Making food fun

Danielle McCann, founder of Not Just Nibbles, explains why getting your kids excited about food is the best way to encourage them to eat more vegetables.

From birth, our natural instinct is to like sweet foods. This dates back to thousands of years. Sweeter foods tell our brain it is safe to eat, whereas bitter foods warn us it could be poisonous – think of it as our survival mechanism. *Most* vegetables are bitter in comparison to what children are used to at that age. So as we get older, eating vegetables is very much a learned behaviour, just like riding a bike. Luckily, involving kids in the kitchen is one way in which we can help to accelerate this behaviour.

At Not Just Nibbles, we include children in every step of the cooking process. Whether that’s taste-testing to identify key flavours, learning culinary terms to build their vocabulary or teaching them how to peel and grate a carrot like Gordon Ramsay.

Our themed cooking kits transport kids around the world where they can learn how to make two dishes from the country of that month. But the secret to our success: we make food fun. Now, of course, you don’t have to buy our boxes to get your kids to eat vegetables (although it wouldn’t hurt to try). Instead, you can apply your own themes in the kitchen. Here are some which have been tried and tested by us:

Movie nights – whether they’re at home or in the cinema – are a hit with the family. Try making some of our healthier snacks [see pages 96-97] with the kids and present them on a sharing platter, for the extra theatre. Dim the lights and watch your favourite family movie with your homemade snacks.

Set the kids a task to design their own menu. Start with something small like a sandwich then work your way up to pizzas or tacos. The caveat: each sandwich must include a salad/ vegetable item.

1. Fillings: Ask them to come up with five sandwich fillings with ingredients already at home.

2. Design a menu: They decide on a name, logo and write the sandwich options on their menu.

3. Play: You decide on a sandwich from their menu and let them take your order.

4. Make: Obviously, supervise in the kitchen, but let them get creative with it.

5. Serve: Eat and enjoy. Don’t forget to pay your bill!.

We love celebrating Halloween, Christmas and Easter, but why not use other countries as inspiration to teach them about different cultures: Diwali (India) - Known as the festival of light, this vibrant culture has lots of delicious dishes to offer. Try making a no yeast naan and eat it like a wrap with salad. It’s surprisingly easy and extremely fun for the kids to try.

Day of The Dead (Mexico) - A day of celebration rather than of mourning, this colourful festival is a great way to introduce your child to some Mexican culture/food. Tacos all round!

Buñol (Spain) - AKA: Tomato fight. We’re not condoning that, but there’s lots you can do with tomatoes (which don’t involve throwing them at one another). Spanish omelette filled with tomato and basil for one.

notjustnibbles.com) creates healthy cooking kits for kids with characters that teach children about the health benefits of food in a language they understand.

large bowl chopPing board

grater knife peEler measuring spoOns

tray & paper

1 grated sweet potato 1 grated courgette 2 grated carrots 2-3 chopped garlic

1-2 tsp paprika 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 1.5 tsp mixed herbs 1.5 tsp dry thyme 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme

Prepare baking tray and paper.

1 whisked egg 5 tbsp plain flour Scoop a little of the 20g grated parmesan mix and cup together in the palm of your hand. Gently add to the baking tray. Sprinkle with salt and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C Fan for 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, use an air fryer for 5-7 minutes.

baking tray & paper measuring spoOns Weighing Scales large bowl rolLing pin

herbs & spices 180c 1 bunch fresh chives (cut) 1.5 tsp paprika 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme other 1 tbsp dried thyme 130g chickpea flour 1 tbsp olive oil 50ml water 1. Preheat oven to 180°C Fan. Add everything into a bowl (except the egg) along with some genrous seasoning. Mix. 2. Work into the dough with your hands until it comes together. Cut in half and place one piece between baking paper. Roll out thin. Repeat with other half. 3. 1 whisked egg 4. When it comes to serving, place on a baking tray, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and grill on a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Cut the dough into triangular shapes with a knife or pizza cutter. Gently add to a baking tray with baking paper. Brush with your egg. Bake for 8 mins (or until golden brown).

