Central Coast Home & Lifestyle Autumn 2024

Ways to encourage kids to eat healthy

E ating healthy food is vital for brain and body development but it can be hard at times to get kids to eat those fruits and veggies. By having them grow their own string beans, carrots and lettuce, they will have a sense of pride in eating what they have “created.” This, in turn, will emphasize the importance of healthy eating. Kids will soon learn to love eating strawberries, blueberries and even broccoli! Kids learn best when engaging all their senses. With gardening, kids can touch and feel the dirt, seeds and flowers, see the vibrant colours and varied sizes of the plants, hear the sound of the vegetable when it is taken from the plant and smell the amazing scents of the flowers. Allowing all the senses to be involved helps kids understand and grasp the concept of gardening along with all the math and scientific concepts that go along with it. Gardening is a wonderful introduction into the world of science especially botany, biology and chemistry. When kids plant their first

Rather than limiting yourself to the weekly supermarket run, take your family to a local farmer’s market (or to the farm itself) and meet the people who grow the food. Picking berries from a vine can help nurture a lifelong love of good eating and environmental stewardship. Visiting a dairy farm can teach children where their milk comes from (and why we should care about what goes in it). Planting tomatoes and melons in the garden may tempt a child to try the fruits of their labour. If you stock the kitchen exclusively with healthy treats, children will eat them. As your children grow, stock good snacks in cabinets and shelves that they can reach without your help. Some kids eat more when they’re in the car than when they’re at the table simply because active play isn’t a viable alternative when you’re strapped in. Make sure you’re prepared with nutritious snacks whether you’re driving. Good choices include sliced apples, carrot sticks, whole grain crackers, light popcorn, raisins and water bottles.

seeds they become curious about what will happen next. They make their own hypothesis and monitor the progress each day. Without even realizing it, kids are learning the basic steps of the scientific process. As kids get older, they learn about the impact of sunlight and water on the growth of a plant. They learn which plants need more sunlight, which need less water and how long they take to grow. Gardening offers wonderful science lessons right at home and allows your child to enjoy being outside. If you live in a unit you can plant herbs and vegetables in pots. If you involve kids in planning meals, grocery shopping, and preparing food, they will become invested in the process and more likely to eat. Even toddlers can help you make choices (pears or nectarines?) along the way. Simple, no-cook recipes like frozen yogurt popsicles or fruit parfaits are an excellent way to get young chefs interested in healthy cooking and eating. Teach kids where their food comes from.

RAW BLUEBERRY & MACADAMIA CHEEESECAKE

1. Soak the macadamia nuts in water for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight. Grease a 20 cm spring-form cake tin with coconut oil. 2. Put all the coconut base ingredients in a food processor and grind together until the mixture resembles a sticky crumble. Press the mixture firmly into the cake tin and set aside. 3. Drain the macadamia nuts and place in a high-speed blender with the maple syrup, lemon juice, coconut oil and vanilla. Blend to a thick, creamy consistency, then pour half the macadamia mixture into the cake tin. 4. Add the blueberries to the remaining mixture in the blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is a vibrant purple colour and the blueberries have dissolved. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smooth and level the top with a spatula. 5. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Decorate with extra blueberries or raspberries. This cheesecake will keep for a few days in the fridge.

Makes approx 10 slices

2 cups raw macadamias 1/2 cup maple syrup juice of 1 lemon 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries fresh blueberries or raspberries, to garnish (optional) Nutty coconut base 1 1 /2 cups raw walnuts or almonds 5 dates, pitted 1/4 cup desiccated coconut 1 tablespoon maple syrup

7 Home & Lifestyle Magazine | Autumn 2024