Foost in Mount Waverley, Victoria | Education
Foost
Locality: Mount Waverley, Victoria
Phone: +61 1300 611 941
Address: Kids Unlimited, 430 Huntingdale Road, Mt Waverly, VIC 3149 Mount Waverley, VIC, Australia
Website: http://www.foost.com.au
Likes: 8497
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25.01.2022 Fish tacos with deconstructed salsa. Make your own. Kids don’t like fish? No matter...leave it out. We had eggs for breakfast and some nuts with snacks so this is not the only opportunity to get nutrition. Kids not learnt to like avo yet? Leave it off. It’s up to them. How about chili? Love or prefer not? You can choose. I like to add some fruit to fish tacos, today it’s fresh mango, sometimes it’s canned and drained pineapple. I have also fried some corn in extra virgin oliv...e oil cause I adore fried corn. Will the kids too? I don’t know, but I will! Oops, forgot the cheese :) will go add that now.
24.01.2022 Food shopping bungles of the week...I apparently ordered 1kg of paneer cheese (which we have never tried before and thought it would be fun to try, now well be trying it quite a few ways :)) and then I ordered only 3 burger patties it seems (for the 6 of us). Lucky I usually have some tofu in the fridge. I probably should stop online food shopping at midnight but #lockdownlife Now Ive heard of stories of accidentally ordering 5kg of pears instead of 5. Have you made any online food shopping mistakes? Howd it turn out for you?
24.01.2022 Traditional nutrition education can be very black and white. Right or wrong. One size fits all. And when that one unachievable size doesn't fit most, it leaves the individual feeling at fault and a failure. But everyone is different, has different beliefs, different genetics, cultures and food experiences. Food choices are complicated based on knowledge, time, ethics, skills and medical conditions. Food is made up of a bunch of different ingredients, not a single nutrient.... Nutrition is all shades of grey, not black and white. This week weve teamed up with the lovely and knowledgeable Kelly from @thecuriousnutritionist to bring you a series of shades of grey nutrition (make sure to check her posts out as well as the posts will complement each other). Each day this week, we will have a statement or thought that is common in nutrition education but very black and white, and we challenge you to explore the grey. Why is nutrition education often black and white and rules based? Well rules simplify and are easier to teach but why should we follow them when health is not one size fits all. As a health promotion dietitian it is not my job to teach you a bunch of set rules when I know that everyones food journey is so different. My role is to provide you with gentle guidance, structure and support for you on your own food journey with your family. So sit back and open your mind to this world of grey nutrition.
24.01.2022 In university I was trained in numbers. Look for sugar/salt to be below this number, type of thing (sorry I cant remember the actual numbers). The numbers were hard to remember so we would make little cards for people to keep in their wallets. Going to the supermarket was hard. I turned over to examine the labels on anything that came in a packet. Those nutrition panels ruling my food choices and reducing my enjoyment of food. I soon got bored of the little numbers telling ...me what to do. So I gave up on it. I just chose what I wanted. I went from reading every label to never reading a label, very all or nothing. The truth is there is middle ground, the grey of nutrition. And that middle ground is different for different people. Choosing food is more than the nutrition on the panel. Its cost, its health conditions, its cultural, its nutrition and its enjoyment (plus more). Sometimes label reading is essential, like for allergies or specific disease once again showing how personal food and nutrition is. Please seek individual help if you are looking for more guidance. So what do I do now? I quickly read some labels and not others. I use label reading as ONE of my food tools, for assistance with guidance sometimes, but not as strict rules. When do I read labels and what do I look for? Read about it here: https://www.foost.com.au/label-reading-in-7-easy-steps And remember to go and check out @thecuriousnutritionist for her thoughts on this.
23.01.2022 I used to think healthy eating was like walking a balance beam, always trying to get the delicate balance right. Is it 80/20? Or 90/10? Does it matter? And trying to balance, means we often fall and this is considered failure? Now I realise it’s much more of a pendulum swinging and there is totally no perfect in eating (for adults or children). Some days or weeks or months you might eat more salad, others more chocolate or cake. Sometimes eating beyond comfortable, sometimes ...feeling more hunger. Whilst nutrition is important so is our relationship with food. Feeding our bodies with love and respect is a major part of healthy eating. So this festive season and into 2021, try and learn to ride the waves with compassion.
21.01.2022 Happy Fathers Day and Happy Victorian Way Out Announcement Day #isolife #isofood #lockdown #proudvictorian #happyfathersday
21.01.2022 Honestly since the kids have gone back to school and activities are starting to go back, I have not been very food organised. Now, this happens sometimes and that’s okay (and my kids love canned spaghetti). But lately I’m finding myself more stressed and tired, so I’m trying to reduce my food stress this week with a little more planning. I’ve been to the supermarket today and have fruit, wraps, bread and toppings for easier lunchbox packing. I’ve made some lamington bites for lunchboxes and snacks (recipe: www.foost.com.au/lamington-bites) and have planned dinners (written m on the fridge behind me in liquid chalk). What helps you reduce your food stress? #mealplanning #familyeats #healthychildren #healthyfamilies #lunchbox #kidseats #schoollunchideas
21.01.2022 For something different in lockdown, the kids and I decided to do themed dinners. And this week was Asian cuisine. Tonight we had DIY ramen noodles. It was definitely the easiest meal we made this week. And Miss 8 declared it the best. If you want to know what any of this is, just ask :) #isocooking #feedingkidshealthy #familymealtime #interactivedinner #feedingkids #familymeals #ramen
20.01.2022 Todays Age page 2 the power of food as a way to stay connected during lockdown Kate Wengier, Foost founder. And what do people think about our online cooking classes? Being able to do an activity with my grandchildren was really a fantastic feeling. Sometimes when you just Zoom family you run out of things to say but having something doable like cooking makes it feel like quality time. You can build stories into it the same way you might around the dinner table." For upcoming foost events: www.foost.com.au/events or to discuss a session in your community email [email protected]
