Hungry 4 Health Aus

Obsessed with all these super cute Easter-themed foods!! 😍🐰

What Easter-themed treats are your family enjoying this Easter?

To our Hungry 4 Health Family,

We know we’ve been a bit quiet recently and for that, we sincerely apologise. February has been a rocky month for us…it started with COVID hitting our household, which we knew was inevitable but it was still a shock and challenge to deal with. Still recovering, the devastating developments in Ukraine left us feeling heartbroken. And now, we are facing a tragedy on our own doorstop.
Most of you will know we are based in Brisbane, Queensland. And you may have heard parts of Queensland, particularly Brisbane, have been dealing with unprecedented rainfall and floods.

We are extremely grateful that our home was not affected, and our family and friends are safe. Sadly, many in the area around us are not and it’s been awful to watch water levels rise in our surrounding streets. Watching the news coverage of the devastation across the north of the Sunshine Coast all the way down to Northern New South Wales has been tough to deal with.

All of this compounded with 2 years of COVID has taken its toll. We also feel there is so much going on right now that the priority for most is just making it through the day.

So, we’ve decided to take a break from social media as we don’t feel now is the right time to be sharing our usual content. Our focus is the health and wellbeing of the little ones in our lives and right now, all the nourishment they need is the love and support of the adults in their lives as they deal with an ongoing pandemic and other world events. If we feel we have important information to share, we shall, otherwise we’ll be back in the near future.

We hope you understand and we thank you for your ongoing support. We hope that you and your loved ones stay safe in these challenging times.

The Hungry 4 Health Team

DID YOU SEE OUR LAST POST ABOUT SELECTING SNACKS?

If you didn't, make sure you do to learn about what makes a great snack for your kids.

Still wondering what to choose as a snack? Here is a list of some of our favourites- make sure you save it to keep handy for when you're shopping!

🥕 Fruit: serve whole or cut up, on skewers or with fun toothpicks. Use fresh, canned, dried or frozen options.

🍏 Crackers: serve with different cheeses, nut spreads or dips like hummus or tzatziki.

🥕 Vegetables: serve whole or cut up, on skewers or with fun toothpicks. Use fresh, canned or frozen options.

🍏 Legumes: dried beans make great snacks packed with protein. Toss in spices for extra flavour.

🥕 Popcorn: make your own air-popped at home

🍏 Biscuits: plain or sweet. Include alongside other snack options.

🥕 Toast: use multigrain bread and top with nut spreads, hummus, cheese, or ricotta and fruit.

🍏 Smoothies: a great way to include fruit and/or vegetables, and dairy into snacks.

🥕 Baked goods: muesli bars, cakes and muffins- make your own or buy pre-packaged.

🍏 Pretzels, chips & chocolate: the fun-size bags are perfect for everyone to enjoy their favourite foods in a snack size.

What other snacks do your kids like to eat? Share with us below ⬇️

So, the kids have come home from school or sport and they're ravenous- what do you give them to tide them over till dinner? ⁠
⁠
Snacks are a great way to include foods from the different food groups, expose your kids to new foods, and to fuel them between meals. ⁠
Supermarket shelves have never been more packed with options- but there's more than one price tag attached to that...your child's health. ⁠
Pre-packaged foods are often high in fat, sugar and salt, and while each does play a part in a balanced diet, too much (especially at a young age) can lead to a lot of health complications. ⁠
⁠
So, when choosing a snack, go for: ⁠
🥕 Fresh foods: like fruits and vegetables⁠

🍏 Foods from the 5 food groups: check which groups you haven't already included⁠

🥕 High fibre: choose wholegrain options to keep kids fuller for longer and support a healthy gut⁠

🍏 Fewer convenience foods: think about how many pre-packed items your child is eating during the week⁠

🥕 Good nutrition panels: choose pre-packed foods with less salt, sugar and fat

What's your kid's favourite after school snack? Share with us below!

DO YOU KNOW the recommended average number of serves of vegetables kids in primary school should eat a day?

Let's take a look!

For boys:
🧒🏻 4-8 years old: 4 and 1/2 serves
🧒🏾 9-11 years old: 5 serves
👦🏼 12-13 years old: 5 and 1/2 serves

For girls
👧🏿 4-8 years old: 4 and 1/2 serves
👧🏼 9-11 years old: 5 serves
👧🏻 12-13 years old: 5

Legumes/beans are also included in the vegetables food group, which means your choices are endless!!

What's your child's favourite vegetable? Let us know in the comments below ⬇️

BEAT THE HEAT!!

Brisbane has had some crazy hot weather this week and it’s a great reminder that we need to stay well hydrated during summer months.

DID YOU KNOW?

💧 Children sweat less, reducing their ability to cool down
💧 Children generate more heat while exercising than adults
💧 Children are at high risk of overhearing and developing heat-related illness, and heat can also make existing illnesses worse
💧 Insufficient fluid intake can cause constipation and headaches, and can also lower physical and mental performance

So, it’s really important to make sure your kids are kept cool and ensure they are adequately hydrated, with water being the best drink to have.

Here are our top tips to increase your family’s water intake:

🥕 Keep it handy: use re-useable water bottles and carry at all times- around the house, out and about, school lunch, and sports (if able, freeze the bottle to keep lunch boxes cool)
🍏 Maximise opportunities: serve at least 1 glass of water at each meal and snack time
🥕 Add some fruity flavour: spruce up your water by adding slices of fruit and use any you like. Fresh herbs, such as mint and thyme, add extra zing!⁠
🍏 Eat your water: choose foods with a high water content, like fruit, and dairy products like milk and yoghurt.
🥕 Ice, ice, baby: Use ice cubes in other drinks, or freeze your fruit & herb-flavoured water into ice-lolly moulds for a refreshing snack.

