Westside MamaMag July 2015 by MamaMag

WESTSIDE

July 2015

WIN 1 of 3 little veggie patch co. DIY half crates Homework Food glorious help food

School the readiness Eat around world Anxiety children Againstinthe grain

Feed kids right Preschool nutrition Investing in education Recipes galore

free Local fun for the Westside mum 1

BON APPETITE! At MamaMag HQ we’ve recovered from our party issue and we’re now obsessed with food. I love eating out, cooking (especially when my children agree to eat it), and reading about food. My favourite thing to do on long car trips is to read cookbooks, though it’s mostly aspirational. To me winter means soups—not so much my children—they’d still prefer ice cream! We’ve snuck some extra recipes into this issue and they look amazing. What to cook first? This month we bring you the low down on paleo, gluten free, and vitamin C for colds. We also have an article on anxiety and depression during the early years of parenting. I’ve been there in the depths and if you’re there now I’d love you to know that you are not alone and you don’t need to struggle through by yourself. Carolyn has brought us some great ideas for supports and self care. Our Mama of the Month is Brooke Taylor who started her online children’s clothing store Five Little Faces with a preschooler in tow. Her clothing is super gorgeous and we loved hearing the story behind the brand. We’ve checked out lots of local places with all the details on local farmers markets, a look at Anderson Street Yarraville, and our ever-popular park review brought to you by our friends at Mamma Knows West. I hope you discover something new. At our place we enjoyed checking out the party delights at Confetti Fair, spent hours in the pool at MSAC, and celebrated a school award for my oldest with the biggest ice cream sundae I’ve ever laid eyes on. We also hit the Whitten Oval for a kick of the footy and I picked up a pair of roller blades for the first time in years—now to put them on! At this time of year it seems that all my Facebook friends are in Queensland enjoying the sun. No sunshine state for us this year but I’m looking forward to getting away to Phillip Island during the school hols. Like ice cream my children really do love the beach all year round. Of course that will be after I get this fabulous issue round to all your favourite child friendly haunts. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

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Contents Eat your way around the world Meal ideas for a week

Going against the grain The paleo diet

Family meal times Why do they matter?

It’s cold season The low down on vitamin C

1 of 3 little veggie patch co. DIY half crates

Mama can cook 12 5 amazing recipes from some of our favs In the village We visit Anderson Street Yarraville

Farmers markets in the west We will keep you in the know

Mama of the month Brooke Taylor from Five Little Faces

Messy Faces 5 tips for stress free meal times

Parklife 26 W G Cresser Reserve Seaholme Baby led solids Introducing solid foods to bub

Bless this mess A local mama’s story

Food Bank Fighting hunger in Australia

Gluten free What is all the fuss about?

Turn the page 36 Books from JP Junior Everlasting Books The healthy harvest 37 Encouraging kids to love their veggies Calmness, strength and resilience Help in the early parenting years

Fun for the kids Kid’s crafts and our colouring comp

Preschool nutrition Healthy eating for kids

MamaMag July 2015

worth $255 each! Visit our Facebook page to enter

www.facebook.com/localmamamag Entries open to Victorian residents only. Competition starts July 1st 12.01am and closes July 31st 2015 at 11.59pm. There are 3 crates to be won, each worth $255. Pickup is in St Kilda East or delivery at the winner’s expense. See littleveggiepatchco.com.au for rates. Visit www.mamamag.com.au full terms and conditions.

MamaMag is published monthly for the mums of Melbourne’s west by Grizzle Design Pty Ltd. ABN: 26 042 138 550. PO Box 8018 Brighton East VIC 3187 Phone: 1300 771 446 Email: info@mamamag.com.au www.mamamag.com.au

5,000 copies are distributed monthly. Editor in Chief: Sarah Cavalier Westside Editor: Rebecca Gelsi Design and layout: Grizzle Design Like to contribute an article or products for review or giveaway? submissions@mamamag.com.au Like to advertise in our next month’s issue? info@mamamag.com.au or download our media kit from www.mamamag.com.au The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publishing staff. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without permission of the publishers. Health related articles are designed to be informative and educational. They are not intended to provide specific medical advice or replace one-on-one advice from your health practitioner.

eat your way around th If winter in Melbourne leaves you dreaming of exotic and far-flung places, why not cook yourself around the world in 7 days. These simple favourites from around the world will take your family’s taste buds on an exciting and delicious adventure. Monday: Indonesia Kids go crazy for fried rice, but why not give tonight’s fried rice an Indonesian twist. Simply add a splash of kecap manis and soy sauce while frying the rice, and serve with slices of cooked chicken breast and a fried egg on top and your Nasi Goreng is good to go. Fancier versions could also include the traditional shrimp paste, cooked prawns and cabbage.

Tuesday: Great Britain Fish and chips, where would we be without them? Pan fry fish fillets in a little butter and oil, and serve with a sprinkle of lemon juice and some roasted potato wedges along side. For something different, sweet potato wedges are often a hit with kids, and you could try steaming the fish. Veggies on the side would add nutrients, colour and crunch.

Wednesday: Japan There is lots to love about Japanese food but for kids it’s hard to go past sushi. And making sushi is surprisingly simple once you have a few key ingredients and some willing helpers. You’ll need sushi rice (cooked and with a little rice vinegar forked through), nori (seaweed) sheets, pickled ginger – and your favourite fillings, such as sushi-quality raw fish (salmon, tuna, etc), cooked tuna, cucumber, avocado, grated carrot, egg roll, etc. Now grab a rolling mat and you’re off.

7 dishes he world in 7 days Thursday: Mexico

Tacos tick all the boxes – tasty, quick, economical, healthy, and the kids love to help. Experiment with chicken or fish tacos, or stick with the tried-and-true beef or pork – then chop lettuce and tomato, and grate cheese. Heat a few taco shells in the oven, and all that’s left is to add your favourite sauces – salsa, guacamole and/or sour cream. It really is that easy.

Friday: India Conjure up the magic of India with a bowl of warm, nourishing dahl. Lentils have a wonderful ability to absorb flavour, so think spices – garam masala, cumin, turmeric. Now add a little fried onion and garlic, and your kids’ favourite vegetables and let them scoop up the goodness with roti or naan.

Saturday: Greece Next time you’re thinking about cooking a bbq, why not leave the sausages on the shelf and grab some boneless chicken thighs instead. Even the pickiest of eaters will find it hard to resist the perfect marriage of lemon, garlic, oregano and grilled chicken. Other meats are just as good cooked in this style – and the perfect accompaniment is the family-friendly Greek Salad, made with chopped tomato, cucumber, pitted olives and feta.

Sunday: Australia Finally, welcome yourselves home on Sunday night with a mouthwatering Australian lamb chop. Sprinkle chops with fresh rosemary and olive oil and fire up the bbq. Serve with creamy mash made with a handful of delicious Australian cheddar cheese, and some lightly boiled green beans.

By Susan McLeish @ Messy Faces Messy Faces is a local Melbourne company that delivers healthy, home-cooked meals for kids. With no additives, preservatives and at least 2 serves of veg in each dish, you can have a night off and still feed the kids healthy, yummy food. Find out more at www.messyfaces.com.au

going against the The Paleo Diet – A Mother’s Opinion I recently attended a mammoth session of Pete Evans’ “The Paleo Way” tour. The afternoon began with a sweet introduction from Pete himself, with the help of two of his pals, Wes Carr and Luke Hines, from My Kitchen Rules. It then went onto a very heavy nutrition class from Nora Gedgaudas on the science behind the diet. As a student of nutrition I’ve learnt about the benefits of this diet (amongst 70 other diet theories) and while most of it I’d heard before, I’m always grateful to listen to the theory from the source itself, especially when it’s explained with a decent amount of passion. I wanted to share with you the general gist of the paleo diet, as well as what I see to be the pros and cons. Before I do though, I’m going to caveat something you all may know – I’m not a doctor, a scientist, a nutritionist or anything other than a well-educated mother whose passion is nutrition and is actively studying at the same nutrition school that Pete attended, to become a wellness coach.