Add the ingredients for each of the dips into the blender.

150g melted dark chocolate (80%) 1 tbsp cacao powder mix together | AdD raspeberRies on top CheEsy (vegan) guacamole (vegan) 1 can cooked cannelini beans 3 cooked carrots (boiled) 2 ripe avocados 2 roasted garlic cloves small handful coriander 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 2 chopped garlic cloves

Salt & pepper juice 1/2 lime

Splash lemon juice 1 chilli (deseeded)

2 bowls tray & paper

1 cauliflower, washed & chopped into small florets. 1 whisked egg 65g panko breadcrumbs

Add a little salt & pepper to the cauliflower and bake in a hot oven at 175°C Fan for 5 minutes.

breadcrumb seasoningknife chopPing board

fresh sage (chopped) fresh thyme fresh parsley (chopped) 1 tbsp oregano 2 tbsp paprika 1.5tbsp white pepper 1 tbsp dried thyme 2. Add breadcrumbs to a bowl with the seasoning, salt & black 20g parmesan cheese pepper (be generous.) Add some chopped fruit, oat cookies 175 c Serve: and homemade popcorn to your board. Enjoy!

Dip the pre-baked cauliflower in the egg, then breadcrumbs. Add to baking paper and tray.

Feeding a growing, hungry family is always a challenge, especially when you are trying to think of new meals to tempt them with. Many of us are now thinking of ways to include less meat in our family’s diet, especially with Meat-

Free Mondays and movements like Veganuary becoming more popular and plant-based cooking becoming more accessible – and trendy! But how do you change your usual meal routine for something that’s healthy, delicious and that your family will accept without cries of “don’t like it”?

If you’re thinking of adopting some delicious meat-free meals in your repertoire, there are some easy and great recipes that can feed the whole family nutritiously, that will have them asking for more. What’s more, it’s budget-friendly too.

David Attenborough recently said in an interview that he eats very little meat and that he, like many others, has chosen this diet mainly as a way to try to help stem the pace of climate change. Environmentalists suggest that cutting out at least some meat each week is a good thing for the planet. It’s a complex issue, but put simply, large-scale animal farming leads to greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. If you want to learn more, there are lots of places to give you good, unbiased information such as Greenpeace.

A plant-based diet helps you keep control of your cholesterol.

You will be eating less saturated fat, which can clog the arteries and lead to heart disease.

Red and processed meats have been linked with bowel cancer tinyurl.com/ y3seuvy6, so staying away from them is a good thing.

Consumption of red meat has been linked to Type 2 Diabetes.

One of the things parents worry about most in their children’s diet is protein. After the Second World War, when food rationing and shortages were the norm, parents were advised to give their kids as much protein as they could, with full-fat milk and meat being seen as good ways to nurture their little ones. We now realise that too much saturated fat and cholesterol is a bad thing and can lead to obesity and health problems. We also now realise that you can get a lot of protein in your diet from plant sources, such as beans, lentils, nuts, tofu and even many vegetables.

Children need around 11g of protein per day when they are under 12 months old, 13g between ages one and three years and 19g from four to eight years.

Tofu or bean curd has 9g protein.

Red lentils have 9g protein.

Chickpeas or hummus have 8.4g protein.

Baked beans have 5.2g protein.

Nut butters have between 14 and 21g.

Often when we cook, we think about a typical ‘meat and two veg’ meal – so how do you find recipes that will help you cook in a familiar way, yet use less meat? It’s easiest if you find a recipe that replaces the meat, so you can make the rest of the meal as you usually would. For example, a lentil or cashew nut roast can be put in place of a roast meat; tofu can be used to create a very convincing kebab or sweet and sour dish in place of chicken, and a pie or quiche can be made vegan and served the way you love it.

Plant Based Baby is a guide to weaning your little one on a vegan or vegetarian diet. It contains lots of nutritional information, as well as tasty recipes, many of which can be made for the whole family. It is available as a paperback on Amazon or as a Kindle download. tinyurl.com/