19.01.2022 Finish this sentence.... I need to go shopping cause we are out of....
19.01.2022 Because I love all veg: fresh, frozen and canned....I want to know your fav canned or fresh veg and how you use it! Ill start. I think I have to say edamame beans for frozen (just soak in boiling water and pop and eat). And for canned: baked beans! For an easy meal or side.
19.01.2022 Alrighty team, lets keep the colourful veggie inspiration coming! This time I want to hear your fav way to cook veggies and then other people can add more veggies that are also great with that cooking method! Im going to start with roasting! Cause as I often say #roastmorethanpotatoes. Alongside potatoes we love to roast sweet potato and pumpkin. Also love zucchini and cauli topped with grated cheese and roasted. Okay please comment with more veggies you love to roast and/or another cooking style for veg!
19.01.2022 New recipe on the foost website! Ricotta, spinach and lentil rolls... www.foost.com.au/lentil-sausage-rolls/
19.01.2022 Get ready....it’s almost new year and you know what that means...the pressure for a new you, to be healthier and to fit society’s look and perception of health. It’s peak marketing time for the billion dollar weight loss industry. So I have a few things I’d like to say: health is not actually determined by what you weigh statistically diets and quick fixes create weight gain in long term you don’t need expensive products to be healthy... diets fail people, people don’t fail diets (but the industry lead you to believe that) you can create healthier habits and your weight not change (but you are still healthier) if you want your children to accept their bodies, you need to work towards accept your own (even though it might not be perfect.) no one, not family, not influencers, not magazines, not even your GP has the right to judge or comment on your body you can choose anytime to learn to cook a new veggie, to add some frozen veg to your cooking, enjoy some fruit as a snack, eat more whole grains, drink more water or whatever. There is actually nothing special about a new year. you can enjoy cake, chocolate, crisps, insert any edible food that you are not intolerant or allergic to here and be healthy health is more than what you weigh, how many veggies you eat and how active you are. It’s your relationship with food. It’s your physical health as well as your mental health. So we need some kind of shield for the next couple weeks, or maybe just some critical eyes? Together we can do this :) 2020 has been a tough year. Cheers to seeing what 2021 brings... (p.s this image is not representative of anything but what an egg might look like before and after you cook it. The before egg is awesome, just as it is because it can be and do so many things, regardless of it’s looks. It’s full of nutrients and taste. I was trying to come up with a more clever before and after pic but alas this is it). #newyearsresolution #bodyneutrality #nondiet #healthyfamily #healthyfood
18.01.2022 The other day I made semolina porridge (sometimes called cream of wheat). I have never made it before. It has a consistency like polenta (not like oatmeal porridge). I remember often eating it as a child at my friends house after school. I loved it! She did not :) I have never made it before. I served it the other day to my four children topped with some fruit (all fruits they all accept) and some drinking chocolate on top. I also served some toast as a safe side (a food t...hey have already learnt to like). My youngest who loves polenta ate two serves. My eldest two are the toppings and left the rest. My middle child tried a tiny bit and said no thanks and had toast. This got me thinking...what makes a good eater? Well its not what and how much they eat...its sitting at the table calmly, maybe participating in some mealtime conversation, its politely saying no thank you if they dont want to eat or try a food and its learning to try foods (when ready, when they have the skills and in their own time). 1/4 of my children ate this. But thats actually irrelevant. Some might think thats not a win as not all ate it but they all experienced the mealtime and had positive expose to this new food, they all were polite (they arent always and this took time to teach) and they all satisfied their own bellies (thanks to the accepted foods being there). What would you call a good eater? Maybe its time we bring new meaning to the word? And also think about adjusting what we call a mealtime win? (A note on waste as I am often asked: I only made 5 bowls so the only leftovers was what went untouched by the older children and my youngest ate some as her seconds. I put the rest in the fridge and either her or I ate it later). #kidseathealthy #familyfood #divisionofresponsibility #feedingkids #newfood
17.01.2022 It’s hot today and we ‘invented’ a delicious drink: soda water + ice + squeeze fresh lemon + frozen raspberries. What’s your fav way to add a little colour to water?
17.01.2022 Okay, weve chatted about adults and fruit and veg. Now lets chat about kids! Lets talk positive food exposures with zero pressure to try or eat the food. So tell me your favourite veggie craft...is it drawing fruit or veg? (Cut open a lemon and draw it). Painting using a celery paint brush? Making a rose stamp with the butt of some bok choy? Making vegetable soup from play dough? Or do you have an idea to share? Lets chat fun food, pressure free exposures!