Paleo in a sentence (or maybe two): It’s a diet that has us eat the way our ancestors did, i.e. more meat and fats (often of the animal variety), lots of chemical-free vegetables, no dairy, no grains and no sugar (artificial or fruit). There is also the occasional fasting period chucked in.

Pros: 1) It cuts out inflammatory food A low sugar and gluten-free diet can help to prevent many learning disorders in children, e.g. ADD/Autism/poor behaviour, etc. Now the reason for this is that both sugar and gluten affect are inflammation causing foods that effect the way the brain functions. During Nora’s speech she showed scientific evidence on the change in your brain’s function when too much gluten or sugar is consumed. By cutting these out, it allows the brain to function the way it was intended. 2) Ethical approach to food farming The diet encourages ethical treatment of animals. It advocates that if the animal you eat has been eating grains, taking antibiotics and living a short life in a highly stressful situation (e.g. a feed lot) then its meat isn’t going to be great for you. This really resonates with me – what the animal eats, you eat. 3) Eat clean vegetables Not too dissimilar from the above point and again something I really believe in, especially being a mother and reading so much research on how damaging pesticides are for young ones. Eat organic food, both for you and your environment. 4) Easy to follow ‘Paleo’ is the buzz at the moment and if you really look at it, it’s not all that different to the ‘I Quit Sugar’ diet, another buzz. Both are realistic diets to adopt for life, especially those that like to eat out, as menu options are plentiful these days.

grain?

Written by Stacey Clare The Aussie mum behind ‘A Healthy Mum’. www.ahealthymum.com.au

Against:

Overall:

1) Cutting out all grains and dairy

I’m grateful that we have such a prominent media personality like the loveable Pete Evans campaigning, working and living and breathing his message. He was inspiring. Will I be taking up the diet for the family and me? No. Here’s why…

There is research suggesting we never ate them but if we are honest, there is also research saying we did. Now whatever that case is, we can get the carbs we so often eat grain for, elsewhere. It could be from sources such as nuts or vegetables but personally, I function really well eating a few spoonfuls of quinoa with my grilled salmon and greens, and I like a bowl of muesli with good quality yoghurt. What I don’t function great with is eating lots of wheat, especially the refined variety, so for that I’m going to continue limiting it in my diet. 2) Cutting out fruit Sugar is sugar, I get that and there’s a lot of sugar in fruit but… my personal opinion is that there’s also a lot of goodness in it as well. If I’m having a piece a day and the little guy is having a piece or two, I’m perfectly fine with that.

I don’t feel we know enough. It scares me to cut out major food groups entirely from our diets. What happens if in 10 years time the research changes and we now need it? There’s no better example of this than what’s happening right now – we were told to cut out eggs and fat because they cause cholesterol but new research shows that’s simply not true and boy, do we now have a lot of health pickles because we were misinformed. I also don’t agree with vilifying entire food groups. Food should be enjoyed, and I want my little ones to grow up with a healthy respect for food, where it comes from as well as an understanding of which foods to enjoy in moderation. The last of my reasons is that I can’t predict my children’s future choices. Say I did take up this diet and my little guy lived this way for 18 years but then leaves home and decides to change his habits (you hope this doesn’t happen, but I’m realistic), will he have built up an intolerance to processing them? Could that cause discomfort and disease in him? I say that as a mother that’s recently weaned a child and the latest theory is to introduce all common allergy foods as early as possible, while the baby is building it’s immune system. Again, I don’t know enough to predict whether later research will prove this wrong too and I don’t think scientists know this yet. What should you do? If this diet resonates with you, try it. But try it with a nutritionist or even a wellness coach. This diet does changes things up significantly for you and I really think you need a right-hand man as you transition. 7

family meal timeS Why do they matter? Getting the whole family to sit down for dinner can be next to impossible – with sport practice, working late and homework taking up the evening hours, many family members eat at whatever time best suits them – and that’s OK from time to time. But research shows that families who eat together regularly (that’s more than three times a week), have shown to have more positive outcomes when it comes to health, family relationships and social development.

Benefits associated with frequent family meal times:

The family dinner table, after all, is where children learn manners, converse and interact with grownups, share what’s happening in their lives and experience new foods. The preparation of food and the table setting process are all part of the roles in a family and shape thoughts and feelings around food and family.

• Decreased risk of children taking up smoking, drugs or having problems with the law.

Social changes that are affect the amount of family meal times: • Increased hours spent at work • Number of Australians living alone • Number of women (particularly mothers) in paid work • Number of single parent households and/or family displacement • Use of technology in the household • Percentage of income spent on food and drink away from the home

• Improved relationships between family members • Increased intake of healthy foods and healthier eating habits • Increased understanding of social behaviours • Improved speech for children • Better mental health outcomes

What you can do: • If you’re not already eating together regularly, aim to do so just one night a week. • If dinnertime is too hard to get everyone together, try to have a special family breakfast on the weekends or a family lunch. • During the week, don’t worry if everyone can make it. Sit with whoever is at home to enjoy a meal. • Ignore all phones, turn off the TV and ban texting at the table. • At a loss for conversation? Ask each family member to share one good thing and one bad thing that happened during their day. • Take turns talking so no one is left out. Use an egg timer for little kids if they tend to ramble! • Get your children involved in the meal preparation. Older kids can take charge of the whole meal, while younger ones can help set the table. Written by www.healthy-kids.com.au Healthy Kids Association is a non-profit, non-government health promotion charity with a mission is to promote and influence healthy food choices for children.

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it’s cold season So what is the down low on Vitamin C supplements? It is that time again…muscle aches and pains, sniffles, sore throats and fevers…yes it is almost cold season again. Each year I have friends and family tell me that they are taking Vitamin C supplements to prevent the common cold. I am not a believer in supplements and would rather everyone get their nutrients from whole foods. So I thought that I would do some research, I want to see if it is worth taking Vitamin C in the winter months, and also if we can save some $$.

So firstly some background on Vitamin C Vitamin C (also called L-ascorbic acid or ascorbate) is a vitamin that humans are unable to create themselves and therefore needs to be consumed by eating foods containing it. It is a handy little water soluble vitamin necessary for normal growth and development and responsible for keeping your skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels healthy. It also assists with wound healing and repairing and maintaining cartilage, bones and teeth.

How much do we need? According to the NRV’s adults need 45mg/day (anything else is excreted).

What foods contain good amounts of vitamin C? All fruit and vegetables contain some vitamin C. Foods with particularly high amounts include: • Watermelon • Cantaloupe • Citrus fruits and juices • Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries

• Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower • Green and red peppers • Spinach, cabbage, turnip greens, and other leafy greens • Mango • Papaya • Sweet and white potatoes • Tomatoes and tomato juice • Winter squash • Kiwifruit • Pineapple

So what did I find? I had a quick scan of then endless journal articles and this is what I found. 1. Consuming high amounts of vitamin C does not stop you from getting the cold (sorry guys!) 2. Some studies have shown that consuming high amounts of vitamin C may reduce cold symptoms or shorten the life of the cold (but not significantly) 3. While this is great consuming excessively high doses of vitamin C can lead to symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, fatigue, kidney stones and diarrhoea (so is it really worth it?)

