Happy, smiley faces

Getting my little man to eat healthily can be tiring, especially when it comes to vegetables. From what I am told vegetables are a common problem and parents either end up hiding them in foods or giving up and just forgetting they exist entirely.

Vegetables are such a vital part of a healthy diet and are especially important for young children. They are an excellent source of antioxidants which help reduce the risks of cancer, stroke and some heart diseases. Many are also a great source of vitamins, especially vitamin B6 and folate; essential for the metabolism of amino acids, glucose and lipids. Additionally they are high in fibre, crucial to keep the digestive syndrome healthy.

As parents we obviously want the best for our children and some of us (me included!) get a little stressed if the dinner containing lots of beneficial vegetables we have made for our children is refused by them. So here is a few helpful hints and tips when dealing with fussy eaters:

·         Offer 3 nutritious meals and 2 snacks a day. Offer 2 courses at each meal a savoury and a sweet one, this is much better than letting them graze throughout the day.

·         Try to ensure that meals and snacks are served at a similar time each day.

·         Drinks can cause children t o feel full up so offer them after they have finished their meals.

·         Only serve small portions as large portions may overwhelm children, they can always ask for more.

·         Don’t hide foods within ‘liked’ foods; if the child finds it they may avoid their ‘liked’ food in future.

·         Keep offering an avoided food even if it does not get eaten. It may take up to 15 times seeing a food for a child to try it, and another 15 for them to like it. (A Senior Paediatric Dietitian once explained to me to think a new food to a child is the same as someone putting a plate of slugs in front of us!)

·          Sit together at the table

·         Do not allow the meal time to take over 20 minutes, and if the child does not eat the first course still offer the second (trying to avoid the “if you don’t eat your veg you won’t get pudding” scenario as this implies that veg are bad and pudding is good!)

·         Do not offer your child alternative options

·         Ignore bad behaviour and praise good behaviour.

Finnley’s happy face pizza

You will need (makes one):

·         25g Wholemeal flour

·         20g Plain flour

·         ½ cup milk

·         2tsp reduced fat butter

·         1tspn tomato puree

·         Pinch of basil

·         Mozzarella

·         Pepper strips

·         Chopped mushrooms

·         Halved cherry tomatoes

·         Grated cheddar cheese

1.       Allow mini chef to measure and mix together wholemeal flour and plain flour.

2.       Next mini chef should take a pinch of basil and smell before adding in.

3.       Add butter and mix

4.       Bind ingredients together with milk to form a dough (can use water, but milk adds calcium – essential for strong bones)

5.       Dust a surface and mini chef can roll out the bread dough

6.       Next mini chef can cut out a circle for the pizza face and two small circles for ears

7.       Spread on tomato puree

8.       Place on cut mozzarella, and allow mini chef to place eyes (we used tomatoes), nose (we used a mushroom) and mouth (we used a green pepper)

9.       Next mini chef can grate the cheese and place on the top of the pizza as hair

10.   Cook in a preheated oven at 180o for 15 minutes (don’t allow mini chef to touch the oven).

You could try with different vegetable toppings or try a pudding pizza with lots of fruit, perhaps grape eyes, banana nose and an orange mouth!

Enjoy

Finnley and mummy x

A sweet treat...

Many health professionals will explain that high sugar high fat foods should be banned from the diet as they contain very little beneficial nutrients, lead to tooth decay and have the potential to increase weight.

I however disagree, not for physiological reasons but for psychological reasons I do feel they play a part in the diet, a small part though. I do not know a parent who at some point has not bribed their child to be quiet during a wedding or walk around the shops for an extra half hour with a sweet treat. I know Finnley’s attitude has been corrupted at times by the temptation of a special cake or a bag of chocolate buttons, and instead of using me as a climbing frame whilst I try and complete an essay he will play quietly with his train set!

The Eatwell Plate, a tool designed by The Food Standards Agency to show a healthy balanced diet even includes a small section of “naughty foods”. So I do believe that children (and adults) should never completely restrict themselves to the treat foods, but they must respect them as their name “treat”, and not hourly occurrences.

Finnley and I will make a cake or batch of cookies every other week and when it has gone, it’s gone!

So with the happiness of Christmas seeming a lifetime ago and valentine’s day passing by too quickly we decided to make some cupcakes, but these are not just any cupcakes they are specially designed and flavoured by the little man himself..I am proud to introduce Finnley’s favourite fruity cupcakes. (yes being an undergraduate Dietitian I have managed to sneak in one of his five a day through cake form!)