16.01.2022 I’m so excited to be the very first guest on The Jam Sessions created by @vicstrawberries and hosted by the lovely @simone_austin. Link here (https://thestrawberryjamsessions.buzzsprout.com//6430921-k) or search The Jam Sessions wherever you listen to your podcasts. In this podcast you’ll learn about helping children have a positive relationship with food making mealtimes more joyful... reducing food wastage so many ways to enjoy Victorian strawberries how to help children learn to like a variety of foods Take a listen and tell me what you think and also comment with your favourite way to enjoy strawberries! #strawberries #victorianstrawberries #notsponsored #supportinglocal #heathychildren #familyfood #dietitianmum
16.01.2022 Whats your fav thing to cook wirh kids? Miss 8 loves making choc banana bread (from the foost page). Mr 10 loves making burgers and master 15 is the king of quesadillas (recipes also on foost website). What do you cook wirh your kids? Remember cooking is a great food exposure as long as there is zero pressure to try or to eat the food!
16.01.2022 Most nutritional professionals would agree that labelling foods as good and bad is harmful for our health. This is because when we apply morals to foods (like good and bad), we then apply those morals to ourselves. We are good if we eat certain foods and bad if we eat others. What we eat does not define our own morals or our human decency or our self worth. Labelling foods like this also tends to have the opposite effect than intended. It can put bad foods on a pede...stal. We try not to eat these foods whilst constantly thinking about them. But we enjoy them. Then when we do eat them (human nature not self failure), instead of enjoying these foods, we feel bad for eating them and often eat more. A vicious cycle. Food is nutritionally different but morally neutral. Whilst food varies in its nutritional make-up, all food is morally the same (cause bananas are not bitchy whilst chocolate can babysit the children). We eat for so so many reasons other than simply nutrition. So whilst labelling food as good and bad is on the decrease, we have started using words like everyday and sometimes and healthy and unhealthy. Are these just code words for good and bad? (Well that depends). Is nutrition as simple and black and white as some foods are healthy whilst others are unhealthy? Does labeling foods as sometimes and everyday, actually result in a change in eating habits (or just more food guilt)? Take the muffins I have baking in the oven right now.they have some sugar and flour, and also some zucchini, eggs and blueberries. If I asked a young child (and we often do) to label this muffin as healthy or unhealthy, is there even a right answer? If youre allergic to egg, the answer might be different? Is this muffin everyday or sometimes? Is it a treat? What makes something a treat? A treat sounds very special. And what the heck is sometimes even anyway? How often is sometimes? What would happen if we moved away from this black and white classification from food? If we explore food as more than nutrition? If we start to embrace that we are all different and eat in different ways? Continued in comments...
15.01.2022 This is a fam fav here! A carbonara with extra veg that is tasty and easy to make! Yes please! Recipe here: www.foost.com.au/zucchini-and-pumpkin-carbonara. There are heaps of recipe on the foost website so go to www.foost.com.au and click recipes! Remember to tag us @foost.com.au if you make something. And if you are looking for a recipe, let me know. Maybe its on the foost site or maybe I can create it for you?
14.01.2022 Kids plan and help cook dinner continues. Last night was master 10 making burgers. Today master 15 gave us a lesson in cant be bothered cooking (he preempted it) and made quesadillas (search foost recipes for inspo). Filling options were baked beans, cheese, fried egg, tomato relish, spinach, capsicum, ham, pineapple. We made a 2 min salad on the side too. If your children could plan and help cook a dinner. What would they choose?
14.01.2022 On Thursday’s we eat dinner early. We have it after school and then will have a milk or yoghurt and fruit snack before bed. Why? Cause that’s what works with our Thursday schedule of multiple sport practices. Today it is frittata (tweaked recipe from Foost’s veggie slice recipe. Search for it on website. This version was without the bacon, onion and mushroom as quicker to cook and mushrooms are a little hit and miss around here), plus sweet potato chips (recipe foost website).... Also is a platter of random leftover stuff from the lunchboxes. Not pictured: some leftover pasta and meatballs from yesterday. Served family style (in the dishes they were cooked in to save washing up). Meals are not just what to serve. It is also how. And timing. And making it all work for your unique family and schedule. Oh and smoothies: almond milk (cows would be fine but I had leftover high protein almond milk to use it), coacao (for richer flavour, cocoa would work too), banana, peanut butter and dates. Sometimes I add baby spinach but we were out.
13.01.2022 As a parent, what is SERVED is MY decision and my responsibility. But the kids can still be involved. They might make a suggestion to add to a meal or snack and I might say sure, lets add that or I might say thats not on the menu right now, we have have some *insert time/date in future*. When meal planning and cooking, sometimes I do it alone and sometimes they join me. This week the kids had the idea that we all plan a meal and help make it. We planned it together, jus...t in case everyone picked burgers :) We looked for variety (from the point of view of keeping things interesting). Mr 10, choose burgers. So today he helped make them. It was a great opportunity for him to see and experience that I made burgers with mince and grated carrot and zucchini (I didnt preach about nutrition or veggies, as that would have ruined the learning). He just helped grate them in. Remember after the food is served, my job is done! What ends up on their plates and in their bellies is MY CHILDRENs responsibility. (Pleading, praising and forcing them to eat or try a food is stepping over the line). Trust yourself, the process and your children (its easier said than done). But its worth it in the long run!
12.01.2022 To follow on from #shadesofgreynutrition, I had the idea to dream in colour! Think about our fruit and veggie strengths and build on them. Some positive rather than negative food talk. So I have a few posts for us to all inspire each other! So Im going to need your help! Each day is different. In this post I want people to comment with one of their favourite veggies and how they usually cook or eat it. Then others can add other ways to enjoy the same veggie. (Plus add a diff...erent veg to chat about). So lets get some positive veggie talk happening. Ill start in the comments... Lets go....