What is the verdict? There is no magic vitamin that will help protect you against getting unwell during the colder months. Instead of buying expensive vitamin C supplements save your $$ and eat fruit and vegetables high in nutrients and spend your well earned cash on a holiday to some place a bit warmer! By Jessica Luongo, RNutr, BFS&N, MDiet Accredited Practising Dietitian www.refocusnutrition.com

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mama can Cook! Hello Table’s Pea and Ham Soup Serves: 8 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 2hr Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 brown onions, finely diced 2 carrots, diced 2 celery sticks, diced 2 garlic cloves, chopped 2 cups yellow or green dried split peas 2 ham hocks, skin and fat removed 2 litres (8 cups) water salt and pepper By Melb Mum and creator of the hello table app and summer table cookbook. Find out more at www.hellotable.com.au and follow her on Facebook at /hellotable

Method: Heat oil in a large pot over medium–high heat, add onion, carrot, and celery and cook until the onion softens (about 5 minutes). Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute. Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Discard any discoloured peas. Add peas, ham hocks and water to pot, bring to the boil. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours or until the peas are mushy and the ham meat falls from the bone. Remove ham hocks from pot using tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut the ham meat from the bones and roughly chop into small pieces. Discard the bones. Using a spoon, skim the froth from the surface of the soup. Blend the remaining soup in the pot using a stick blender or remove in batches to blend in a food processor until smooth. Return pea mixture and ham to the pot and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Jodie’s tip: Make double and freeze half for another evening.

A MamaMag fav, we’ll happily eat this for breaky, lunch or dinner!

Good morning Zucchini & Corn Fritters Serves: 4 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10min Ingredients: 500g corn kernels 1/2 red onion, sliced 3 eggs 100g frozen spinach, thawed 350g zucchini, grated 1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted 1 tsp plain flour 1.5 tsp baking powder Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Place half the corn kernels, spinach, eggs, cumin seeds, flour and baking powder into a bowl. Process with a stick blender into a smooth paste. Add the remaining corn kernels and the zucchini and red onion and fold together. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Divide mixture into 4 then grill or pan-fry each portion in 3 patties until cooked through. Plate as a stack topped with smashed avocado, a poached egg, smoked salmon and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

Sides: 2 avocados 4 eggs 250g smoked salmon Balsamic glaze 13

A Healthy Mum’s Lamb Shank Pie Serves: 4 | Prep: 15min | Cook: 6hrs

Method:

Ingredients:

Step 1: Add all lamb shank ingredients to a large saucepan or slow cooker. Bring it to the boil and leave to simmer for six hours, removing the lid for the final hour of cooking to help the sauce thicken.

3 lamb shanks 600g tomato passata 1 cup of chicken stock 1 grated zucchini 1 grated eggplant 1 grated carrot 1 large handful of sage, thyme and rosemary tied together Mash: 3 small sweet potatoes 1 large parsnip washed 3 tablespoons butter Follow Aussie mum Stace from ‘A Healthy Mum’ on Facebook at /ahealthymumpage and online at www.ahealhtymum.com

Step 2: With half an hour of cooking time left, steam the cubed sweet potatoes and parsnip until tender. Mash the tender sweet potatoes and parsnip with butter until all lumps are removed. Step 3: Place one lamb shank and a generous amount of ragu sauce in a pie tin and top with enough mash to cover. Repeat with another shank. Bake the pie under a hot grill until top is bubbling and crispy, approximately 5 minutes then plate and serve. Toddler adaptation: Remove 1/2 a lamb shank’s meat from the bone, shred and plate with ragu and mash. Best served with a fork and/or spoon Baby adaptation: Finely dice a small amount of the lamb meat and plate with mash and plenty of the ragu liquid / sauce to allow it to come together into a chunky purée. Best served with a spoon.

This versatile meal is perfect for mum, dad, kids, toddlers and even your bub!

So much better than a packet mix and so simple to make. This will become an instant family favourite.

A Winter Delight Chocolate Pudding Serves: 4-6 | Prep: 5min | Cook: 35-40min

Method:

Ingredients: 1 cup self-raising flour 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1/2 cup brown sugar 80g butter, melted, cooled 1/2 cup milk 1 egg, lightly beaten thick cream and berries, to serve

Preheat oven to 180째C or 160C fan-forced. Grease an 8-cup capacity ovenproof baking dish. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.

Sauce: 3/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted 1 1/4 cups boiling water

Combine butter, milk and egg in a jug. Slowly add to flour mixture, whisking until well combined and smooth. Spoon into baking dish. Smooth top. Make sauce: Sprinkle combined sugar and cocoa over pudding. Slowly pour boiling water over the back of a large metal spoon to cover pudding. Place dish onto a baking tray. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pudding bounces back when pressed gently in centre. Serve hot with cream and berries.

15 15

Foolproof Cupcakes Serves: 4 | Prep: 5min | Cook: 15min Ingredients:

Method:

2 eggs

1. Beat eggs and cream

1 cup thickened cream 3/4 cups sugar

2. Then add sugar and vanilla essence and beat for 30 seconds

splash of vanilla essence

3. Lastly add self raising flour and mix to combine.

1 cup self raising flour

4. Bake 10-15 mins until golden Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy! Or get creative with your own decorating ideas.

The kids will adore decorating these almost as much as eating them!

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in the village

l! ves loca Mama lo re lo p x e Like us to ? al village your loc to ur ideas Send yo . g a m a m info@ma com.au

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1. Boutique florist - Birchbox Flowers Delight your senses at Birchbox Flowers. They stock a lovely range of flowers, some a little unusual. They have ready-made bouquets or will happily put something gorgeous together for you. We love their mini posies. They also stock cards, vases and even vintage bottles. 51 Anderson Street www.birchboxflowers.com.au 2. Great coffee - Wee Jeanie Friendly staff and an amazing outdoor area set this sweet café apart. Befitting the location they take their coffee very seriously. They make their cakes and other sweet treats on site and their food is delish. 50 Anderson Street 3. Delightful children’s store - Invite me Owner Simone loves beautiful things and this really shines through at Invite Me. You’ll find gorgeous party goods, and a delightful selection of children’s toys and home wares. You can also shop online. 66 Anderson Street www.inviteme.com.au

4. Children’s gifts - Chalk Chalk is a boutique children’s store where you will find that perfect gift or something special. Lots of quality classics as well as on trend decorating ideas. Pop in for the lovely Toshi beanies to see you through winter. You can also shop online. 83 Anderson Street www.chalkstore.com.au 5. Popular butcher - Andrew’s Choice Andrew Vourvahakis has spent his life perfecting the art of charcuterie, producing smallgoods that are renowned across Melbourne. You will also find all the usual cuts of meat, sausages, and marinated meats. 24 Anderson Street www.andrewschoice.com.au 6. Glamorous jewellery and clothing – Marita’s of Yarraville The shop where everything is gorgeous—the lovely selection of jewellery and clothes, the staff, the ambiance. Marita’s is a reliable place to find a lovely gift and is also a great go-to when you need a special occasion dress. 28 Anderson Street facebook.com/maritasofyarraville 18

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Farmers markets in Williamstown

Yarraville

The Williamstown farmers market is very popular and has a large number of stalls. Roberston Reserve is only a short stroll from the waterfront and playground at Commonwealth Reserve.