Finnley’s favourite fruity cupcakes

Ingredients:

·         4oz self raising flour

·         4oz reduced fat spread

·         4oz sugar

·         2 eggs

·         2 tbsp milk

For the flavours Finnley chose:

·         Strawberry jam (2 tbsp) and strawberries (10)

·         Cocoa powder (3tbsp) and coconut (2tbsp)

1.       Preheat the oven to 180oC remembering to inform Mini Chef that ovens are hot. (Never leave children unattended when cooking)

2.       Ask Mini Chef to help weight 4oz butter and 4oz sugar and cream together until light and fluffy (My mini chef says mix until the sugar disappears!)

3.       Now ask mini chef to tap the eggs and crack them into the mixture.

4.       Mini Chef should attempt to mix the eggs into the mixture

5.       Add the milk to give the mixture moisture

6.       Now slowly add the flour, mini chef should keep stirring until all flour has vanished in to the mixture.

7.       Now its time to add Mini Chefs desired flavours, my mini chef wanted two different flavours so...separate the mixture into two bowls

8.       To one bowl add jam and strawberries and mix well

9.       To the other bowl add coconut and cocoa and mix well – mini chef will love to see the mixture change colour (magic)

10.   Ask mini chef to put cake cases into a cupcake or muffin tray.

11.   Mini chef can now spoon in the mixture evenly

12.   Bake in the oven for 12-15minutes or until the cake tops are springing and leave to cool

13.   Once cool ask mini chef to choose colours for icing and let them get messy and out their artistic style on their cupcakes.

We found these great coloured chocolate buttons which makes yummy vanilla flavoured icing. They come in pink, blue, purple, speckly white and you can purchase moulds to make your own chocolate shapes too. They are from Hobbeycraft and costs £2.99 for 340g. We melted it in the microwave and added a small amount of icing sugar and piped onto the cakes. You have to work quickly though as it sets fast! Be warned - mini chefs will definitely want to lick the bowel!

Enjoy

Finnley and Mummy x

Get them to do the hard work...

Fact: 2.4 million British children are obese or overweight. When I first heard this figure I was so shocked at how parents could allow their children to get to a weight which would cause health problems in the future. Not only health problems but social issues too, we are all aware that the “fat kid” had a high chance of being bullied at school...and nobody wants that for their child.

However looking back I am guilty of setting a bad example to Finnley. There have been days where I have been stressed and exhausted and given up the dinner battle. Later allowing Finnley to nibble on crisps and biscuits.

To save stress, money and time Finnley now makes his own dinner (well assists). It can be messy and it can take more time to clean up, but it is definitely worth it. Finnley feels like he has accomplished something when he eats the lunch or dinner that he has made, this increases his self confidence as well as encouraging him to try new healthy foods. It is also a time when I get to spend some quality fun time with him. Instead of him playing with his cars in his room whilst I’m in the kitchen preparing something that he won’t eat, we get to cook and eat our food together.

Finnley’s Cheesey Cottage Pie

This superbly tasty take on a cottage pie is one that Finnley loves. It includes three different vegetable varieties as well as lean beef which is a great source of iron and cheese provides a good source of calcium, essential for bone strength and growth.

You will need (makes two mini portions):

·         5 mushrooms

·         ½ leek

·         100g chopped tomatoes

·         125g lean beef mince

·         30g half fat cheese

·         Dried basil

·         Medium sized potato

·         2 tbsp milk

1.         Chop potato and ask mini chef to place in water. Cover and boil

2.         Chop vegetables and place in different bowls so your mini chef can see the different colour.

3.         Heat a pan and make sure your mini chef understands NEVER to touch the pan (do not leave children unattended during cooking)

4.         Ask mini chef to add leeks to pan and stir with a wooden spoon. Using a wooden spoon ensure the handle won’t get hot.

5.         Next mini chef adds the mushrooms and beef mince and stirs.

6.         Mini chef now adds the chopped tomatoes and basil

7.         Keep stirring until mince is browned and divide between two serving bowls

8.         Drain potatoes and place in cool bowel, ask mini chef to add milk and mash with fork.

9.         Add potatoes to bowel and ask mini chef to fork a pattern into the top.

10.     Hold the grater and get mini chef to grate cheese on top of the bowels.

11.     If mini chef wants to eat it immediately place under grill until cheese browns or leave to cool, cover and place in fridge until tea time!

Enjoy

Finnley and Mummy x