12.01.2022 Oh, guess who the brain food for kids expert is in the latest @hfgaustralia mag? I was honoured to be interviewed for this article on foods for growing brains. Grab a copy, take a read and let me know what you think.
12.01.2022 Today we aimed to use up all the leftover random veg we had so we can start fresh tomorrow and we are confident there are no stragglers that will go to waste. We just have one small container of use first veg left in the fridge now. My favourite things to do with #sadveg is usually make Japanese pancakes or roast veg soup (recipes on foost website) but today I had more to use up than usual and felt like trying some new things. So I roasted the pumpkin, brussel sprouts (deli...cious recipe for those on foost), carrots and zucchini (just add cheese). I also made a veggie mix of steamed and mashed cauli and broccoli, raw grated pumpkin and zucchini and mixed it with grated cheese, bread crumbs, an egg, onion powder and garlic powder. I made filo triangles with some of the mix and the rest I made into veggie nuggets by crumbing them in panko. I then roasted these creations with the veg (all roasted whilst I did an online workout). For the spinach I made palak paneer. Im excited to have some fresh salad veg tomorrow as we ran out but I didnt want to restock whilst there was still veg to use up. This was a big cook up but it will be lunch for tomorrow too :) (as all 6 of us currently work and school from home so leftovers are handy). There was also plain steamed basmati rice (not pictured). Tell me what is your fav way to use up sad veg so we can #wasteless
12.01.2022 Well Ive had enough! And Im not talking about iso (although Ive had enough of that too!). Ive had enough of society and social media telling me what my body should look like! Its bad enough in normal life. But right now the pressure and the intensity is amplifying it. Im trying to save my business and Mr Foost is trying to save his. His business has many more staff, so he has added responsibility. Therefore, Im taking an even larger load of kid wrangling, of the clea...ning and of the cooking. (plus dog grooming and everything else). And Im not complaining (well not too much), many have it worse. But what is putting me really over the edge is the added pressure to also look a certain way..... apparently I need to be a certain weight, shave my legs and have spotless skin cause summer is coming! Well its enough. Because even with crazy hair (on our heads and anywhere else), even with imperfect bodies...We are all enough. Nobody should be judged or defined by appearance. Today I will be unfollowing all accounts that dont make me feel enough.
12.01.2022 Well we are days away from lunchboxes and today I had to pack a snacks box for my daughter’s gymnastics holiday program. And it got me thinking how packing lunchboxes is way more than nutrition. And whilst we ideally want to pack food from a variety of food groups for a range of nutrients, remember all foods give us energy and packing lunchboxes is not just about nutrition. What to also think about: - practicality: time they have to eat, can they open the containers/packets/...banana, does it change to an unappealing texture or smell whilst sitting in the bag, is it too messy? (the last point is a big issue for my daughter in gymnastics.) - accessibility: does it contain enough foods your child is comfortable with (they have learnt to like)? Otherwise a perfectly nutritious lunchbox is completely pointless as it’s overwhelming. Starting or going back to school (or a new level of gymnastics in this case) can be daunting and stressful. A lunchbox filled with accepted foods, helps create calm and familiarity rather than adding to the overwhelm. - amount and variety: Does your child like variety or do they find it overwhelming? Over packing lunchboxes is something teachers of new preps always chat to me about. Well meaning parents who don’t want children to be hungry, over pack and then children are overwhelmed with choice and eat very little. Sometimes simple is what’s needed. Need lunchbox inspo? Check out Foost’s new ebook 101+ fruit and veggie snacks. Filled with heaps of ideas and recipes that are great in lunchboxes! Www.foost.com.au/shop and use the code backtoschool in the cart for 10% off the ebook and the entire store (our top seller are kids knives)! Be quick, code ends jan 31st. Pictured here is banana bread (from ebook), apples and vegemite crackers. Please tag a friend who is about to start the lunch box packing.... #lunchbox #kidseats #schoollunch #familyeats #healthykidsfood #healthykids #dietitianmum #justfood #bentobox #bentoboxlunch
11.01.2022 To continue on the lunchbox theme...here is a post I did last year with tips which are still very relevant: 1. Don’t pack too much. Too much food can be overwhelming for children and they don’t know what to choose! I aim for my kids to finish lunches somedays and leave a little on others (as kids have different hungers on different days). Teachers say many children starting school are over whelmed by too much food in their lunchboxes. 2. Include accepted foods. Foods they hav...e already learned to like. When new foods are with already accepted ones it makes it more likely for a child to try them. Have more liked foods than still learning to like ones. 3. Involve the kids. Firstly make sure your children can open their lunchboxes and bananas etc. You can bake with them on the weekend and use it for lunchboxes. Take them to the fruit shop and they can help choose what green or orange or red fruit and veg they might like in their lunchboxes. Give structured choice would you like a sandwich or wrap today? What red would you like? Strawberries on the side or tomatoes or some capsicum in your pasta? So are you excited or dreading the return to lunchboxes?
11.01.2022 Sometimes say yes. Today we had toasted sandwiches for lunch. My daughter asked for Nutella and banana. We had it in a cafe once (in those good ole days). Sometimes I say sure, other times I say thats not on the menu right now or yes thats a delicious combo, I like it too. Lets plan to have it tomorrow for lunch Eating is a partnership. Its my role as an adult to think about nutrition, what to serve and being considerate. But I work requests into that menu too, as we all have different tastes and all foods are part of healthy eating.