Yarraville farmers market is in the lovely Yarraville Gardens. As well as picking up fresh produce you can enjoy a fabulous playground, lots of grass to run around on, and even a nearby dog off lead area. When the weather is fine there’s face painting and a jumping castle.

Robertson Reserve, corner Cole and Hanmer Streets, Williamstown Second Sunday of each month 9am–2pm

Yarraville Gardens, corner Hyde and Somerville Roads, Yarraville Third Sunday of each month 8:30am–1:30pm

Newport The Substation farmers market runs twice a month with the first market of each month coinciding with the Substation artists market. There are around 35 store holders as well as music, and in winter, even mulled wine. The Substation, 1 Market Street, Newport First and third Sunday of each month 9am–1pm. (artists market 10am–3pm first Sunday of each month)

This is a Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association accredited farmers’ market.

Flemington Flemington farmers market is weekly so no need to worry about which week it’s on! Fruit and vegetables, eggs, pasta, meat, honey, nuts, bread, dips, jams, wine and lots more. Mt Alexander Secondary College, 175 Mt Alexander Road, Flemington Every Sunday 9am–1pm

This is a Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association accredited farmers’ market.

the west University of Melbourne

Food Justice Truck

Want a midweek market? Try the farmers market at the University of Melbourne, weekly on Wednesday mornings during semesters (recommencing July 29). You’ll find it on the Union Lawn and the South Court.

The result of a crowd funding campaign by the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, the Food Justice Truck sells ethically sourced and locally produced fruit and vegetables, grains, legumes and bread. You can even purchase freshly rolled oat groats. Everyone is welcome to come along and purchase at market rates, and asylum seekers receive a 75% discount.

Melbourne University Every Wednesday during semester 11am–3pm

This is a Victorian Farmers’ Markets Association accredited farmers’ market.

Footscray Primary School, cnr Geelong Road and Barkly Street. Every Friday during school terms, 3–7pm Other locations coming soon.

Out of town Want a trip to the country? Markets an easy drive from Melbourne’s west include Kyneton, Lancefield, Riddells Creek and Woodend.

MAMA of the month This month we talk to Spotswood mum Brooke Taylor who started her online children’s clothing store Five Little Faces when her six year old Mac was a pre-schooler and she just couldn’t find the right clothes for him.

What do you do?

What makes Five Little Faces different?

I own an online children’s clothing store called Five Little Faces. It’s children’s clothing with a difference: it’s very hip and our style is fun. Think stars, bright colours, bold prints and fun skulls. Our sizing ranges from 2 to 7.

Everything—we are fun and funky with affordable prices, a unique style and awesome customer experience. It’s where you can buy a quality funky long sleeve for $25, T-shirts for $22, singlets for $18 and harem pants for $28 to name a few. We cater to our inner west customers offering a free pickup from Spotswood or free delivery if you live within 10kms. I love seeing a mum’s face when she orders at 8am and it’s delivered by 11am that same day.

How did your career change once you had children? It literally changed overnight. I was working as a marketing manager and pregnant with our first child. At 6 months my waters partially broke and I ended up in hospital. My mind started playing different scenarios of what would happen if our baby arrived at 29 weeks. Would they just take him away, would he cry, would I get to hold him and would he survive? I endlessly analysed why this had occurred, had I worked too hard, was there anything that I did to have caused this? Three days later I gave birth to the most beautiful little boy Mac, coming in at 1.7kg. He came out crying, I relaxed because I knew he was breathing and the amazing medical staff put him on an oxygen machine and took him away. Mac spent 8 longggg weeks in the NICU before his panicked parents took him home. It was a pretty traumatic experience and our lives changed for the better that day. What inspired you to start Five Little Faces? It was born out of the frustration of spending hours and hours trying to find funky and affordable children’s clothing for Mac. It felt like all the big brands were overpriced and the everyday brands were not age appropriate. I didn’t want to dress Mac in clothing that a 10 year old would wear. I wanted him to dress as a child should—fun and funky. So I created them myself and Five Little Faces was born. 22

How has it been juggling your work and your personal life? I started Five Little Faces so I could control my working hours and be there for Mac, and that has worked well. I really love what I do. BUT it really is a juggling act, running an online business is a little more flexible than an office job but the working day can sometimes finish at 3am. A typical day sees me up at 7.30am and off to school by 8.15am. I’m usually at my desk checking emails by 9am. Then the day can vary with meetings, planning, updating social media, designing, taking photos, buying, packing etc. Work usually ends at around 9pm with breaks in-between for collecting my son from school, cleaning the house (arrggggh) and getting dinner ready. What has been the biggest challenge? Oh dear, at the beginning, it was starting a business with no budget. Although I came from a marketing background there were aspects of running a business that were extremely challenging. If I didn’t know how to do it I Youtubed it.

What have you found hardest about growing a successful business while raising a family? It takes some serious multitasking and when you throw children and a husband to the mix you have so many more balls to juggle. There are times when I feel I should be spending more time with my family and then times I feel I should be working. But my husband supports me in every way… OK, maybe 90% of the time—ha. He is terrific, understanding, helpful and just a really gorgeous person inside and out. Mac is such a character and so loving (proud mamma). What have been some of your proudest moments? Number one is receiving lots of positive feedback from customers. ‘Thank you and I love it’ are such a powerful words and it makes me do mini backflips. I love seeing little faces in our clothing. I love being asked by other mums ‘where did you get those pants from’? That has to be the biggest complement! Recently I was nominated for the Telstra Women in Business awards. I didn’t believe it at first when Telstra called me and answered—really, ME? I nearly fell off my chair!! It’s a long process but I am honestly chuffed just to be nominated. Another proud moment was appearing in a newspaper next to Bonds as one of the best online children’s clothes stores. WOW, there was Bonds and Five Little Faces – it felt pretty amazing. What advice do you have for other aspiring business mums? Be brave, be passionate and don’t give up. There are times when it’s not easy. It’s hard work but so very rewarding. My mantra is never give up and always find a solution to a problem! And by the way… We’re on the look out for some new funky little monkeys/brand ambassadors (ages 2-5 years) which is always fun and exciting for our Spring Summer range. Just email your details and a photo to fivelittlefaces@bigpond.com Where can we find you? www.fivelittlefaces.com.au www.facebook.com/fivelittlefaces www.instagram.com/fivelittlefaces fivelittlefaces@bigpond.com

messy faces! 5 tips for stress-free mealtimes End the dinner battles and win the food war! Follow these five simple tips and you could find mealtimes become a lot less stressful and a lot more fun!

1. Be a good influence How often have you let a naughty word slip out when you thought the kids weren’t in earshot only to have it repeated back at the most embarrassingly inappropriate time, i.e. in front of the mother in law or during quiet story time? You are the biggest influence on your kids, so let them see you eat a wide variety of food, try new things with them, involve them in planning what to cook for dinner and make time for when they can cook for you. Make food exciting and enticing for everyone in the family and hopefully it’ll rub off on the fussiest of eaters.

2. Eat together It’s a scientifically proven fact that family mealtimes can have a massive beneficial impact on your kids; improving social skills and speech, lowering risks of obesity and eating disorders, and helping them do better academically. But if you are like every other Australian family, getting everyone together at the table every night is nigh on impossible. Don’t give up; there is no magic number of how many meals we should eat as a family, so if weekday family dinners are impossible, make a family ritual out of Saturday pancake breakfast, Sunday roast lunch or the classic Friday night takeaway.

