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It’s no wonder obesity rates are exploding with lots of take away food places only offering up-front highly processed, fatty, salty deep-fried food which requires minimal preparation and can be kept in a bain-marie for hours. So, how do we make healthier take away breakfast choices and create healthier options when there’s not much to choose from?

Depending on the place you’re eating at, you can often get something palatable and healthier for you, all you have to do is ask. So, if you’re in a situation where finding a healthy breakfast seems like mission impossible, don’t give up, if you’re committed there are solutions.

Try asking for avocado, grilled tomato and a piece of toast – foods even the greasiest of greasy spoons always have – this may not be the ultimate in breakfasts, but it is still reasonably healthy for you. With a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates and fats this is guaranteed to please the most ardent eater while avoiding deep frying or consuming processed foods.

There are also plenty of options when it comes to having eggs, poached are the healthiest as this avoids frying in butter or oil.

Finally, you don’t necessarily need to head to the large branded fast food franchises for breakfast, rather than put yourself in a situation of not having any healthy breakfast options, try going to your local take away shop or café and you’ll be surprised with what is available

With more and more parents experiencing fussy eating issues with their children, maybe it’s time for parents to take control.

Nowadays the dinner table resembles an a la carte restaurant, whereby the parent will prepare different meals for every child including their spouse.

While this may be viewed as achieving a positive outcome for the children as they are eating their preferred diet, it has led to a situation whereby the kids at dictating what they’re actually eating.

I’ll be very surprised if the children’s special dietary requests included green vegetables and fruit.

Ultimately the parents need to take some ownership of teaching their kids to eat particular foods that may be not to their satisfaction. A recent study by the University of California, San Diego, found that children that experienced the fussy eating syndrome were linked to weight gain and conversely fussy children become fussy eating adults.

While the children may experience genuine allergies to certain food types, parents need to take control of the children’s nutrition is not vice versa.

Part of the process involves the parents educating the children about correct nutrition, what they should be eating and the frequency.

Well I may be saying what my parents used to say to me, but “when I was a kid” my mum exclusively cooked meals from scratch, not relying on any processed ingredients or pre-made food.

While granted some of the meals may have fallen into the high rotational production lists, it did teach me the basics of nutrition in a wide variety of foods.

Not taking the easier option of only eating what satisfied my taste buds established life long eating habits.

As an adult I find that I’m just as comfortable eating a bowl of steamed vegetables as I am eating an exquisite meal in a fine dining restaurant.

I had an interesting experience talking to a couple gentlemen at a conference yesterday about the need to add lots of sugar to thire coffee, while I myself was not squeaky clean in this department, I decided many years ago to stop adding sugar to my coffee.

Initially I found that the coffee was not as palatable, in time I learnt to appreciate the flavors and textures of the coffee without being tarnished or influenced by the sweetness of sugar.

Conversely now if I consume coffee with 3 to 4 sugars, I find it hideously sickening, the idea being is that our taste buds to adapt as too they adapt as a young adult.

If you learn to eat all those undesirable vegetables and other food groups as a child, in time to gain an appreciation for food and are less likely to be very discerning with your food consumption.

While there additional pressures on parents these days with high mortgages long working days and less time for family life, what the family eats as a whole needs to be addressed.

Looking for a healthy alternative? Well why not try an organic food box.

With many providers now supplying organic fruit and vegetable boxes, there is no excuse for not having the time to get to your local green grocer – because now you don’t have to.

While supermarkets are getting onto the organic bandwagon, this alternative not only supports local growers but reduces the food miles that pile up getting the produce from the farmer’s door to you.

With many options available, ranging from delivering farm produce to your home to organic fruit and vegetable boxes delivered to nominated drop off points, you have the opportunity to enjoy this great food.

I’ve gone with CERES who only supply fruit and vegetables that are in season. This not only cuts down on carbon emissions from cool room storage but gives you a much more earthy produce

For example, with the snow peas the texture and imperfections in the husk really stood out. When compared to conventional snow peas, these organic peas look more natural, being far from perfect but more aligned with how nature intended them to look and feel.

There was also a significantly improved taste difference and, most importantly, numerous studies also show they have a higher nutrient composition and density in comparison to more popular commercially grown varieties.

But lets not forget the orange. While it may look like a mutant from mars, it would have to rate as one of the tastiest oranges I have ever consumed. Yes a very big call!

The great thing about receiving a variety of fruit and vegetables is trying out something that we normally would not consume, mmmmm, turnips.

Finally, while I was camping over the weekend, settled in the fresh air and peaceful surroundings of a local creek, I cooked a very yummy stir fry using all the remaining vegies including asparagus, mushrooms, turnips, coriander, cauliflower and onions with a little soy and sesame sauce, very yummy indeed.

So try out an organic food box today!

A restaurant near Seymour is growing its own vegetables and herbs and raising chickens for the eggs. The great thing about growing your own is that not only is it good for the environment and making tasty dishes, but it actually saves you money.

As vegetables continue to increase in price, growing your own is the ultimate way of saving some dollars while getting organic produce fresh from the garden. The flavours and nutrients are at their highest levels and the taste is quite overwhelming when compared to supermarkets vegies that have been sitting in a cool room or spending time being transported by truck.

Bruce and Lindy at the Wool Shed Cafe have a plentiful supply of vegetables, depending on what’s in season. During summer for example, they have fresh capsicums, tomatoes, cucumbers and beans and the excess is preserved in their delicious chutneys and pickles.

The great thing about Bruce and Lindy’s garden is their use of permaculture. Food scraps are fed to the chickens or mulched for reuse in the garden, while the chicken poo makes fantastic manure.
The other part of the equation is the gardening itself – its good exercise! Digging, planting, tilling the soil, weeding, composting are all great activities that require you to expend energy.
So, if you have the space, even a small pot for some herbs, start to grow your own you can create your own vegetable patch with only one square metre of space.

Even in the movies it’s becoming hip to become self sufficient, the restaurant owner in “The kids are all right” have their own vegetable patch – see it and be inspired!

Even in the movies it’s becoming hip to become self sufficient with the restaurant owner having their own vegetable patch in “The kids are all right”

While staying with friends recently, I was treated to some good old-fashioned homegrown veggies. Nothing quite beats the freshness, taste and goodness of vegetables grown in your own backyard.

While this backyard was much larger than your average size house block, it shows what is possible without using chemicals. Rain water irrigation and food scrap mulching contributes to these super healthy spinach, beetroot and silverbeets.
And the scent of fresh vegetables can’t be beaten, as you walk through the garden you experience natures bouquet, something that is missing from the supermarket fruit and vegetable department.

With the summer crop of corn, broccoli and tomatoes just finishing, my friends were kept busy preserving any excess vegetables.

It harks back to our grandparent’s era when they enjoyed a less hectic lifestyle and had more time to spend gardening, which apart from producing great food also has other benefits such as stress relief, physical exercise, leaving a smaller carbon imprint and self sufficiency.

There is a sense of immense satisfaction knowing that the food on the table is produced from your very own garden plus it taste super yummy. This spinach, parsley and parmesan cheese was easy to prepare, very healthy and best of all it’s from the garden.

Feeling inspired? If you need some help building your own vegetable garden, Sustainable Gardening Australia have some great step by step instructions on getting started.