Kids starving but dinner not ready yet?

Who hasn't had one or more children hanging off them 20 minutes before dinner is ready saying "I'm hungry". Rather than give them something that will prevent them from digging into their lovingly prepared dinner you have just been slaving over, I always use it as an opportunity to get in a few more veges. If they refuse them, then they weren't that hungry!

My favourites are:
carrot sticks
celery sticks
capsicum bracelets (cut into rings)
cucumber rings
bowl of frozen peas (my daughter only eats frozen peas)

You will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome of offering veges, instead of other things like crackers, fruit and cheese.

Magic Mince

It is rare to come across a kid that does not like mince. This is our family's favourite recipe that everyone eats, which is heaven for a busy mum. Please make sure you use the lowest fat mince you can find. To make the preparation faster, I use a Zyliss chopper to chop the mushroom, cauliflower and broccoli. Unfortunately it does not work for the celery or capsicum because it turns them to a mush.

Magic mince
750g beef mince
1 onion (finely diced)
plus at least three of the following
8 mushroom (finely chopped)
3 courgettes (finely grated)
3 sticks celery (finely chopped)
1 capsicum (finely chopped)
4 florets cauliflower (finely chopped)
4 florets broccoli (finely chopped)
2 carrots (finely grated)
1 wedge of pumpkin (finely grated)

Magic Meatballs
Place magic mince and 2 free range organic eggs into a large bowl and mix until combined.
Little hands can help make small, round meatballs.
Cook in a nonstick frying pan.
Add to a pasta sauce and spoon over spaghetti for spaghetti and meatballs.
Freeze any leftover cooked meatballs.

Bolognese Sauce
In a large frying pan, cook onion.
Add mince to the pan and brown.
Add two tins of chopped tomatoes to the pan.
Add 250 mls of quality beef stock to the pan.
Put lid on the pan, and simmer at a low heat for 15 minutes.
Add mushroom and pumpkin and cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the rest of the vegetables at the very end.
Serve over pasta of your choice.
Freeze any leftover bolognese sauce.
NB I'm a fan of eating vegetables raw or barely cooked if possible, so I just stir through any vegetables that do not need cooking just before serving. It helps cool the dinner down and the children can dig in straight away.

Banana spirulina smoothies

One of the best things I did was encourage my eldest child to drink spirulina smoothies. It has helped in those times when she has steadfastly refused to eat a perfectly good dinner.

I am a big fan of spirulina because it is jam-packed full of lots of lovely nutrients and I feel that it goes some way to replace the green vegetables that she sometimes does not eat every day. She probably had her first one when she was around eighteen months of age, but I have introduced them to my son now and he is sixteen months old.

Here is my smoothie recipe:
1 banana
250ml milk
handful of frozen blueberries
1 kiwifruit
1 teaspoon of spirulina powder
1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil

Place all the ingredients into blender and blend and thick and smooth.
Serve with a straw (child to choose the colour).

A few special notes:
Do not forget to use full fat milk if child is under two years of age, and low fat milk if over two years of age.
The blueberries are full of antioxidants and vitamins and are regarded as a superfood. Frozen blueberries are more economical and make the smoothie nice and cold.
Spirulina and blueberries make lovely stains that are very hard to remove, so protect clothing etc.
Kiwifruit are great for Vitamin C, digestion and she likes them.
I like adding the flaxseed oil for the extra health benefits. Remember to keep your flaxseed oil in the fridge and use within a month of opening the bottle.

Sneaky trick.....
Because the spirulina and blueberries are strong in flavour and colour, it is easy to add other things to the smoothie without your child knowing. I have added strips of plain eye fillet steak that she refused to eat, to the smoothie, whizzed it up, and she drank it all down none the wiser. This also works with plain vegetables.

However beware of trying to add too much or adding things that have a really distinctive flavour. This happened once and she took one sip and said that she did not like it because it tasted like dinner. She was very suspicious of her smoothies for a while after that, but lucky she has moved on and is drinking them again without a taste test first.

How did this happen?

I want my children to grow up with a healthy attitude to food and eating. When I introduced solids to my first child, it was lovingly prepared organic meat and vegetables so that she would have the best start possible. A newly purchased steamer lightly cooked the vegetables so that she would get all the nutrients. Every skerrick of fat was cut from the meat so that she would get the leanest portions. She loved it and would eat such huge quantities, family and friends were amazed and marvelled at her appetite.

Then she turned fifteen months and refused to eat dinner any more. I was at my wit's end and agonised over whether she was getting enough essential vitamins and minerals to develop her body and brain.

After a couple of years of this, I have now managed to chill out about it, and instead concentrate on all the good things she is eating. However along the way I have managed to put together a collection of tricks that I want to share with others who are struggling with 'fussy eaters'. I also have some easy, nutritious recipes that satisfy everyone.

By the way, I am not a qualified nutritionist or dietitian, but I am a mum of two with a keen interest in ensuring my children have a healthy, well-balanced diet.