3. Be prepared Unless you are lucky enough have a full time cleaner, nanny and PA, there will be those nights when you don’t have the time to spend cooking up a storm in the kitchen. Keep a stock of quick, simple healthy meals in the fridge and freezer and you will always have something wholesome to feed them.

4. Let them get messy Cooking with kids doesn’t have to be laborious or time consuming. Give them an empty bowl and a spoon and get them to make their own dinner by choosing and adding ingredients. Start with a base of pasta or rice (or a wrap), and then get them to add ingredients like cooked peas or broccoli, ham, cheese, and olives. Make a simple cheese sauce to go over the top and you can even sneak a few blended or mashed veg in there - who knew spinach could be so tasty? Keep this fun, and you might find most of the meal has been eaten before you’ve finished cooking!

5. Keep calm and breathe! You can’t make every meal a fun, exciting experience, and sometimes kids are going to be tired, full or just plain annoying. As frustrating as it can be to have your lovingly made, wholesome meal treated as if it were poisoned, making the dinner table a battle ground will do more harm in the long run, than a couple of plates of food going in the bin. Don’t give up!

By Victoria Mackey and Emma Keating www.messyfaces.com.au Messy Faces delivers healthy and delicious home cooked frozen meals for kids. Keep them in your freezer for those nights when you’ve simply run out of time to cook.

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W G Cresser Reserve – Seaholme Near the corner of Civic Parade and Beach Street, Seaholme Well, Altona and its surrounds are beautiful we all know that! Then you discover places like this and you fall in love all over again. This park is one of those gems that are hard to believe you’ve never been to before but you will definitely visit again and again. With bay views and everything you would need for a whole morning (or arvo) of exploring, picnicking, and playing. The highlights for Mamma are the great big swings. These are by far the best swings for grownups in the West; you can get some serious air folks. There are also little swings, a cute boat, double slide and climbing equipment PLUS some trees to climb, the shore to explore and a little jetty – Mamma says you must to wander to the end of and check out the views of the city! Oh that’s right, we ARE in Melbourne. The nitty gritty: toilets, heaps of free parking, BBQ’s, pram access.

enchanted years has a wide selection of high quality wooden toys, games, books, dress-ups, clothing and bedroom decor. each item in our store is individually selected allowing us to stock a range of products that are as unique as the child you love.

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baby led solids Introducing solid food is something to get excited about! One of the first baby gifts I received when I was pregnant with my first child was a travel set for baby food. A cute little plastic bowl, with grippy plastic on the bottom, and a place to snap in a baby spoon in the lid. The idea that the baby I was growing would one day grow up into a little person, who would enjoy all of the same things I do, enthralled me. One day, we’d sit down together, have dinner and talk about our day. The baby I could feel kicking in my belly would love my bolognese and think rocket wasn’t a real food, just like me.

It’s no wonder that when and how to introduce solids can become a topic that parents fret about getting right. With so much emotion attached to something that becomes such an everyday occurrence, we all want to do what’s right when we feed our bubs the first taste of solid foods. Bethany is a mum of two who has recently started solids with her youngest baby, Dulcie. “I started putting food in front of Dulcie just before she was 6 months old. She would seal her lips and pull funny faces for the first week or so and then one day she properly reached out and grabbed a piece of tomato that was on her tray and got right into it,” says Bethany. “I went off her ability to sit up straight and grab toys with her hands as signs she was possibly ready.”

What sorts of foods are best to offer as first foods? “The best first food is an iron-rich one,” says Joy Anderson, an Accredited Practising Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. “The only nutrients essential from outside sources from around 6 months to about 8-9 months are iron and zinc. From a nutritional point of view everything else is still supplied adequately by breastmilk or infant formula. The 28

best food for this is meat or if vegetarian, meat substitutes. A trimmed lamb cutlet makes an ideal first food when practising baby-led solids. It is high in iron and zinc, has a great handle and is low on the list of foods a food-sensitive baby might react to. And babies usually love it!” Bethany’s daughter Dulcie loves eating finger foods. “She loves eating cut-up grapes and tomato. I wouldn’t say she has a favourite food yet, but so far she has had a go at everything we’ve offered her!” It’s an approach that Joy agrees with. Purees are not necessary if the baby is developmentally ready for solid food, but some mothers like to start with these for a short while. Iron-fortified baby rice cereal is popular and has more iron than pureed vegetable and fruits, so is better in this regard. Or finely-minced or scraped meat would also be good. For vegetarians, mashed legumes contain iron. Purees should only be used for a few weeks at the most, so babies don’t get hooked on being spoon-fed pureed food.

Early solids is not just about nutrition. It is a lot about the baby practising eating skills, learning about tastes and textures of food and enjoying food. A great way to do this is with baby-led solids (aka ‘baby-led weaning’) or finger foods. This means allowing the baby to play with real foods like the parents would eat - avoiding choking hazards of course - and practise the movements required for self-feeding. Foods that require a spoon, such as yoghurt, can be offered with the baby using a spoon as a dipper (or fingers!). Spoon-feeding of purees doesn’t teach the baby these skills, and these have to be learnt at a later age. Spoon-feeding was developed as the only way to feed babies at a time when they were fed solids before they were developmentally ready. This happened when fewer young babies were breastfed and infant formulas were incomplete, so additional foods were required much earlier than 6 months.

Of course, parents may choose to combine baby-led solids and spoon-feeding at different times. Letting your baby feed themselves can get messy, so spoon feeding while out and about can help to keep things tidy!’ ‘If a mother prefers mostly spoon-feeding in the first few months, textures should become lumpier after the first week or two and the baby offered finger foods at times as well, at the latest by about 8 months. Take care that your baby doesn’t take to solids too enthusiastically and cut down his/her milk intake too quickly. From 6–9 months, intake should still be close to 100% breastmilk or infant formula, gradually reducing as solids increase remaining as greater than half the diet until 12 months.

Introducing solids is an exciting journey for parents and babies. It’s messy, hilarious and a fun and bonding experience. It can bring the family together at meal times. Invest in some good gear to minimise mess (a drop sheet on the floor and a Puddle Feeder), expect to wash yoghurt out of your bub’s hair, and relax and enjoy the ride! For breastfeeding support call the Australia Breastfeeding Association’s Helpline on 1800 mum2mum or 1800 686 268. You can also attend a local support group, antenatal classes, and access breastfeeding information. Go to www.breastfeeding.asn.au for more information.

Bless this mess My house is a mess! Laundry is in the basket, on the bench, on the bed, on the floor… is the laundry on the floor clean or dirty? This is my life. How did it get this way? I am a clean person really I am, or I was… what happened? I’ll tell you what happened—KIDS— three of them! Gone are the days when I feel in control of my surroundings. In fact I often feel out of control, overwhelmed and hate to admit it… stressed! The perfectionist in me doesn’t like to admit it but, yes I get stressed, frustrated and oh no… I YELL!

