Winter Days and Chicken Soup

It’s school holidays. The weather is dreadful, everyone is inside, noses running, grumpy and whining children. What to do… mmmm all I want to do is jump into my warm, cosy bed and drift in and out of sleep but with 3 sick children this is only a dream. The first thing to do is get dinner on. My family needs something wholesome, warming and comforting. This soup will get the family packed with vitamins, protein and all the goodness their little bodies need to boost their immune systems.

Secondly – an activity to keep their minds off being sick….. warm home-made playdough. Yes easy to make and will keep kids busy for at least 1/2 hour to 1 hour (with any luck).

Thirdly, glass of port or red wine for mom to calm her nerves…. okay the day is improving. For more delicious recipes, look out for my new cookbook, the Timeless Family Food Journal, available year end 2011.

Infantile Anorexia

Article written by Katherine Megaw, Consultant Paediatric Dietician to Little Cooks Club

Infants or children with IA lack an appetite (“anorexia”) and do not want to be bothered with food, but would rather play. This is different from sensory food aversions (SFA), where children have a good appetite and will eat if given foods they like. IA is also different from anorexia nervosa, which causes individuals to have an intense fear of gaining weight and to purposely not eat. Children with IA don’t have a fear of eating.

They simply don’t like to eat and usually will eat only small amounts of food.

IA is the second most common feeding disorder seen by Children’s Feeding Disorders Program and it is not uncommon for patients to have a combination of IA and SFA. Those children refuse to eat certain foods and only eat small amounts of foods even when given foods they like.

Food for Thought: Essential Fats

Many of us are aware of the importance of the essential fatty acids – Omega 3 specifically – which is essential for brain development. The supplement market has been flooded with supplements containing essential fats. This has been incredibly useful especially if you are the parent of a fussy eater and you realize your child is not eating their oily fish. For some of us, we use supplementation of the essential fats as an insurance policy – just in case my child doesn’t get enough. And the rest of us are just totally confused and wondering which supplement of the 100’s out there is best and do we really need to spare this expense. No expense is too great when it comes to your child but it would be worth knowing firstly if you are giving the right supplement and secondly if your child really needs the supplement.

Feeding Tips

For children, growth comes first. We all have genetically programmed growth potential, and your child reaches it when diet and absorption are optimal.

Macronutrients are calories (energy), protein, fats/oils, and carbohydrates. While adults can get away with deficits in these areas, children can not.

Vegetarian Diets for Children

It is feasible to have a healthy, vibrant vegetarian child. If you do choose to go the vegetarian route ensure that you pay attention to complementary proteins and find appropriate sources of minerals, vitamins, fats and omega fatty acids. It is advisable to consult an expert to guide you in this area to ensure that there are no growth and health deficiencies present.

Vegetarian babies can be healthy and grow just as well as their meat-eating counterparts; provided their parents take special care to ensure that their babies get sufficient protein as well as sufficient amino-acid diversity. High protein foods include dairy products, eggs and many grains, nuts, legumes and pulses. Take note that all grains and beans (except for soy and quinoa) are considered incomplete proteins and must be eaten in combination with others. Mix beans with whole grains, like rice for instance, and be familiar with how to ensure a balanced protein intake for your child. Especially for younger babies, consider their diet very carefully. Once your child is old enough for nuts and other protein substances, a vegetarian diet can be easy to manage. It is your responsibility as a parent to ensure that your child has a diet complete in all essential nutrients. If you choose to feed your baby a vegetarian diet, ensure that all animal proteins being left out are replaced with the vegetarian replacement of your choice. Deficiencies in poorly balanced vegetarian diets may occur due to lowered immunity and sub-optimal growth and development.

Little Cooks Club on Expresso

Little Cooks Club recently featured on “Expresso,” SABC3′s daily morning television show. Below are two videos from the show. Click on them to see us in action!

Little Cooks Club Features in Latest Woolworths Taste Magazine

Little Cooks Club features at number 12 in Woolworths Taste magazine’s “20 Things to Eat, See & Buy”:

Beat the Tantrum with Reward Charts

I hope I am not alone when I say that the “Terrible Two’s” is a bit of  mystery to me. Up until recently my daughter has been pretty much a pleasure to raise. Despite not being much of an eater – which I have finally come to terms with – she has been an “easy” child and has brought much laughter and joy to our lives. Up until she turned 3! 

Children’s Healthy Lunchbox Ideas

At Little Cook’s Club we are constantly striving to increase children’s awareness about eating healthily. Our classes are designed to encourage children to try new flavours and textures.