Tag: fresh
Explore, Educate and Eat
Food education is at the forefront of most parents’ minds and is fast becoming a core subject on the school curriculum. I am not surprised there is so much focus on teaching nutrition to children from a young age. Children who learn about food and nutrition are more likely to make healthy food choices and eat fruit and vegetables.
The best and most simple way to get your children thinking about food and nutrition is to get them involved. Here are some simple, daily activities you can do with your children to expand their knowledge about food and make learning fun.
Start with fruit and vegetables
Buy a selection of both and play simple question and answer games that your children will find interesting and educational. What is it? How is it grown? Where does it come from? Could you grow it in your garden or on an allotment?
Experiment
During the week sit down and eat each fruit and vegetable with your children. Talk about whether you can eat it fresh or if it needs to be cooked first. What does it taste like? What colour is it? Ask your children to come up with as many meal ideas as they can that include this fruit or vegetable.
Go green
An easy and engaging project is to try growing fruit, vegetables and herbs with your children. Even if you’re not green fingered, give it a go! All children love to be outside and will learn from the experience of growing something they can eat, plus you could save money growing your own.
Visit a Farmer’s Market
Have a family day out and let your children discover where food comes from and how it is grown. Talk to the growers about their produce and sample the fresh food on offer.
Create
Involve your children in the preparation of their lunch box using fresh ingredients. Cook simple meals and get your children to help where they can, even if they’re simply watching you and talking about what you’re doing. Sit down as a family and enjoy your home cooked food together.
Explore nutrition
Teach your children about the importance of nutrition for a healthy mind and body. Explain why fresh is best.
If you follow these simple steps your children will soon start to take a keen interest in fresh foods and helping you to prepare and cook meals. Regular interaction with food as part of your everyday home life will encourage children to make the right choices for their health.
Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby
This article was published in the August 2013 edition of Mummy and Me Magazine.
I offer one to one nutrition programmes for breastfeeding, post pregnancy weight loss, weaning, weight management and health. Contact me.
Grilled Fish with Lemon
One of the great pleasures of summer is cooking and eating outside. Celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage each have their own take on summer recipes and eating al fresco.
My favourite way to enjoy summer fare is to eat fresh, organic and home grown food when possible. Nothing tastes better than fruit or veg plucked straight from the garden. Today we enjoyed grilled fish cooked in the garden with organic home grown sugar snap peas and runner beans, freshly picked lemons, organic brown rice and avocado.
It’s so simple to put these ingredients together to create a healthy, quick and nutritious meal for the family to enjoy at lunch or dinner time.
Do you grow your own potatoes? These would taste delicious with the fish as an alternative to brown rice. And if you’re cutting back on the carbs a green salad would be a perfect accompaniment for the grilled fish with lemon.
What’s your favourite summer recipe?
Healthy Eating for Families
As a Nutritional Advisor I’m passionate about healthy eating, nutrition, organic produce and getting back to nature.
Food should be fun, natural and fresh. Healthy eating ensures you get all the right nutrients from your food to provide you with the best possible health and wellbeing.
Riverford is my favourite choice for fresh, organic produce. There’s a fantastic selection of organic produce including veg, fruit, meat, cheese, bread, dairy and more. There’s free delivery on all of Riverford’s fruit, veg and meat box orders. Riverford grow their own and deliver only the best fresh organic produce across the UK.
My baby is in the process of weaning and we’re having great fun experimenting with fruit and veg. It’s hugely entertaining watching the expressions she makes as she tries something new, or if my latest recipe doesn’t taste quite as she expected! One of the great joys of being a parent is helping my baby learn about good nutrition, healthy eating and living well.
Riverford Organics have just launched their brand new iPhone app, with over 770 searchable recipes – inspired by their Field Kitchen restaurant and the recipes they write for their organic vegboxes. Check it out Riverford iPhone App.
Riverford are currently giving away a free copy of their bestselling book Riverford Farm Cook Book RRP £16.99 when you order one of their brilliant veg boxes.
The Riverfood Farm Cook Book is full of original recipes and is a wonderful companion to your veg box, providing delicious recipes to bring out the best in your veg box.