Is it the mess that stresses me out? I have often believed that if I could just get on top of all the mess that my life would be sorted, less chaotic, less stressful. There is truth to this belief however I had to really ask myself why I was so stressed about the mess in the first place. When I took time out to think about it (yes I found the time) I realised that it was the mere fact that I couldn’t control the mess that stressed me out. No matter how many lists I wrote or books I read I couldn’t control it. Surely this was just a problem with me, at least that’s what my social media accounts would lead me to believe. How is everyone else getting on top of the mess? How can everyone else control it? What am I doing wrong?

a mama’s story

This is the stress I face on a daily basis. I am bombarded with images of the ‘perfect’ mum, the clean house, the happy kids and the folded laundry. I look at my own life and get discouraged. So what is the solution? I don’t have all the answers (obviously) but I know that talking to another mum who is in the same situation helps. I don’t mean just superficially talking but REALLY talking. Someone I can share who I really am with. Someone who knows that even when the rest of the house is clean, I am storing a weeks worth of laundry in my bedroom. I need these friends because they help me to know that I am not alone and that I am somewhat normal. I am lucky enough to have met a wonderful mum who I can be ‘real’ with. She has her mess, I have mine and together we understand that it’s going to be ok. Together we realise that perfectionism is not what we should aim to attain. Together we laugh and cry and help each other because life as a mum is messy. A friend can help you to see that the mess is fun, worth talking about, worth sharing. If you don’t have someone like this in your life all you need to do is look around, at the park, at the library, at the grocery store. She is out there and she is just like you, just like me, trying to embrace the mess. The more we get into each other’s lives the more we realise the façade of perfectionism and the more we understand that we all have mess. This is my life, mess and all and it’s wonderful! Written by Monica Mackinnon Monica is a stay at home mum of three children under 4. She is the owner and designer of Monica’s Mats specialising in handmade baby change and play mats. You can check them out via facebook.com/monicasmats and Instagram.com/monicasmats

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Feeding families at

Did you know 1 in 10 Victorians do not know where their next meal is coming from? Foodbank Victoria is an independent not-forprofit organisation with more than 80 years’ food relief experience and the state’s oldest and largest organisation of its kind.

Each year, more than 500,000 people (1 in 10 Victorians) are assisted with food from Foodbank. 1/3 of these people are children. In the 2013-14 financial year, Foodbank distributed a staggering 7.2 million kilograms of food, the equivalent of over 14.4 million meals to people across metro, regional and rural areas of the state. The demographics of people requiring food relief has changed in recent years with the largest group of people currently accessing food relief being low income families. Unfortunately the demand for food relief continues to grow. The final 2014-15 figures are still being confirmed, by May this year Foodbank had already distributed over 16 million meals, 2 million more than the previous year. Foodbank’s aim is to provide healthy food for all and does this by working with almost 800 corporate and community partners to source and distribute food to people in need across Victoria. The food is sourced from farmers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and the public and distributed to over 450 welfare agencies such as The Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, as well as schools and community organisations. In the last 12 months in just the western suburbs of Melbourne including the Brimbank, Hobson’s Bay, Maribyrnong and Wyndham City Councils, Foodbank has distributed over 2.3 million kilograms of food or the equivalent of 4.6 million meals. From February 2016, Foodbank Victoria is rolling out a school breakfast program across Victoria to feed 25,000 children at 500 of the most disadvantaged schools. The program will start with the school year and feed children each school day ensuring they are well fed and ready to learn. 32

Share the warmth this winter with Foodbank This winter Foodbank is asking you to share the warmth and is seeking support for its Warm Up Winter appeal. Winter can a tough time for families (like Sara’s story right), many are faced with a difficult decision between heating their homes and having enough food for their families to eat. In many families money is often tight, with parents already having trouble paying their bills, let alone the higher ones in winter. It’s not only heating that makes winter expensive. Parents also have to buy clothes, shoes and blankets to keep their children warm. And bad weather usually means higher transport costs, as parents do all they can to ensure kids are kept out of the cold and rain.

As money becomes tighter, food is often the first thing to go. It’s more disposable than rent and bills. Parents often start by eating less to make sure there is enough food to go around, then their meals change – less meat and vegetables, more pasta and rice and finally, for many families there is a point where there is simply not enough food and they are forced to seek help. The goal this winter is to raise $100,000 to ensure no one in Victoria is denied the opportunity of a healthy meal and a warm home. $100,000 is enough to feed 4,000 families of 4 for a week and ensure many more children, families and individuals will be warm this winter.

With every $1 donation Foodbank can distribute $9 worth of healthy food. Just $25 provides enough food to feed a family of 4 for a week. If you would like to support any of Foodbank Victoria’s work you can make a donation by phone on 03 9362 8300. online at www.foodbankvictoria.org.au Donations over $2 are tax-deductible.

Sara’s story Your support can make a powerful impact on kids like nine year old Sara*. Sara’s father was struggling to find the money to feed his kids, with winter being a particularly difficult time. With nothing in her lunchbox, Sara often sat by herself in the playground, hungry, cold and often alone. All Sara really wanted was an apple like the other kids. Something warm to eat would have been a luxury. Thankfully, Foodbank was able to provide Sara and her family with groceries to feed the family… and a big bag of apples! Sara’s father broke down in tears, and Sara drew a picture of a lunchbox filled with fruit … the words “Daddy is happy, thank you” were written underneath. The groceries made things easier for Sara’s family. Any money they do have can now go towards other essentials like heating. Sara’s story is a powerful reminder of how your support can not only fill a child’s stomach, but can bring warmth and lasting hope to a family in need. *Sara’s father has asked us not to use their real names

what is all the fuss Let’s start with what gluten actually is

Is it really gluten that’s upsetting my kid’s tummy?

A protein found in wheat and other grains that gives elasticity to dough and the fluffy and chewy texture to your baked goods (often what entices you to go back for 3 more slices of bread!), sauces and numerous other processed foods.

Upset tummies are a common occurrence in everyone, especially kids, so how do you know if it’s gluten causing the problems? There are varying degrees of gluten sensitivity or intolerance (not to be confused with wheat intolerance), the worst being coeliac disease which requires a very specific diet completely devoid of gluten. An accurate diagnosis of coeliac disease should be sought with the help of your GP and often requires more than one method of testing. It can be a long process but very worthwhile if it means avoiding a lifetime of food restrictions. If coeliac or an intolerance is confirmed an Accredited Practicing Dietician (http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/find-an-apd) is the best person to speak to about where to begin when altering your diet or that of your child.

It is widely used and is often hiding in products where you would least expect it. You will find gluten in everything from cereals (including oats), pasta and noodles, breads, cakes and biscuits to pre-made soups, some processed meats, ice cream and anything that has been malted, condiments, some lollies, chocolates and potato chips, icing sugar mixtures and watch out for spice blends including curry powder, dry mustard (often combined with flour) and ground spices like cinnamon. Beer usually also contains gluten!

For some minimising gluten in the diet is a lifestyle choice which is perfectly safe and can be maintained long term. A GF lifestyle is becoming more popular in recent times and the great news about this is that for some it means a simple change away from processed foods and trying to eat more whole fresh foods. Here are some things to look out for if you are catering to gluten free needs:

about gluten free? Shopping

Eating out

Fresh is best—all of your fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and legumes (and their flours), eggs and dairy are all naturally gluten free and so is rice, corn, cocoa, coconut and honey. Quinoa is also GF and is a wonderful substitute for pasta or couscous and is much more nutritious.

Be aware of flours added to sauces etc, or using the same pots (and even the same water) for pasta as for blanching your vegies. Ask if the fryer oil is dedicated to GF food only or if perhaps it’s had crumbed products in it? If so it’s not GF.

Always read the label—thankfully our labelling laws in Australia are quite strict so you can be pretty confident that if a product says “gluten free” there is no detectable gluten or “low gluten” (not more than 20mg gluten/100g). The crossed grain logo which represents approval by The Coeliac Society of Australia (www.coeliac.org.au) also helps with making safe purchases. All labels must also declare if the product “may contain traces of” wheat, rye, barley or oats.

Look out for “GF” cakes/slices that may be dusted with icing sugar as the icing sugar may contain gluten.

