

Sweet Potato Treats

Have some fun in the kitchen this Christmas with your little ones and made some sweet potato treats for the whole family to enjoy. This is an alternative to the traditional Spanish sweets called 'Panellets' usually made with potato flour and sugar.

In this recipe all you need is the flesh of some oven baked sweet potatoes that have been baked in a low-medium oven until soft inside (the drier the consistency the better), orange rind, and ground almond powder.  Mix together and create little ball shapes and roll into some toasted pine nuts or other nuts. (If you find they are not sweet enough for your liking you can add a little rice syrup to the mixture).

You can also create different flavours by adding some carob powder and rolling the balls in desiccated coconut.

Have fun!

ABC Soup

Recipe for this soup can be found on the recipes page - perfect way to get children involved with vegetables and warm them up this winter!

A spoonful of sugar...

Refined sugar has become one of the most widely used substances in the modern day diet. It is added to virtually everything from the usual cakes, chocolates, sweets, fizzy drinks as well as being hidden in many other products such as bread, baked beans, sauces, crisps etc - yes even savoury foods contain sugar!

Have a little read of labels when you are next in the supermarket -

more than half of breakfast cereals contain between 25%-70% sugar (especially children's brands!) Don't be fooled by the added vitamins and minerals that make the cereal seem healthy!

(There are plenty of good sugar free, natural cereals available)

So what is wrong with sugar anyway? As with anything, we all have free will, however being aware of the affects that each food gives us we can then choose what is best for us in in the moment as well as long term. Once we know and notice how a particular food can harm our health, most tend to opt for a healthier alternative.

If you find you or your children are craving the sugary stuff, try increasing the natural sweetness within main meals. Use more root and round veg roasted in the oven, mashed, in creamy soups, nourishing stews - sweet potatoes, pumpkin and carrot are perfect for this. Avoiding excessive consumption of salty foods such as meat, cheese, crisps and added raw salt will help to reduce this sugar craving too.

A few points about refined sugar...

• The extreme refinement and concentration of sugar is difficult for the body to cope with.
• It is known as empty calories with no nutritional value.
• Excessive consumption can give a roller coaster feeling which can also affect emotions, giving a quick sugar rush (when kids become hyper) with a big low afterwards (when children become tired and cranky) and this doesn't just affect children!
• Sugar consumption creates acidic blood. Regulars to this blog will know that we need a slightly alkaline pH level of the blood to function properly, if the blood is too acidic the body rebalances itself by using minerals from the bones to balance the blood - not good if you want healthy bones!
• It is harmful to teeth, which can lead to rotting, the need for fillings and other problems.
• After consuming 100g the body's pulse and blood pressure increases just after 15minutes.
• Sugar can become addictive.
• It tires the Liver, Spleen and Pancreas that all help to keep blood sugar levels stable within the body.
• Excessive consumption can produce diabetes and obesity.
• It can reduce the body's natural defence's and feed bacteria.
• With the extreme energy highs and lows that come with sugar, this can increase the chances of depression, anxiety, and concentration levels - not good for school children!

...and the list goes on.

With so many artificial sweeteners (which are just as harmful), syrups, honey, raw cane sugar, fructose etc things can get a little confusing when looking for an alternative.

So what do I recommend as an alternative? Sweet and simple, syrups made from whole grains...corn and barley malt, rice syrup etc 100% natural and delicious and because they derive from whole grains they will not give the same extreme highs and lows as sugar can.

Try it out, see the difference when you and your family consume sugar vs rice syrup.


Disclaimer: If you haven't done so already check out my disclaimer on the Welcome page.



Getting into the spirit

Whether you are one of those people who is relishing in all the festivities or one of those who trying to ignore everything until the 24th December, without a doubt Christmas day is approaching fast!

I found myself wrapping a few presents last night (one of my favourite things!) and was thinking about Christmas food alternatives for this blog. Its a day usually filled with many sweet treats often containing lots of refined sugar, which we all know tends to leave the kids hyper, parents exhausted and a quite a lot of chaos in the family home (more information about refined sugar will be posted shortly).

Here I want to offer some alternatives, easy to make treats that children will love helping with the preparation. This gives the family some bonding time, fun in the kitchen and best of all, some yummy goodies to eat in the end!

Recipes coming soon...