Eats Queen Robyn Dery's a believer in food that's good from your taste buds to your tum. Bringing maximum JOY + WELLNESS to Tweens' relationship with food, which we love.

Our latest #rpkeats convo was around self empowerment. 

Armed with the facts, we know kids feel empowered to make better life choices - and therefore often do.

Does this apply to food too? Robyn Argues: YES. In fact, the Tweendom's no better time to gently pivot from Tweens being TOLD TO be healthy, and instead them WANTING to be.

A subtle shift marking a healthy difference in their longer term wellness and Body Positivity.

Why do I need to eat from every food group you ask?

Robyn delivers. FOOD IN FULL COLOUR. Your science served.
Signed off with something delicious (yay) - see the 4pm snack we're holding out for at page end!! You're welcome.

 
The Food Groups

Bread and cereals provide you with carbohydrate. This is our fuel, it gives us energy to do the things you want to do.  If you don't have enough spread throughout the day you feel tired, have cement legs, and a foggy mind. It also travels with fibre, which keeps our bowels healthy.

 

Fats and oils are essential for your body to grow. And they make foods delicious and interesting. There are different types of fat, some are very good for you, and some need to be eaten only occasionally. As long as fat is balanced with the other food groups you can rest assured you are getting all the nutrients you need for a busy body. Fats support organ structure and are the only source of linoleic acid which you need to grow, and to make hormones and cell membranes. That’s right, that means every new cell in your body (and Tweens are busy making billions every day), needs fatty acids to build them.

 

Protein builds muscle and new cell material such as DNA. Our bodies are constantly revamping, growing shiny hair, fresh skin, and moving us around using our muscles. They need protein to do this. Protein is found in meat, tofu, soy beans, nuts and seeds, dairy food such as yoghurt, cheese and milk. Other things travel with protein such as iron, zinc, vitamin b12. If you don't have enough protein you may find you get sick more often, or not be able to shake that cold. You may also miss out on many other important nutrients that travel with that group.

 

Fruit and vegetables are so varied, there are many different types. Each color provides us with different vitamins and minerals. This is why it is a good idea to have a range of different fruit and vegetables, so make sure you are not missing out on an important vitamin. These vitamins help metabolize food into energy for us to use.

 

Dairy food, milk, cheese, yoghurt, provides us with calcium, an important bone building ingredient, and protein. This is an important time of your life to lay down bone mass. While you are growing you need lots of calcium to form those new long bones, and make sure they are dense enough to let you run around. These types of foods also contain carbohydrate and protein, making them a well balanced snack.

 

Bottom line: Everyone is different, but everyone has things in common.
Every body needs these nutrients. So if you have an allergy, or there is something in a food group you can't eat, then you need to find another source to represent that food group and ensure you aren't missing out on anything important.

 

Ok enough science, let's snack!

Here's something delicious + will help you study (= get smarter). It's fun and easy to make; has all the ingredients to keep you focused; and is nut free, so you can take it to school. Winning.

 

 

 

Seedy Slice

 

140 g(4 cups) Special K

65gm (1/2 cup) sesame seeds

75gm (1/2 cup) pepitas

70gm (1/2 cup) sunflower seeds

100gm Dried cranberries

200gm sweetened condensed milk

 

STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl, mix, then add the condensed milk and stir until combined. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

 

STEP 2. Spoon mixture on to the baking tray. Cover with a layer of baking paper and press down firmly with a potato masher to press the slice flat. Remove the top layer of baking paper.

 

STEP 3. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 140 c and bake for another 8-10 minutes, until your slice is lightly golden around the edges.
Nb. It can turn too dark quickly so keep an eye on it!
It’s helpful to turn the tray after the first 7 minutes so it cooks evenly, as most ovens are a bit uneven in the way they cook. This can be a tricky maneuver so DO ask an adult for help. We like our slice cooked but not our Tweens..


You're now done! Eat. Share. EnJOY.

See you next time,
Robyn x