The Gluten Free Shop in Ormond offers online shopping if you are short on time. www.glutenfreeshop.com.au

Cooking Avoid cross contamination—use different coloured chopping boards and utensils, a separate toaster, and separate areas of the pantry for wheat based flours/biscuits/breads to the GF products. Regular cake/biscuit recipes can be made GF and still come out with a delicious and fluffy bake I promise! You do have to be willing to experiment and baking GF is a little more expensive than using wheat flour. The main thing is to add a binding agent (Xanthan or Guar gum which is available in your health food store) to substitute for the gluten as this holds your final product together.

The Gluten Free Eating Directory is a great resource and has an app to help when you are out with the family for a Sunday breakfast. www.glutenfreeeatingdirectory.com.au Eating GF can be just as enjoyable and delicious as a regular diet and GF foods are becoming much easier to find. There are many quality products arriving at farmer’s markets and on the shelves of your local stores as well as restaurants and cafes that now cater to GF. If you are willing to invest some time learning a bit about food labels and asking a few key questions when eating out then you are certainly able to be in control and take an active role in your own health and food (and tummy) happiness. If you are interested in learning more about a GF lifestyle and want to connect with the GF community then mark the 10th and 11th of October in your diary for the Melbourne Gluten Free Expo and if you are looking for some delicious cupcakes for your next event in Melbourne’s west give The Mixing Bowl Cupcakes a call – all of our cupcakes are GF and we also have dairy free and vegan options. They are available in standard and mini sizes. By Eileen Spiteri - Bsc (Nutrition & Food Science) From The Mixing Bowl Cupcakes (gluten free cupcakes of course!) Phone 0411 482 253 www.facebook.com/themixingbowlcupcakes

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turn the page Mouse Soup, Arnold Lobel, First published 1977 $14.95 This chapter book is aimed at early readers age 7+ however the story content and illustrations are suited for ages 3-103. From the same author as the Frog and Toad series, Owl at Home and Mouse Tales. Each chapter introduces a story told by a mouse in order to avoid being made into ‘Mouse Soup’. Clever & humorous tales told with great spirit. Age 3+ The Doorbell Rang, Pat Hutchins, First published 1986 $15.95 Mum has made a batch of delicious choc chip cookies (almost as good as Grandma’s!) However each time the doorbell rings (and it rings quite a lot) the cookies are continually divided between each new guest until there is only one cookie each to be had, and then the doorbell rings... Covers concepts in sharing and division. Age 3+ Bunny Cakes, Rosemary Wells Published 1997 $12.95 I Love Ruby as an older sister, I love Max as a younger brother, and as in all the ‘Max & Ruby ‘ series I love how Grandma has a way of making each of them feel special. Not only do we learn how to make Ruby’s ‘raspberry fluff’ birthday cake but also how to make Max’s homemade cake of... well... mud and worms! Age 3+ Strega Nona, Tomie dePaola, First Published 1975 $14.95 The retelling of a folk tale, set in Renaissance Italy, Stega Nona is the local witch in town whose spells help cure such ailments as headaches and warts. After leaving strict instructions to her apprentice ‘Big Anthony’ not to touch her magic pasta cooking pot, Big Anthony finds he cannot help himself and ends up flooding the village with spaghetti! Age 4+

JP JUNIOR EVERLASTING BOOKS is the children’s branch from the educational bookseller JP BOOKS. This family based bookshop offers a wide range of Educational Texts and VCE Reference for the older kids (Secondary & Primary) and an extensive carefully selected range of children’s classic picture books and novels for the young and young at heart. Storytimes are held every Thursday and the 1st Friday of the month at 11.00am including book readings, children’s folk songs and a theme based activity. JP BOOKS & JP JUNIOR EVERLASTING BOOKS - 355 Somerville Rd Yarraville PH 03 9314 0529 36

the healthy harvest Encouraging children to love their vegies! Everyone knows that vegetables are good for you. Many parents earnestly strive to ensure their children eat them every day, but many don’t succeed. In light of this all-too-common challenge, parents often ask for tips on getting kids to eat more vegetables. And we’ve got a new solution! Meet Emma Martin, a local Melbourne mother, founder of Edible Education and author of her first book ‘The Healthy Harvest’. Emma’s business, Edible Education, is where nutrition and education merge. Its core focus is to educate children about healthy eating and where food comes from. Emma believes that education can lead to a change in the food behaviour of children and in turn, decrease levels of overweight and obesity. After having her two children, Emma, a university-qualified nutritionist, found a gap in the education provided to young children about where food comes from and the benefits of healthy eating. Using her own children as inspiration, she wrote a children’s picture book that teaches children about good nutrition and where food comes from based around the five food groups. The book is both fun and factual, and through use of rhymes and vibrant characters, children and parents are led on a journey through the book. With the help of Harry Harvester and his friends – Alfie Apple, Carly Carrot, Charlie Cheese, Wally Wheat, Sammy Salmon and Tommy Takeaway – children will learn the importance of each food group, where food comes from, the nutrients they provide and how much they should consume to get the maximum health benefits for their growing bodies. The Healthy Harvest is available for sale through Emma’s website www.edibleeducation.com.au

Calmness, strength, and resilience Help in the early parenting years It’s really hard to explain to someone who isn’t a mother what the first year of parenthood is like. The things that you describe as negatives can be the things you value most (hello, midnight talks with baby), and the things that sound small and easy can be the hardest things (oh yes, messy mealtimes!). One of the messy experiences of early parenting is our mood. Pregnancy hormones, altered sleep, breastfeeding, stress in relationships, and needing to be constantly present with someone else makes a stable mood a thing of the past. Much of this is a normal adjustment to babyhood, and it’s hard to work out when you need help. So let’s talk about mood disturbance, or depression, or anxiety, or exhaustion in the postnatal period. The term postnatal depression may be used for a number of social or psychological difficulties that new mothers have – it might not be the correct diagnosis, but it helps us focus on what social supports a mum might need. The decision that you need help is uniquely yours and often mums who need help aren’t suffering from a diagnosable illness. Some signs that you could benefit from talking to someone:

One of the key signs is your mood. If you aren’t enjoying being a parent – not just occasionally but most of the time – then you have a number of options for help. You might already know you can see a psychologist under a Medicare plan. There are other ways you can get support too. Six alternative ways to get support 1. Information: The Centre of Perinatal Excellence in Flemington has lots of information focussing on resilience and strength in the first years. It has good advice no matter what your difficulties are. http://cope.org.au 2. Video call: pregnancybirth&baby is a government funded health information service, offering phone and online support. Their videocall service allows you to talk to someone from the comfort of your home, about anything you think you’re not coping too well with. www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/video-call 3. Support groups: PANDA run PND support groups and playgroups. You don’t need a formal diagnosis, and anyone can attend. www.panda.org.au 4. In-home care: Tweddle run an in-patient program in Footscray—don’t call it a sleep school, it’s so much more! They also offer a private in-home service, counselling, information and referral. www.tweddle.org.au 5. Therapy: People are often apprehensive about therapy, but talking to a counsellor can really help. Cognitive-behavioural (CBT) and interpersonal (IPT) therapies are the most helpful for depression in the post-natal period. Interpersonal therapy focuses on relationships; on strengthening your ability to explain your needs to others, expanding your social support networks, and reducing conflict with your family members. These all improve mood.

