The short answer is yes but more about that later.

I think it is fair to say that one of our jobs as parents is to raise children who bounce. And by bounce we mean have resilience – to be able to take some of the knocks and scrapes that happen in life.

Good food and nutrition is a pretty big part of being resilient. The food and eating habits that children develop in the first 1000 days of life are instrumental in their future health and well-being. What children eat in those early years can impact on the development of food allergies, gut health, immunity, taste preferences, adult weight, adult height, risk of chronic diseases, mood, brain development (IQ) and their relationship with food.

This is why Little Scholars have invited myself and our team of Dietitians at My Nutrition Clinic to update their menu to ensure that it provides at least 50% of your child’s daily nutrient requirements. This is the minimum amounts needed to ensure children have the opportunity to meet all of their nutrition requirements for optimum growth and development.

However, we know that making nutritious and wholesome food is only half the battle. We are only all too familiar with those sweet and high-pitched words ‘I don’t like it’. Which is why over the coming months, we will be providing lots of practical information through this blog on how to keep children eating healthy while keeping mealtimes stress free!

I believe there is a golden opportunity when children are toddlers to teach them all the good eating habits they will need to last them a lifetime. The power of peer learning and role modelling is extremely strong at this age and if we succumb to pester power and limit the variety of food in their diet early on then this will become the story of their lives. I see plenty of teenagers and adults in my line of work who hardly eat any vegetables and rely heavily on processed foods. It takes great will power to change these habits after 3-4 decades rather than change them when you are only 3 or 4 years of age.

There is lots of research to back up this claim, but I have also seen it first hand with my own children. It was only to be expected that a dietitian would have children who were fussy eaters. My son (first born) wouldn’t eat meat that wasn’t minced, didn’t like many vegetables and LOVED carbs. My daughter (2^nd born) seemed to only eat meat, was fussy with vegetables and dislikes all carbs (except chips). They were sent to test me!!

I know first-hand how stressful it can be trying to give your children very carefully prepared meals for them only to be rejected. I remember the envy I felt watching my friend’s children happily munch on tomatoes and cucumber while mine did not. But there is a solution! Watch this space for tips, food ideas and guidance on this and a range of topics related to food and healthy little scholars!

Happy munching

Anna D’ArcyAccredited Practising Dietitian
www.mynutritionclinic.com.au
Dietitian for 20 years and mum for 8 years

Amazing health home made food for the children at Little Scholars

Put away your canning equipment and bags of sugar, my friends. There’s a new jam in town at Little Scholars and its name is chia. Yes, by using the gelling power of these tiny little seeds we can transform a few cups of ripe fruit into a low-sugar, spreadable, spoonable jam in about 20 minutes.

Here is what to do!

If anything is a superfood, it’s chia seeds. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids, rich in fiber and protein, and — most important for our jam-making purposes — they turn any liquid into a thick gel. That’s right — chia seeds will absorb several times their mass in liquid, creating a jelly-like substance in the process.

Making Jam with Chia Seeds

When making fruit jam with chia seeds, the seeds do all the work. Instead of cooking fruit down, relying on pectin, and adding sugar to help it set, like traditional jam, all we need to do is mash up some fruit and stir in a few tablespoons of chia seeds.

What You Need – Little Scholars Chia Seed Jam Recipe

Ingredients

1 pkt of frozen mixed berries
½ cup of water
1 tblsp coconut sugar

Instructions

Prepare the fruit as needed: Remove stems, pits, seeds, and skin, as needed. Chop large fruits into small pieces. Berries can be left whole.
Cook the fruit until it starts to break down: Transfer the fruit to a saucepan and set over medium heat. Cook until the fruit breaks down and becomes syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes. Mash the fruit with the back of a spatula or a potato masher, leaving it as smooth or as lumpy as you like.
Stir in the chia seeds.
Let stand 5 minutes, until thickened: This won’t quite reach the firm consistency of regular jam, but it will noticeably thicken. If you’d like a thicker consistency, especially with very juicy fruits, stir in more chia seeds 1 teaspoon at a time.
Transfer to a jar or other storage container: Once the jam has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a jar or other storage container. Store in the fridge for about 2 weeks. The jam will thicken further and become more set once completely chilled. The jam can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw in the fridge before using.

Getting rid of visible chia seeds:
If you’d prefer not to have visible chia seeds in your finished jam, puree the jam in a blender or with an immersion blender. If you’d like to keep a somewhat chunky texture, blend just a portion of the jam with the chia seeds, then stir it back in with the rest of the jam.

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