11.01.2022 When it comes to donuts (or chips or foods considered treats) on social media I see three types. a) The just eat the donuts people b) The look how much sugar is in that donut gang. You need to bike ride for 439 years to burn that off. (sometimes they add the confusing message of but of course you can eat it sometimes, but donuts with a side of guilt never taste as sweet)... c) The look at me folks who show themselves eating an ENTIRE quarter of a donut. All quite black and white messages. Either eat all the donuts, or limit donuts. But does it all have to be so black and white? The sweet spot can be found in the grey and it is different for everyone. We have no right to judge each other for their choices. For how much they choose or dont choose to eat the donuts (or chips or wine or chocolate or even carrots). But we can support, with compassion and kindness, ourselves and others on their food journey. Now of course eating donuts all the time is not going to make your body feel great but neither is eating nothing but carrots! Its all in the individual nuances of food. We need to learn to trust ourselves around food again. To tune back into our bodies internal cues, so we can find balance between nutrition and intuition (plus all the other reasons we eat).. Remember to head on over to @thecuriousnutritionist to hear here thoughts on donuts.
11.01.2022 Getting kids in the kitchen, can be messy. Helping children learn to like a variety of foods, needs patience and persistence. But it will all be worth it when your 15 year old offers to cook dinner whilst holidaying, googles recipes and then says oh and I’ll add a salad. It’s totally understandable to get wrapped up in, and worried about, how many veggies (or any other nutrient) children are getting in the moment, but if we can take a step back, and expose children to a var...iety of foods, and make mealtimes more pleasant, we are creating lifelong ‘healthy’ eaters. I don’t make my children eat this cause it’s healthy or use statements like to be big and strong. But I do serve lots of healthy foods, as well as serving all types of foods. I don’t want my children growing up obsessed with calories, and diets. But I do want them adding a salad often. And not because they should, but because they enjoy variety and adding veg is just usual for them. (Note we didn’t play cards during dinner, miss 8 was just playing whilst her brother finished cooking. We packed them up during dinner and then brought them back out).
10.01.2022 Having been in lock down now for months...you start to notice the little things. And one of the things Im noticing is connection over mealtimes. With everyone remote learning and now on school holidays we have more opportunities for a chat over a meal. Food is connection. And whilst not everyone might enjoy all the food served, everyone can learn to enjoy the mealtimes. In the spirit of food as connection, Id like to let you know about our new private cooking classes.... We have just released a range of private cooking classes you can book for virtual birthday parties, for grandparents to cook with their grandchildren or for groups of adults or children to get together and make a meal, all live, fully interactive and online. Perfect for those of us in iso or for interstate friends and family to connect. Live virtual cooking, what a great gift idea! Yes, gift vouchers are available too. Info and bookings here: www.foost.com.au/product/online-cooking/ #cooking #virtualcookingclass #kidscooking #kidscookingclasses #foodasconnection #isolife
10.01.2022 There are many ways to move your body. My activity today was walking the dog then bouncing and climbing with the kids. Sometimes it is temping to watch from the sidelines, especially when we might feel self conscious about how we look or about our fitness. But if and when you can, get in there. It might just be fun. And usually, we are our own worst critics. Sadly, I don’t have photos of me today, (always the way, hey) so here is my children. I did jump and climb though, alth...ough I didn’t do this So let’s talk fun and maybe slightly untraditional ways to move our bodies :) I’ll start....I think my fav way to move my body is active transport (riding or walking somewhere or taking public transport to a place we are going rather than driving). I don’t do it as much as I’d like. I’m also grateful to the dog, you gets me into the fresh air daily, regardless of the weather. #healthylifestyle #healthyfamily #bounceinc #physicalactivity #offscreens #exercise #getactive #activetransportation
09.01.2022 Porridge bar! Family style and DIY breakfast! When I don’t have lovely summer fruit, I put out canned or frozen (defrosted) fruit or cinnamon or different nuts or seeds. Do you serve many family style meals? Need inspiration for any meals or snacks?
09.01.2022 Well it’s been one interesting year. And I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to everyone in your support of my small business. To everyone who attended an online class when we couldn’t be in person, to everyone who bought a children’s book or a Foost child’s knife, to everyone who supported the new snacks ebook and online digital programs including treats mini series. But also to everyone who commented, liked and shared Foost’s posts. To everyone who... told their friends about us. To everyone who sent me a message of encouragement throughout the year. And to our clients who trusted us to reinvent events. Who make it possible for us to continue to provide positive food education. Happy holidays to all (although happy seems a strange word to use). If Covid has reminded me of one thing, it’s the power of food as connection and community. Foost has been invited, digitally, into hundreds of homes and cooked with all ages. We’ve shared skills, birthdays, recipes, laughs and connection. On a more personal note, we’ve cooked recipes from around the world, made bread, pasta and kombucha. This year we’ve had more family meals than every before. Had zoom birthday parties for our children and made chocolate mousse to celebrate my grandmother. And probably more. So thank you for inspiring me this year and please share a fond food memory from this year in the comments.