University psychology clinics often provide free or low-cost counselling services to members of the public. Local options are the Victoria University Psychology Clinic in Footscray and the Cairnmillar Institute Clinic at Highpoint. 6. Helplines: If you like a good old-fashioned anonymous helpline two great ones are: Parentline Victoria: 132 289, 8am–12am 7 days Maternal and Child Health Advisory Line: 132 229, 24 hours 7 days Five ways you can take care of yourself Nothing replaces professional assistance, but there are things we can all do to maintain our emotional wellbeing. We often hear about diet, exercise, and relaxation but these can be hard with little ones in tow! Here are five self-care strategies that may be more manageable: 1. Journaling: Journaling can have a positive impact on mental health. If it’s been a while start by taking a pen and paper and writing something, anything down. Don’t wait for a quiet moment–do it at the kitchen table! You could try reflecting on the little moments during the day; how you reacted, other’s reactions, what the moment meant to you, maybe even what you could have done differently.

5. Bibliotherapy: Bibliotherapy is reading books and reflecting on how they are relevant to your life, and what you might learn from them. You can read anything but some great autobiographical stories about postnatal difficulties are Brooke Shield’s bittersweet Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression and Heather Armstrong’s light-hearted It Sucked and Then I Cried. Hope some of these tips were helpful! Carolyn Deans is a lecturer and researcher at VU and the director of VU’s Psychology Clinic. She is looking for volunteers to participate in a study on emotional wellbeing in postpartum women. If you feel you have been experiencing difficulties, especially low mood, and you have a baby under 12 months, then you may be eligible to be involved in a study which includes free interpersonal therapy for depression. For more information go to www.mumsandbubsmelbourne.wordpress.com

2. Social support: Social support is worth taking time and effort to build. It can be instrumental (people doing things for you) or emotional (people being there for you). Try reaching out to someone once a week and asking for something very small, even if it is just to go to their house for a coffee. 3. Mum’s activities: Activities can help with the loss of meaningful occupation you can feel at home with baby. Mums spend time looking for the right activities for their babies, but what about you? Look around for a class, social group or activity that you can do for you with baby in tow. 4. Mindfulness: Mindfulness is a powerful parenting tool. It reduces stress, improves mood, and helps with a sense of competence in parenting. The Melbourne Meditation Centre has a centre in Yarraville.

Sprinkle Art I don’t know about you but I just looooove sprinkles! So I though why not use it in some amazing art work for the kids. Super easy to do and super cute to look at. What you will need:

Lets get started!

• Sprinkles

Using your pencil lightly draw your shape on the construction card. Keep it very simple. A start, hear, flower or your child’s name.

• PVA glue • Paint brush • Thick paper (construction card) • Grey lead pencil • spoon

Paint the PVA over the entire shape you have drawn. This need to be a reasonably thick coat of glue. Using your spoon sprinkle your sprinkles over the PVA. Carefully tip the picture over to shake of excess sprinkles. Leave to dry for at least 72hours before hanging on a wall. This activity is great to do with the little ones as well. Let them paint the PVA in any pattern all over the paper and cover in sprinkles, for a very original art work!

One of these two gorgeous puzzles

Then post your entry by July 31st to: MamaMag PO Box 8018 North Road LPO, Brighton East VIC 3187

Name: Address:

Age: Postcode: 41

preschool nutrition Children aged between 2 and 5 years old experience a special time in their growing up as they expand their social, emotional and intellectual skills. This preschool period is often associated with a deceleration of a child’s physical growth while, at the same time, he or she is asserting their independence and testing their motor skills. How many of us have experienced a 3-year-old’s determination to brush her own teeth or tie his own shoes? In a nutshell, preschoolers are ready to play, explore and learn. They need lots of energy. Preschool nutrition is very important. It’s an important stage in life when healthy eating and physical activity habits are forming, so it’s essential to develop good eating behaviours early on as well as encouraging an active physical lifestyle.

Nutrition Australia recommends the following tips to encourage healthy eating for kids: 1. Surround them with healthy food messages. Always have a full fruit bowl in easy view. 2. Be a good role model as kids learn from those around them. If you eat healthy foods regularly with and in front of your children, then they will be more likely to eat the same foods. And if you’re physically active, there’s more opportunity for your children to participate with you to get exercise. 3. Think variety and try to ensure all meals and snacks contain food from the 5 food groups so kids receive a range of nutrients. Different coloured fruits and veggies are also important. But let your child’s appetite guide you – forcing kids to eat when they’re not hungry runs counter to their natural instincts. 4. Don’t make a fuss. Often it’s a test for many parents to stay calm when faced with a fussy eater, but remember it is our responsibility as parents to provide children with food and the opportunities to eat it. It’s also normal for a preschooler’s appetite to vary dramatically from day to day, so allow children to eat according to their appetite at the time. 5. Get kids involved in the kitchen, garden and food shopping. Allowing kids to get involved in food shopping and meal preparation is a great way to encourage an interest in the food they eat.

Providing your kids with good food means choosing a wide variety of foods from the key food groups: Fresh fruit and veggies – remember to buy produce when it’s in season as much as possible. Most supermarket produce is stored for months and months before hitting the shelves, and the taste and nutrient value is often questionable by then. If your family budget can stretch it, look for organic fruit and veggies as these haven’t been sprayed with toxic artificial pesticides and herbicides. And if you buy “in season”, you may find the organic variety is not significantly more expensive than conventional produce. Wholegrain cereals and grains – low glycaemic index (GI) foods including pasta and wholegrain bread help provide little tummies with long-lasting energy. Lean meats, fish and poultry – these good foods are high in omega-3 fatty acids and iron, which are important for brain development and muscle growth. Other healthy options include nuts, eggs and legumes. Try to offer something from this group at each meal if you can. Milk, yoghurt and dairy products – dairy products are high in protein and calcium, which helps build health teeth and strong bones. Watch out for flavoured yoghurts as most have added sugar, so keep an eye on sugar levels by reading the ingredient list and nutritional panels on yoghurt packs. A good choice is to buy organic plain yoghurt and add fresh fruit and nuts to make a super healthy snack.

Hydration Water is always the best drink for kids (and adults too). Avoid cordials, soft drinks and flavoured milks (often very high in sugar). Although it goes without saying that preschools should never be given sports drinks and energy drinks, we have seen parents give their young children sports drinks at school fetes and community events.

Snack right Snacks are an important part of a healthy diet for children as they help satisfy “in between meals” appetites and can balance nutritional needs in school lunchboxes. Preschoolers should have food every few hours to maintain energy levels and ensure a variety of nutrients are consumed during the day. But again, let your child’s appetite guide you. At Whole Kids we are very concerned about what goes into many snack foods that are available to children. We believe that too many snacks found in supermarkets are nutritionally poor with high levels of salt, sugar, saturated fats and unnecessary (and potentially harmful) food additives.

Food additives Did you know more than 300 food additives are permitted for us in Australia in nonorganic processed foods? Some of these additives should be especially avoided by children, including: Colours – (tartrazine 102; quinoline yellow 104; sunset yellow 110; cochineal 120; carmoisine 122; ponceau 124; and allura red 129). Preservatives – (benzoates 210-213; sulphur dioxide and all sulphites 220-228; all nitrates and nitrites 249-252). Flavour enhancers – (MSG and glutamates 620-625). More health professionals are becoming concerned with the accumulated effect of artificial food additives as children and adults consume larger quantities of processed food. Always look for snacks that have no artificial additives. Written by Whole Kids. www.wholekids.com.au All Whole Kids snacks are certified organic and free from artificial preservatives, flavours, colours and additives. They’re also free from genetically modified ingredients.

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