How to feed your kids 2 and 5

Harian padang.com-Tips to ensure your child gets their daily dose of fruit and vege.

Fruit and vegetables can be hard to sneak into your kids’ diets. Here are some tipsMost parents know kids should be eating two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day. But few know how to meet that requirement.

The last National Nutrition Survey was in 1995, and the results were woeful. Smaller, more recent studies continue to highlight a frightening shortage of fresh fruit and vegetables in children’s diets. A 2007 study of 4440 kids found that between the ages of four and eight, just 60 per cent ate adequate amounts of fruit, and only 22 per cent consumed enough vegetables.

And that was the good news – because by the age of 16, only one per cent met the fruit and veg recommendations.

The Federal Government introduced the Go For 2&5 fruit and vegetable campaign in April 2005. Since then, however, Dietitians Association of Australia spokeswoman Clare Evangelista fears awareness has increased, but not consumption.

“Eating healthily is not always easy, but it is important. It requires parents to think about how to include more fruit and vegetables in the family diet – but cookbooks and the internet are great for that,” she says. “Most people understand how to incorporate fruit into their diet – it’s the five serves of vegetables they find harder to achieve. It can simply be a case of rethinking what we do with vegetables. You don’t have to throw all five serves on your kids’ plates at dinner or pack four cups of salad into their sandwich.”

There are various reasons why our fruit and vegetable consumption remains well below healthy levels, with perceived cost and preparation time probably topping the list for many families.

Vegetables need to be peeled, chopped and often cooked and pre-prepared convenience foods claim to provide kids with everything they need.

Evangelista disagrees that fresh fruit and vegetables are more expensive, citing a recent study that found fresh alternatives are actually cheaper than processed foods with similar ingredients.

Expert tip: One serve of fruit or vegetables is equivalent to what fits in your child’s hand.

She suggests the following tips

• Demonstrate good eating behaviours yourself. Studies have shown kids mimic their parents’ eating habits.
• Get vegies into lunch boxes. Try adding creamed corn or baked beans to wraps and include carrot or celery sticks with hummus or cherry tomatoes.
• Use “stealth” vegetables. While hiding vegies isn’t ideal, it can increase kids’ intake while affording a taste for them – add grated carrot or zucchini, pureed broccoli, steamed spinach or even lentils to soups, stews and pasta sauces.
• Cook together. Involve children in food shopping, fruit and veg selection and meal preparation.

Why eating for the seasons is important

HarianPadang.com-Discover how seasonal produce improves your health.

Before we started the mass import and exportation of goods a few decades ago, we had no choice but to eat seasonally. That’s all that was available. We had watermelons in summer, when it was hot, and root vegetables in winter. It makes sense, as watermelon will cool us down in the heat of summer and root vegetables are made into soups or roasted – keeping us warm in the cool.

These days though, you can pretty much buy anything you want all year around in a supermarket, as it’s more than likely been imported. But learn from farmers’ markets: if it’s not available, chances are it’s not in season – a good sign you’re not meant to be eating it then anyway.

Understanding what your body needs will not only improve the health of our planet, but yours as well. Eastern medicine and philosophies have understood the interconnectedness of the body, mind and spirit for centuries, but only recently has it found its way into Western lives.

What to eat in autumn

Just as the leaves start to lose their moisture so do we, both internally and externally. We will likely experience drier skin, coughs, dandruff and constipation. To prevent or reduce these symptoms, eat foods that nourish and moisten, such as nuts and seeds and their oils (tahini, olive, almond and flax oil), wholegrains like barley and millet, and apples, pears and avocado. Foods that build up our blood in preparation for winter are figs, pears, pumpkin, and beetroot. The flavour associated with the lungs is pungent so ginger and wasabi are especially helpful during this season.

Seasonal eating guide

Our organs will be sensitive in a particular season: each has a related taste and emotion.

Mum's the word

Harian Padang.com-Meet four very special mums and their unique family units.

Four inspiring women share their thoughts and experiences on being a mum and reveal their plans for Mother's Day.

Amanda Green is mum to Robbie, 24, who has autism, and Camilla, 22

When you have a child with autism, every day can present different challenges. I try to rejoice in what Robbie can do rather than focus on things he finds difficult. He is an amazing photographer, has an interesting perspective of the world and a great sense of humour.

Camilla is academically strong with a creative side as well. One of her biggest achievements though, is being a generous, caring sister. A great joy for me is seeing my children interact with each other.

Robbie needs special care and management but these challenges pale into insignificance when I consider the challenges he confronts every day. Being calm and patient is key. Humour helps enormously.

People tend to judge parents when they see a child exhibiting inappropriate behaviour. I would like them to spare a thought that the behaviour may be due to the condition and have nothing to do with parenting skills.

This Mother's Day Camilla and David have arranged a special lunch and I am hoping Robbie will make one of his chocolate cakes for dessert.

Melanie O'Shanassy is a single mum to twin girls, Frances and Tully, aged three

Being a mum is a gift. I am constantly amazed at the things my kids do and say. They are strong little independent women and it's fascinating to watch them grow.

It's taken a few years, though. I was so tired as a new mother that I can honestly say I wasn't that gone on motherhood. I struggled with so much of it. To say I was overwhelmed would have been an understatement. But now, I get so much pleasure from hearing the girls giggle together, or seeing their artwork, or listening to the funny little comments they make.

This Mother's Day I am going to start making a cubby house for my girls, then we are all going to Grandma's for tea. Should be good.

Harriet Moutsopoulos has been a foster mum for just over a year. In this time she has cared for 25 children

Being a foster mum is about helping children in crisis and it's very gratifying to be able to make a difference. The assistance we offer is so simple - we just give them food, safety and love.

The biggest challenge is trying to provide them with skills in a short space of time. We build their confidence and help them understand the difference between right and wrong. When they leave us, we always send them off with puffa jackets so that wherever they go, they're warm.

Foster children are no different to any other children. All children are innocent and need the same things. Sometimes people's first instinct is to blame the parents, but you can't pass judgment.

We have three kids with us at the moment and our plan for Mother's Day is to go to my mum's house and make a mess over there! The kids have made pictures and posters for her. They can't be with their own mum this Mother's Day so it will be all about them and making sure they're happy.

Donna Rackley is a mum of six; Simone, 21, Kimberley, 19, Bethany, 8, Karla, 6, Ethan, 3 and Brayden, 2

It's a lot of fun having a big family. The more children you have, the more confidence you gain as a mother. I always wanted to have children from a young age and having the last two in my late thirties, I can really feel the difference. I haven't got the patience and energy I did when I was younger.

People often ask how I can afford to have so many children, but it's not that hard. I love to cook at home and really, what's a few extra potatoes or carrots? Going out for dinner is expensive but the financial aspect is not as big a burden as you'd think.

For me, being a mum is about developing love and friendship with my kids. You do have to learn to speak on different levels, though. The way you speak to a 21-year-old is very different to the way you speak to a two-year-old.

My daughter Kimberley is about to have a baby, so I will be spending Mother's Day celebrating the birth of my first grandchild. I can't wait.