09.01.2022 Many people believe that we need to teach children and adults how many teaspoons of sugar is in a can of softdrink in order to be healthy and make healthy choices. Whilst nutrition might be one of the reasons we eat, it is not the sole reason we eat. Addressing only one of the reasons we eat, will not create any lasting change. And education like this, can often increase food stress and guilt and not necessarily decrease consumption. Food literacy is important (and inclu...des nutrition literacy for adults amongst so many other things), but how healthy is demonising sugar? In fact, demonising sugar can often lead people to obsessing over it. And being obsessed with food is extremely unhealthy, on our physical, mental and social health. Sugar is not black and white. It is all #shadesofgrey. If you were a person with Type 2 diabetes, a jelly bean can save your life during a hypo. Plus there are sugars in many things we eat. Lactose is the sugar in milk, fructose is the sugar in fruit and vegetables, and even multigrain bread is broken down to sugars. Our bodies thrive on these foods, they provide an array of nutrition and these sugars are our brain and muscles favourite energy source. Foods with added sugar (including but not limited to: table sugar, honey, maple syrup, rice malt syrup, coconut sugar) also have their place in healthy eating. They are enjoyable, they are easy to transport energy on a family hike, they create memories of eating ice-cream on the beach or for me, jelly with my grandparents. Some societies do consume higher amounts of added sugars in processed foods. But why are we constantly blaming the individual when it comes to food, when our increase in added sugars is so influenced by our modern food environment? Note: we are born with a genetic predisposition to enjoy sugar. You or your child enjoying it is not lack of willpower, or fault, is because you are human. If your child is obsessed with sweets, it is likely to be due to the language we are using around them and/or restriction of them rather than the food itself. It is fine if you want to try and reduce your added sugar intake, in a safe way and to a level that is healthy for you and your family (healthy including mentally, emotionally, socially and lastly physically). It is also okay to want to make some food changes but not be ready to. and remember to go check out @thecuriousnutritionist thoughts on this
09.01.2022 Okay...todays dream in colour, inspiring each other with fruit and veg is a veggie or fruit you would like to try (or retry). And then we can all suggests way to eat it! Or you can comment with a less used veggie and tell us how you cook it and why you like it! Why did I think of this one? Well the other day my friend posted about choke. We had never tried it so we gave it a go! Also every time I cook enoki mushrooms, people comment! We love these mushrooms (which look like ...tiny straws with little hats or noodles). We cut the roots off and stir-fry them either in oil and with nuts and a dash of soy or stir-fry them with noodles and other veg. Okay, time to get a little veggie adventurous!
09.01.2022 Stay tuned... The Curious Nutritionist
08.01.2022 This easy and simple message has been around ever since I can remember. Maybe if we yelled it louder, we all might start hitting the target? Or maybe actions are harder than words? Could Australians benefit from eating more fruit and veggies? Of course! Will shouting two numbers at people louder help, Im not convinced. It might surprise you to hear but I have no idea if I eat the correct amounts of fruit and veg. I dont know about you...but when I serve a meal I use t...ongs and spoons not measuring cups? Also I try to listen to my body when I eat. I trust my children to listen to their own bodies too so if I obsess about the exact quantities they eat, that will negatively affect their relationship with food and their bodies. Also this message is not technically always true. Not all of us need exactly 2 and 5. And anyone who was ever wilted 1 cup of raw spinach knows it does not equate to cup of cooked spinach in reality but apparently it does nutritionally? And yet we teach serves like they are gospel. I wonder are these messages inspirational or fill you with guilt? The answer will be different for everyone and different for the same person on different days. Could we tweak the message? Insead of teaching what a serve is, on repeat, what about we focus more on experiencing fruit and veg? For younger children pretend play, looking at how things grow, practicing cooking, investigating colour and texture. Learning fun fruity facts: did you know an avocado is sometimes called an alligator pear? And what is called a capsicum in Australia is known as a bell pepper in the USA. What if we focused on strengths? On veggies we already know how to cook and other ways to cook them? On veggies we might not yet have experienced but can be cooked in similar ways to ones we know. On increasing skills and food knowledge. The intent of a message can be well intended, but how is that message heard by different ears? And how supportive is that message?
07.01.2022 We are so grateful to have been gifted a Tefal Cook4Me + Connect by @tefal.australia recently. In lockdown 1.0 I did heaps of cooking but in 2.0 I was a little uninspired so this arrived at the perfect time. The kids and I have been having fun searching through the app (yes, this has built in recipes and a linked app with super easy to follow instructions) and choosing what to make. Plus its so fast to cook and easy to clean (this is the first multi cooker I have owned and I...m loving the speed and results of pressure cooking). For our first cooking adventure Master 10 choose a tortilla tomato soup and Miss 8 said dunking her corn chips into the soup was delicious. The chicken and tomato soup was ready in minutes! Tonight we made bbq pork bao (pulled pork in under an hour). Thanks again @tefal.australia...now what to cook next? So tell me...what would you choose for dinner? Bbq pork bao or the tortilla tomato soup? #tefalaustalia #sponsored #cook4meconnect #familyeating #familyfood #feedingkids #healthyfamilymeals More info here: https://cook4me.tefal.com.au/cook4me-connect
07.01.2022 Do you cook with your children? What do you make? Head to the foost website for our new blog 7 easy recipes to make with your children. It’s got tips for cooking with kids including the benefits and ideas for coping with the mess! Take a look here: www.foost.com.au/make-with-your-children/. Anything to add to our list of easy things to make with your children?
06.01.2022 The cool thing about #familystylemeals is that I prepare one meal, but everyone makes their own creation.
05.01.2022 Okay to end dream and eat in colour, I want to talk food waste! Name a fruit or veg that often ends up in the compost or bin and lets think of ways to use it! And spread your tips for wasting less fruit and veg! Ill start with broccoli stalk as you can eat it! Trim and cut it and steam, or stir fry or roast it!
