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Stuffed Jacket Potatoes!!!

Stuffed Jacket Potatoes

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, scrubbed

Suggested fillings

frozen peas, steamed
sweet corn or canned sweet corn, drained, steamed
mixture of diced tomatoes, white onion and lean ham
bolognaise pasta sauce, warmed
spicy salsa, warmed
baked beans, warmed

Toppings

reduced fat cheese, grated
light sour cream
reduced fat plain yoghurt

Method

1. Pierce the potatoes several times.

2. To cook the potatoes in a microwave oven, place them on a microwave ovenproof dish. Cook on high until tender (15–20 minutes). Or to cook the potatoes in a conventional oven, place on an oven tray and bake at 180°C until tender (about 1 hour).

3. Cut the potatoes in half. Scoop out the flesh from the centre, leaving a 1 cm shell.

4. Place the potato flesh in a bowl and mash with the potato masher or fork.

5. Add the filling ingredients and mix to combine.

6. Spoon the filling into the potato shells.

7. To finish cooking the potatoes in a microwave oven, put them back on the microwave ovenproof dish. Cook on high for 5–10 minutes. Or to finish cooking the potatoes in a conventional oven, put them back on the baking tray and bake at 180°C until heated through and golden brown (about 15 minutes).

 

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Kid-Friendly Recipes!!!!

stawberry and kiwi fruit ice blocks

These kid-friendly recipes are packed with nutritious fresh ingredients that won’t take precious hours to prepare. There are great dishes to choose from, so whether you’re cooking a meal for the family – or entertaining good friends – you’ll enjoy making and sharing these beautiful recipes.

 

Coco Banana Bites

Coco Banana Bites

Ingredients

1 orange
2 medium sized bananas

1/2 cup dessicated coconut

Utensils

Lemon squeezer
Chopping board and knife
Greaseproof paper (optional)
Small bowl

Method

1. Squeeze the juice from the orange. Pour into a small bowl.

2. Peel the bananas. Cut off the ends.

3. Cut bananas into bite size pieces.

4. Spread coconut onto a sheet of grease proof paper or onto a cutting board.

5. Using a skewer or a fork, dip banana pieces into the orange juice.

6. Roll banana in coconut.

7. Eat immediately, or keep in the fridge until chilled.

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Healthy eating is a habit!!!

Recommendations and Guidelines

Healthy eating is a habit. Like all habits, it can take some time and effort to get started but, once set, it can last a lifetime. One of the best things we can do for our children is to help and encourage them to make healthy eating choices at home, at school and when they’re out and about.

What is healthy eating?

The Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents for sound nutrition.

The guidelines recommend that children and young people eat plenty of ‘plant’ foods, such as vegetables, legumes, fruits and grains (preferably whole grain).

They also recommend eating lean animal foods and reduced fat dairy products, drinking plenty of water, limiting the intake of fat (especially saturated fat), choosing low salt foods and consuming only moderate amounts of sugary products.

The key point it makes is the importance of eating a variety of foods, in the right proportions, from each of the food groups:

  • bread and cereals, including rice, pasta and noodles and other grain products
  • vegetables and legumes
  • fruit
  • milk, yoghurt and cheese
  • meat and meat alternatives, such as fish, poultry, eggs, nuts and legumes

About two-thirds of the food we eat should come from the first two groups: breads and cereals and vegetables and legumes.. It pays to learn about each of these food groups so you can decide what’s best for your child. The minimum number of recommended daily serves from each food group is set out in the table below.