How does your family get enough water in your day? Share your tips with us below!

Many families across QLD are busy preparing for the 2022 school year to officially start next week. Some states have already kicked off for the year.

So, for whatever stage your child is at, we are wishing all students a happy, fun and successful school year...with hopefully minimal distractions!

All the best to the teachers who dedicate their lives to educating our future generations, and all the parents who support their kids with so much love. ❤

We look forward to bringing you more great information on food, nutrition and health to help ensure your family is well-nourished throughout the year!

Have you heard of Veganuary before? It's an annual event held in the month of January to promote and educate people worldwide about a vegan lifestyle. Over 580,00 people from 209 countries and territories participated in the 2021 campaign.

Many kids choose to adopt a vegan diet for animal welfare reasons, a cause supported by Charlie's Acres Farm Animal Sanctuary.

We took a tour of this amazing sanctuary and met lots of the animals 🐄🐷🐑 and heard the stories of how their lives were saved.

This is a great video for kids to learn more about this topic, so get the family together for some fun, educational viewing this weekend 😀

Follow the link below or check our Reels tab.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWzCbC9A2um/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

HANDS UP IF YOU HAVE A FUSSY EATER 🤚
I might not have kids but I can definitely relate to having a fussy eater in the house...meet Cody, my 6 year old 'fur baby'. Cody is fed a mix of food that includes kibble. Cody used to like kibble, and now he's decided he hates it 🤦🏾‍♀️

Sometimes I cave (because I feel sorry for him and I don't want him to starve) and add foods he likes to encourage him to eat his kibble. Like this meal, where I added tiny bits of cheese (he'll do anything for cheese) to entice him.

So what did the lil bu**er do?? He scooped up the kibble and cheese...SPAT OUT the kibble and ate the cheese...and left a mess all over the floor! 😤

I strongly believe that when it comes to fussy eating, understanding food and nutrition helps a child with their eating behaviours.

Unfortunately, I can't teach Cody about why we need a variety of food, but I can help your kids learn!

Our online nutrition course teaches Primary School-aged kids all about food, nutrition and health. It's a great way to start a conversation with them about why it's important to eat lots of different foods.

Head to https://hungry-4-health.teachable.com/ to enrol today! And don't forget our promo code "SUMMER" to get 25% off at checkout! Hurry, offer ends Feb 7th.

Growing up, I didn’t realise a few things about potato chips that I am more aware of now that I’m a Dietitian, which means I’m more conscious of the type of chips I eat, how often I eat them and how much I eat. That’s because chips (hot or packet) are often high in fat and salt, plus often adds extra carbohydrates to my meal (for example, having a burger in a bun and chips).

However, I won’t give up chips, because I love them too much! They fill me up, are super tasty and remind me of so many happy times in my life. Instead, I like to find healthier ways to have chips, and I’ve found the best way is to make them at home! Here is my favourite way to make your own chips at home:
Use: Potatoes or sweet potatoes. Wash and leave the skin on for extra fibre.

Cut: For chunky chips, cut the potato length-wise and as thick as you like them. Or slice into circles for a more crisp-like chip. The thinner you slice, the crunchier the chip- you can use a potato peeler for extra thin chips. Thicker chips make take longer to cook in the oven, so you can start the process by putting the whole potato in a bowl with a bit of water in the microwave for 5 minutes, then slice (be careful, it will be hot!).

Cook: Spray the chips with an oil spray (I prefer olive oil), add a sprinkle of salt, then place a single layer of chips on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cook for approximately 15 minutes at 200°C, turn then cook for another 15 minutes or until the chips are cooked through and as crunchy as you like.

Coat: As soon as the chips are out of the oven, season with your favourite flavours: crushed fresh garlic or garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chili powder, dried or fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or oregano.

Serve: With the condiment of your choice! Be mindful that sauces like tomato, BBQ and mayo/aioli are high in sugar, fat and salt. You can use lower salt/fat versions or mix them with Greek yoghurt, or use tzatziki or hummus.

Share your homemade chips with us by tagging in your photos!

Looking for ways to bulk up your meals now that meat is harder to come by? Well, look no further than the humble legume!

Legumes are super versatile, and while they may be plant foods, they definitely aren’t just for vegetarians! Packed with protein, fibre, folate, heaps of vitamins and minerals, they are very affordable, and have many benefits when it comes to sustainable farming.

Examples of pulses include:
⭐ Split peas
⭐ Cannellini beans
⭐ Kidney beans
⭐ Baked beans (navy beans)
⭐ Soybeans
⭐ Chickpeas
⭐ Four bean mix
⭐ Lupin
⭐ Red, green or brown lentils

Here are our favourite tips to help you include legumes in your family's meals:

🥕 Add lentils to soup recipes, rice dishes, or make homemade lentil patties.

🍏 Add chickpeas or soybeans to stir-fry dishes.

🥕 Bulk up casserole dishes by adding beans and lentils: add kidney beans to your fillings for nachos, burritos, tacos etc., add your favourite beans to lasagne mixture, or add lentils to stews and pie fillings.

🍏 Snack on oven roasted chickpeas- flavour with spices for extra flavour!

🥕 Use four bean mixes as a salad base and add lots of vegetables and a little oil-based dressing.

🍏 Serve hummus with vegetable sticks for a yummy snack.

🥕 Include baked beans with a cooked breakfast, or put on a slice of toast for a snack.

🍏 Substitute around 10% of wheat flour with lupin flour when baking to prepare higher fibre, higher protein and lower GI foods.

Share with us in the comments your family's favourite way to add legumes to your diet 👐