05.01.2022 I keep seeing posts everywhere that are meant to inspire people, but they give me the mum guilts. All the posts telling me to just do this and your children need this many serves of that and here is what a serve is (except where is body trust in that?) They make everything seem too easy! And never actually tell me how to do anything! They are a little (or a lot) blaming on individuals. The pressure on parents and carers these days to get kids to eat more of this and les...s of this is crazy! It’s all do this and do that and none of the how! What if we start with the how, and then add a little what? (Oh foost has an online course called Positive Food Education that does just that). So it’s time to try and start to say goodbye to judging ourselves and others on what we eat, on what our children eat or don’t eat and on what others eat! To not judge ourselves if our eating doesn’t perfectly line up with the shoulds. To look at magazine articles, social media and info online with a little caution. And if you start to judge yourself or feel guilty, notice the thoughts and try and replace them with more helpful ones (let’s write some in the comments shall we?). Cause guilt and judgment is not supportive or inspiring! It’s time to bring joy and connection back to the table. To focus on mealtimes rather than bites eaten. Guilt and judgment doesn’t help us enjoy a variety of food. Comment with an emoji if you agree!
05.01.2022 Master 16 made vegetarian chilli con carne (well without the carne) tonight. Served with basmati rice, quac (made from defrosted frozen avo and lime juice), corn chips, salsa, ice berg lettuce and lime wedges. Scroll to see my bowl and then again to see Master 13’s. He is def my pickiest at the moment. I’m starting to see some similarities between twos and teens and eating. He served himself, as we usually do in our house. He was happy. He picked out the sweet potato from a t...iny bit of chilli (we’ve actually never had it before and beans are not his fav). His plate might not look balanced...but remember food is more than perfectly nutritious balanced plate. He tried something new today. He satisfied him hunger. We all ate the same meal. And this was not the only meal he ate today. Always think bigger picture (it’s hard) and try and focus on the positives; in this case full bellies, nice conversation, shared meals, first exposure to chili. It’s hard to look for the pros, as the negatives just shine so bright sometimes. See more
04.01.2022 Many nutrition messages, whilst being well intended slightly miss the mark. They become over simplified and black or white. And full of assumptions. Health is different for everyone. We all have different experiences and beliefs. We all eat for a range of different reasons. Judgement has no place in food or food education. In education the most effective teachings use a strength based approach, looking at what is going well and slowly building on that. About discovering wha...t works for you. Sadly most nutrition messages currently use a deficit model, pointing out all the negatives. And end up being more deflating than empowering. Kelly (@thecuriousnutritionist) and I want you to start challenging the black and white food messages that you hear. Over time, start to find your own shades of grey. Remember we are all on a lifelong food journey. There is no one destination. Lets try and make it an enjoyable one. So please tell me, which post did you enjoy the most? And let us know if you enjoyed these posts...and what topics you would like us to cover next? Thinking about words wed like to see taken out of nutrition language.
04.01.2022 That time my crew hung out with @thenutritionguruandthechef crew. Tara and I actually met on social media and became friends. Social media can be a great support. But it can also be a negative influence. The thing is, you have the power. The power to choose who you follow and what you read.
03.01.2022 Want to create more enjoyable mealtimes with your children? To reduce your stress and anxiety around feeding your family? For your children to eat more veggies without fuss?... Want your kids to stop asking for snacks all the time? To be less obsessed with treats? To empower yourself with more nutrition knowledge? To learn about packing nutritious lunchboxes and heaps of meal ideas the entire family with enjoy? To learn about food language so your children have a positive relationship with food for life! And to learn about body image for children. And want to do it all in easy to follow lessons in less than 5 minutes per day! At your own pace and in your own order (because food is a journey and its different for all). With downloadable activities, mindset inspiration and monthly live q and as? Well between remote learning and making masks from old t-shirts, Ive been working on a membership site! Its Foosts Positive Food Education online membership and it needs a name! And if we choose the name you suggest you will win a Foost mega pack (apron, hat, kids knife, 3 books and rainbow plate) and 6 months free membership for you and a friend! Thats over $500 worth of value! To enter you need to: 1. Like this post 2. Tag a friend with children aged 2-12 (thats who this membership is perfect for) who will be the friend who also receives the prize 3. Suggest a name for the membership in the comments! Completion is world wide and ends at midnight Sunday 9th August AEST. Im looking forward to being inspired by your awesome names! In these uncertain times (back in lockdown in Melbourne), so much has changed. Life and business is unusual. But Ill keep doing what I can do, in the restrictions I have, to help families have joy around food. Because food is more than nutrients, its connection, its social and it doesnt have to be a fight.
03.01.2022 Anzac Day cooking inspo now on the foost website! Anzac Bliss Balls. I’ll pop the recipe here for you too: Ingredients: cup pitted dates cup desiccated coconut... 1 cup oats 1 tablespoon golden syrup 2 tablespoons warm water Directions 1. Blitz dates and cup oats with 1 tablespoon warm water in a food processor, until combined 2. Spoon date mixture into a large mixing bowl 3. Add desiccated coconut (saving 1 tablespoon for rolling), rest of oats (saving 1 tablespoon for rolling) and golden syrup 4. Mix until it starts to combine and add 1 tablespoon warm water, continue to mix until well combined. Mixture should stay in form. If mixture is a little wet, add a tablespoon or so more of dry ingredients. If mixture is too dry, add a little more warm water. 5. Move mixture to one side of the bowl 6. Place the leftover coconut and oats on the other side of the bowl and combine these two ingredients 7. Roll mixture into heaped teaspoon sized balls 8. Roll the balls through the coconut and oat mixture 9. Store in fridge or freezer Who is making anzacs this weekend? One question: chewy or crunchy?