Recommended Serves per Day

Age  Bread & cereals  Vegies & legumes  Fruit  Milk, yoghurt & cheese  Meat & alternatives
 4-7  3  2  1  2  1/2
 8-11  4  3  1  2  1
 12-18  4  4  3  3  1

 

Examples of what a serve means for each food group:

  • 1 serve bread or cereal = 2 slices bread, 1 cup of rice, pasta, noodles or porridge, 1 1/3 cup breakfast cereal
  • 1 serve vegies and legumes = ½ cup cooked vegies, 1 medium potato, 1 cup salad or ½ cup cooked legumes (beans, peas or lentils)
  • 1 serve fruit = 1 medium or 2 small pieces, 1 cup canned, 1 ½ tablespoon dried
  • 1 serve milk, yoghurt and cheese = 1 cup (250ml) milk or custard, 1 small tub (200g) yoghurt, 2 slices (40g) cheese
  • 1 serve meat or alternatives = 65 -100g cooked meat or chicken, 80-120g cooked fish fillet, 2 small eggs, ½ cup cooked legumes (beans, peas or lentils)

‘Extra’ (sometimes) foods

‘Extra’ foods include biscuits, cakes, desserts, pastries, soft drinks other fatty, sugary and salty snack foods, such as crisps, pies, pasties, sausage rolls and other takeaways, lollies and chocolates. These foods have low nutritional value and are high in energy (kilojoules). These foods should be eaten only sometimes, in small amounts or not at all.

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In Your Backyard!!!

Children love to play and the backyard, courtyard or local park are great places to learn, explore, make up games and have fun. Backyard games can be inventive and encourage sustained concentration and application by kids.
Backyard games don’t have to be complicated or expensive – a bit of chalk, a ball or a skipping rope can all get a game underway.  Playing in the backyard also allows children to be noisy and messy, physically challenge themselves and move in ways that aren’t possible indoors.
Encouraging your kids to play is an important way you can support their health, coordination, self confidence and happiness.

children playing backyeard cricket2

Try these popular games

  • Hide and seek
  • Skipping
  • Hopscotch
  • Throwing and catching games, like piggy in the middle or knocking down a target
  • Chasing games, like tag and stuck in the mud
  • Racquet games against a wall
  • French cricket or backyard cricket
  • Running and jumping

Tips for backyard games

  • Check your backyard, courtyard or park and remove or block off unsafe areas
  • Let your children explore and make up their own activities and rules – try not to interfere
  • It’s more fun if your child has a friend or two (or you) to play with
  • Focus on what your child can do, not what they can’t
  • Make active play fun and positive
  • Be patient and provide plenty of time for your children to practise movements
  • Be active with your children – have fun and be a role model

Staying safe

  • Slip, Slop Slap, Seek, Slide – make sure your child wears sunscreen, sun glasses, clothing and a hat to protect him/her from the sun.  Play in the shade when you can
  • Being active means children will need extra fluids, especially if it’s hot and humid. Make sure they have regular drinks of water while they’re playing.
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Five simple ways for a healthy lifestyle

There are five simple ways for a healthy lifestyle :

1. Get active each day

  • Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and well-being of children and young people.
  • Should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make everyone ‘huff and puff’.
  • Parents should be good role models and have a positive attitude to being active.

2. Choose water as a drink

Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in fruit juices, soft drinks and other sweetened drinks.

  • Reduced fat milk for children over two is a nutritious drink and a great source of calcium.
  • Give kids whole fruit to eat, rather than offering fruit juices that have a lot of sugar.

3. Eat more fruit and vegetables

  • Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps children grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
  • Aim to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day.
  • Have fresh fruit available as a convenient snack and try to include fruit and vegies in every meal.

4. Switch off the screen and get active

  • Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games is linked to kids becoming overweight or obese.
  • Children and young people should spend no more than two hours a day on ‘small screen’ entertainment.
  • Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to watching TV or playing on the computer.

5. Eat fewer snacks and select healthier alternatives

  • Healthy snacks help children and young people meet their daily nutritional needs.
  • Snacks based on fruit and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products and whole grains are the healthiest choices.
  • Avoid snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fats – such as chips, cakes and chocolate – which can cause children to put on excess weight.

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Vegetable Cheese Sandwich with Caramelized Onions

Toast two slices (on one side only). Apply eggless mayo to an un-toasted bread slice. Layer lettuce leaves and tomato slices. Place an un-toasted bread slice over it. Over this slice, place a cheese slice. Layer cucumber slices, lettuce leaves and caramelized onions and cover with the other toasted slice. (To caramelize onions, saute a sliced onion and a tbsp of brown sugar in a 1/2 tbsp of olive oil till brown).