Connecting with your child in the garden, in the kitchen and throughout the seasons. Last October at the Melbourne University’s Festival of Ideas I attended a keynote presentation called“Developing a Love of Seasonal Fresh Produce from Childhood”. The talk looked at kitchen gardens, children’s eating environments...
Fight the veggie battle with our new campaigns manager "I hate vegetables because they are not yummy" my three year old declared to me. I was torn between being proud that he’d expressed his dislike with more than "I don’t want to" and being terrified that...
Why your voice matters. It has been an amazing few weeks for parents, grandparents and concerned citizens who have been finding their voices on issues where healthy environments are being increasingly threatened by food, beverage and gambling companies. Here are a handful of those stories that...
It’s 3pm on a Sunday. My daughter is sitting at the computer, reading up on the stats from the latest Essendon match (she’s only eight but she’s a keen supporter). “Time for our walk,” I say. “A little bit later,” she replies not really meaning it. “Come on, it’ll...
Who would have thought that, when it comes to promoting high-sugar, high-kilojoule snacks, we need look no further than our allies in the health care system? There may be people who visit their local pharmacy to fill a prescription for chocolate bars, but I haven’t met...
A little ray of sunshine…. Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, muscles and in the prevention of osteoporosis. The sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the major cause of skin cancer and the best source of vitamin D; essential for strong bones and overall health. So how...
The perfect surprise for Mother's Day. My wife always says, “Don’t make a fuss on Mother’s Day”, mostly we don’t want to buy into the commercialism. Still, the girls always make her a card and buy a small gift at the school's fundraiser stall. The girls...
A teaching moment at breakfast! My 5 year old might soon be the spokesperson for 'people for porridge'. His teacher recently congratulated him for eating a breakfast with good sustaining energy without too much sugar and salt. She compared and highlighted the children’s healthiest breakfast choices,...
So here I am, writing my last post for The Parents’ Jury. It’s been an interesting two years and I have learnt so much. I’ve learnt parents who are delivering good healthy eating messages are being undermined and government and industry must be held to account...
What are NCDs? Non-Communicable Diseases, or heart disease, diabetes, cancers and lung diseases kill more people than any other cause worldwide - more than 36 million people each year. Most of these deaths occur in the world’s poorest communities and the worst part - the vast...