03.01.2022 I thought Id share a couple of things that you might not know about me. (And an iso selfie with my third born). 1. I wasnt taught to cook by my mum (I say mum and not dad or parents cause I was raised mostly by my mum). My mum is the kindness, friendliest person you will ever met. But she is not a big cook and that is totally okay (no offence and Im pretty sure she would agree). But she fed us every single meal (and mostly chicken schnitzel and steamed veg which Im not co...mplaining about at all). She did teach me about family style meals, as this was usually how we ate. And I remember sitting around the yellow and pink table eating as a family. I am very much a self taught cook. I have cooking fails all the time (even yesterday I put in twice the amount of water into the honey cake) and I try and learn and move on. I have lost many a pot to burnt rice and many loaves of home made bread have been made into breadcrumbs. I know lots about cooking through trial and error. Through talking to others. And through google. I know many nutritionists and dietitian who arent big cooks, but know just enough to put together quick and tasty meals. 2. That I always love cooking and have energy for it. Whilst I do enjoy cooking much of the time, it is certainly not all. And I often have cannot be bothered times! I have just got a recipe book in my head (but putting ideas on paper and sticking them to the fridge is also a great idea) of cant be bothered meals. Of meals we make when motivation is low. They are mostly pasta, baked beans on toast (or on pancakes if feeling unmotivated but a little fancy), omelette or quesadillas. 3. That I grew up with many Jewish traditions. Actually growing up we had a menorah (a Jewish candle holder we use during Hanukkah) and also a Christmas tree. But as I grew up, I started being more interested in Jewish traditions and we now celebrate more festivals than when I was growing up. It is never too late to start your own family traditions (which may or may not involve food). Or to change some from your childhood. My point to this post, whether you love cooking or not. Whether you have food traditions or not this is your food journey...
03.01.2022 Jewish holidays are filled with food traditions. Today is Rosh Hashanah (Jewish new year, welcome to the year 5781). We bake our challah (our Friday night/Shabbat bread) into a round shape to symbolise the year is round. We eat apples dipped in honey as we are excited for a sweet new year. And pomegranate as its seeds represent good deeds (Mitzvot). These holiday and their food links always remind me how food is so much more than nutrients. It is tradition (your family food ...traditions might not be linked to religion, it might be dishes you were served by grandparents or friends and family that bring back memory to you. It might be choosing dinner on your birthday). Our food choices are based on our own experiences with food, on budget, on taste preferences (both generic and learnt), texture, smell and also a little nutrition and more... The world can be so obsessed about food from a nutrition perspective that it is so nice to have meals to remind us the cultural and connection of food. Food traditions can be as simple as eating dinner together as a family (as much as possible) and teaching children that mealtimes are family times. Id love to hear some of your food traditions.
02.01.2022 Our virtual kids cooking classes have sold out these school holidays! So we have released a few more in partnership with Kids Unlimited. Classes are small group and fully interactive. Colourful chef Emily will guide children as they make their own delicious meal or snack and learn some fun food facts! On Wednesday 23rd Sept from 9-9:40 join us to make breakfast bread quiches. On Tuesday 29th from 4-4:40 we are cooking meatballs together for dinner!... On Friday 2nd Oct from 1-1:40 we are making muesli bars with a cool veggie twist. Bookings here: www.kidsunlimited.com.au/virtual-holiday-program.html Suitable for any age but parent help might be required. P.s if you are like me and looking for entertainment these school hols, then Kids Unlimited have a range of cool programs. All sessions are run my passionate experts, which is why we run the cooking classes. Tell me...what are your school hols plans (where you are in Vic like me or a little freer in the world. We are all together in trying to entertain the kids). #kidsinthekitchen #kidscooking #lifeskills #cookingwithkids #cooking #schoolholidays #schoolholidayprogram
02.01.2022 When I started out as a shiny new dietitian, I had the tendency to healthify all recipes. Reduce the sugar, change to a flour with more fibre and add fruit and veg to everything. Insert my love for things like black bean brownies (but chickpea cookies will always have my heart). If you are going to eat something you might as well add nutrition. But the truth is, we eat for many reasons, and nutrition is not always one of them. Then I started investigating the non diet appro...ach and I swung the complete other way and started to believe that you should leave foods alone. Just enjoy brownies the way they should be! Can you guess what works for me now? Sometimes we enjoy brownies and other times we enjoy blackbean brownies. I have learnt to make room for both in my life. And sorry, I am not going to quantify sometimes for you :)
01.01.2022 This is a hard time for many, especially this year with many festivities being cancelled or moved onto zoom. Whether you are on zoom or in person, remember no-one has the right to comment on your body. And also remember, what you eat or don’t eat, or what your child currently eats or doesn’t eat is no reflection of your self worth, of your kindness, your love, your parenting or anything else. What you eat is just what you eat. If anyone comments on weight or is judging others on what they are eating, tune out, change the subject or take a bathroom break. Let’s do our best this season to be grateful and enjoy what we can of this festive season. No food and body grinches allowed.
