I don't know about you, but the older my kids get, the busier we become as a family and the harder it is to get a meal on the table each night. When my kids were younger and I worked less, I used to put aside some time during the middle of the day to prep dinner (during the toddler years this might have been when they were taking a nap). Now that I work more and there's four lots of after school activities to manage, I find myself often starting dinner at night time. This means I need meals that come together quickly, taste great and also offer up plenty of nutrition. Bonus points if it's ..read more

I'm not one to brag but this strawberry milk is seriously good!!! It's the perfect way to use up those strawberries that you bought that went a bit soft before you had a chance to eat them.  Ingredients - For 2 strawberry milks approx. 1 punnet of strawberries 2 Tbs maple syrup Ice 400 ml cows milk or milk of choice   Directions: Cut tops off strawberries then place into a blender with 2 Tbs of maple syrup. Blitz until you have a smooth puree. Divide the puree between two tall glasses then add cubes of ice to each. Pour in your milk of choice and give a little swirl to create a prett ..read more

This recipe is part of my series "Easy Summer Dinners that can Double as Lunch Box Meals". Hot Australian Summer nights and busy work/school schedules really call for easy meals that you can preferably enjoy outdoors. This kofta recipe is probably the easiest meatball recipe you'll ever make, plus it includes lentils for a hit of plant based protein, fibre and of course a serve of veg! Send any left over meatballs in the lunchbox the next day (you can include the sauce in our mini snack pots).   Ingredients: For the meatballs: 500g low fat beef mince 1 tin brown lentils, washed and ..read more

 This recipe is part of my series "Easy Summer Dinners that can Double as Lunch Box Meals". Hot Australian Summer nights and busy work/school schedules really call for easy meals that you can preferably enjoy outdoors. This kid friendly take on a Banh Mi keeps things really easy by using chicken tenderloins which require next to no prep. Traditionally a Vietnamese Banh Mi would include pate, but I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I I suspect pate is not up most kid's alley (and if you have one of those rare unicorns that enjoys exotic flavours th ..read more

I'm all about easy Summer entertaining. After all who wants to spend Summer slaving away in the kitchen? This time with our kids is precious, so lets get out and enjoy it! And a reminder that food isn't always about nutrition. There's plenty of room in life for food to also be about fun, memories, hanging with family and deliciousness!!   You'll Need 2L of Vanilla ice cream (we used Blue Ribbon Classic Vanilla) 2 cups of crushed meringue pieces (store bought is fine) 2 cups of frozen raspberry pieces 3 Cadbury flake chocolates 2 packets of Arnott's Nice biscuits   Directions: Pl ..read more

As the weather warms, my go-to lunch favourite has to be a salad. Fattoush is a classic Lebanese salad that features a yummy toasted pita bread, alongside crisp lettuce, tomato and cucumbers, at their seasonal best during the summer. While there are countless variations, my take includes the satisfying addition of feta cheese (which with the additional of the carbs from the pita bread), makes it a more substantial meal rather than just a simple salad. For a more fulfilling lunch, consider adding a protein side like falafels, a boiled egg, yogurt, or a smooth ..read more

Oh my gosh these berry biscuit bars are moreish! In my humble opinion they're the perfect blend of yum with enough nutrition to make you feel good about packing them in the lunch box. Packed with fibre from the oats and berries, we've boosted the good fats with some added chia seeds, which also gives a boost to the zinc and calcium. Sweet but not too sweet, I think you're going to love these!!   Ingredients For the Base: 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick oats) 3/4 cup wholemeal plain flour 125g salted butter melted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/3 cup maple syrup   For the Filling: 4 cups o ..read more

  Ingredients -  Makes approx. 16 medium pieces 1 x 400g tin of  tuna in spring water, drained 2 cups finely grated zucchini (moisture squeezed out) 1 cup plain wholemeal flour  2 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup olive oil 5 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup pesto (store bought or try out nut free pesto for school) 1 red onion finely diced    Directions:  Heat oven to 180 degrees C (conventional) or 160 degrees C for fan forced. Line a rectangular baking tray with paper (approx 30cm x 25cm). Into a large mixing bowl add all ingredients together and seaso ..read more

As a dietitian, I'm always trying to enhance the nutritional content of meals and snacks. It doesn't take much tweaking of your baked goods to give a little boost to the nutrition, without compromising on taste.  Some ideas you can try with some of your favourite recipes include... ? Switch out white flours for some wholemeal and or rolled oats to boost not only the fibre but nutrients found in the husks of grains like B vitamins, zinc and magnesium. ? Keeping sugar in check by using the natural sweetness of fruits. ? Incorporating yogurt for added protein. Don't ov ..read more

  It doesn't take much to elevate a simple sandwich to something that offers a little more flavour and satisfaction. Chicken and pesto is a match made in heaven and this sandwich/roll filling works just as well fresh as toasted.  Ingredients BBQ rotisserie chicken, shredded Allow about 1 Tbs of my nut free pesto for school per person you're preparing the rolls for Rocket & baby spinach Thinly sliced mozzarella cheese 1 wholemeal roll, or bread of choice   Directions: Stir pesto through chicken. Layer roll with mozzarella, rocket and baby spinach and the chicken pesto mi ..read more