Tag: fruit

Healthy First Birthday Cake Recipe

Lydia | December 3, 2013

If you’re like me you will be very conscious about what you feed your baby and the effect it can have on their health. Good nutrition is key to your baby’s development. Feeding your child a natural wholefood diet will set them up for life by providing the best foundation possible for their health and learning.

Baby’s first birthday or Christmas is an incredibly exciting time. The temptation to introduce artificially sweet foods may be high but these could lead to your baby developing a taste for sugar and can cause tooth decay.

Feeding your baby natural foods will ensure that no artificial sweeteners, colours, preservatives or additives are consumed, all of which have adverse health effects. You can celebrate baby’s special day with a healthy cake that is naturally sweet and contains no added sugar.

The main ingredients of this healthy first birthday cake or Christmas celebration cake are bananas and apples which are both sweet and good for baby. The fruit in this cake makes it really moist so it’s perfect for babies to eat.

Bananas are rich in potassium, a mineral that is necessary for normal growth, metabolising carbohydrates and promoting mental alertness by helping to deliver oxygen to the brain. Apples are very nutritious and provide a good source of vitamins A and B1 as well as being rich in pectin, a soluble fibre that helps to slow glucose absorption.

Healthy First Birthday Cake Recipe

Ingredients

2 large bananas
2 apples
2 tablespoons pure apple juice
¼ cup sunflower oil
2 free-range eggs
2 cups brown self-raising flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease a cake tin or line with baking paper.

2. Wash and grate the apples (peel if desired).

3. Mash the banana in a bowl, add the grated apple with the apple juice and mix together.

4. Add the vegetable oil and stir into the mashed banana and apple.

5. Add the eggs and mix well.

6. Gently stir in the flour and cinnamon.

7. Bake at 180 C for 25 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

8. Remove from the cake tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.

This cake is delicious on its own or it can be served with chopped fresh berries and drizzled with natural yoghurt.

Discovering and eating new healthy foods is also a great way to engage your baby in sensory play. Baby will love breaking this soft cake up in their fingers. There’s no doubt it will be smashed and squeezed before being eaten, it’s all part of the fun!

Lydia Oliver, Nutritional Advisor

This article was published in the December 2013 edition of Mummy and Me Magazine.

I offer one to one nutrition programmes for breastfeeding, post pregnancy weight loss, weaning advice, weight management and health. Contact me.

Explore, Educate and Eat

Lydia | August 3, 2013

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.

National Childhood Obesity Awareness Week

Lydia | July 1, 2013

The first week of July is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Week. It is a time when leading organisations aim to highlight the impacts of childhood obesity and request the Government take action to focus on reducing obesity in children, for the health of our nation.

Awareness of childhood obesity and the risks it brings can help parents make better choices for their children. There is a much greater chance that overweight children will become overweight adults, when compared to children who maintain a normal weight throughout adolescence.

Childhood obesity heightens the risk of serious illnesses during childhood and increases the risk of developing long-term health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and several types of cancer.

As a parent there is plenty that you can do to help your child maintain a healthy weight with the support of healthcare professionals and schools. Many teaching institutions now provide an environment where your child can learn about nutrition and health.

Healthy living starts at home and children learn first and foremost from their parents.

Here are some easy ways to assist your child to achieve a healthy weight:

1. Monitor your child’s weight. The ‘red book’ you are given when your baby is born contains useful charts for reviewing your child’s weight, height and development. Always seek professional help if you are concerned about any aspect of your child’s health and development.

2. Encourage your child to exercise and have fun outdoors every day.

3. Feed your child a healthy diet high in vegetables, fruit and unprocessed foods. Minimise the amount of packaged food, fresh is best.

4. Enjoy food in moderation and limit sweet treats to special occasions.

5. Have fun teaching your child about nutritious foods and show them how to cook healthy meals so they are prepared to make the best choices in life.

6. Be a role model for your child and encourage physical activity and healthy eating.

If your child is overweight, you can do something about it. The earlier you act the sooner your child will reap the health benefits, both mentally and physically.

Lydia Oliver – Nutritional Advisor Only Best For Baby