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Ingredients & Equipment
My cooking essentials
With healthy ingredients and the right equipment in your house, cooking well for a family becomes much simpler.
I use a set of staple ingredients to cook dishes that come together quickly and easily, because as well as health, time is my priority. As a working mum with three kids, I can't afford for dinner to be a grand affair every evening.
When eating with kids, presentation also goes a long way. When I started making my kids lunchboxes and experimenting with different forms of presenting food, I discovered how easy it is to make children eat things they wouldn't normally, if it looks fun. Having a variety of helpful equipment is a lifesaver.
Before making some of my recipes, learn more about my favorite ingredients and go-to equipment below.
Fruit
As most fruit is high in sugar I tend to use berries the most (raspberries, strawberries and blueberries most frequently). I tend to use them in frozen form as they aren’t in season for very long during the year (and it's cheaper to buy frozen). I also use them a lot in freeze-dried form which helps them not curdle with milk, they look pretty and the taste is concentrated and lovely! Mangos, pineapples and passionfruit are other favourites for colour and flavour.
Vegetables
I use a variety of vegetables but always try to use seasonal and local ingredients if and when I can. I never try to ‘hide' vegetables, but in certain recipes they can end up disguised. However, for me, the most important thing is to display them well on platters and in tasty recipes when you can, so that children learn to know, love and appreciate them.
Dairy Products
We eat a lot of kefir yoghurt, which is rich in probiotics, in desserts, lollies, in main courses like sour cream and as dips. I also cook with butter rather than oil as it is full of flavour and bone-building calcium, Vit A and D, and is not processed like oils that can be unhealthy. Cream cheese is a fantastic ingredient I use a lot. Children love its sweetness and creaminess, yet it is low in sugar and rich in vitamin A and riboflavin. I use it in pancakes, desserts, icings, wraps, samosas, canapés, dips and more. Strong grated cheddar is fab for enhancing eggs, vegetables and other dishes.
Fish & Seafood
I often cook with sardines, mackerel, prawns and salmon as they are quick to make yet packed with goodess. Sardines and mackerel are some of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. It can be hard to get them into kids but I’ve found ways around this! Prawns are fab rolled up in a rainbow wrap or in a seaweed fritter; this healthy seafood is packed with goodness and a rich source of many nutrients.
Meat
Meat is a major source of vitamins, minerals and nutrients which makes dinners interesting, fast to make and healthy. I use a variety of different types of meat including beef, pork, lamb and chicken. I cook with a variety of cuts; I often use mince and inexpensive cuts that are well-suited to slow cooking. My go-to recipes include individual mini casseroles, leftovers samosas, tacos, shakshuka, curries and more.
Eggs
We eat a lot of eggs! They are a very good source of inexpensive, high-quality protein as well as vitamin B2, selenium, vitamin D, B6, B12 and minerals such as zinc, iron and copper. Healthy soft pancakes, omelettes shaped into faces, soft boiled in soups or on platters, topped on sheet pan dinners, made into wraps, canapés, sugar-free custards or chocolate mousses... eggs are versatile and amazing!
Gelatin
I use organic grass-fed gelatin to make fun snacks and desserts that are gut healthy, rich in collagen, and one of the richest food source of the amino acid glycine. Moulds are a great way to have some fun with different shapes.
Dark Chocolate
When cooking sweet treats and baking I try to only use dark chocolate (80% plus) to reduce the overall sugar content. Mixed with cream and fruit, it tastes rich and delicious without spiking blood sugar levels. As with gelatin, moulds help create fun shapes that kids love.
Yumboxes
Yumboxes were the reason I started my Instagram account. They are an easy way to separate food for children and make a packed lunch colourful, fun and healthy; I have used them for years. Chop a few things from the fridge, add a few extra bits from the cupboards and a fun accessory or mini stick, and in minutes you have an interesting portable feast.
Lollies & Sticks
I often use plastic or silicone ice-cream and ice-lolly moulds to create cute frozen shapes and patterns. These mean that children will immediately love even plain yoghurt or any liquidised fruit. Kids also love most things on a stick, whether it’s a lamb kofta dipped in yoghurt or a chicken kebab stick with a dipping sauce.
Platters
Platters are such an easy way to make lots of healthy food look beautiful. Throw any seasonal ingredients on a platter; children love helping themselves and choosing what to eat. It can also help them try new things without being forced, as everything is in small quantities. Start with dips in the middle of a wooden board and fan round vegetables and cheese/cured meats and finish with herbs, nuts and olives or small ingredients.
Baking Trays
I use these not only for baking healthy muffins but also for serving snacks! Kids love a variety of things to help themselves to and these perfect little holes can be filled with anything you have in the fridge or cupboard. I find this to be a fun and novel way to serve a colourful snack or quick throw-together dinner.
Silicone Moulds
From frozen yoghurts to healthy chocolates, doughnuts, jellies, egg frittatas and healthy cakes, fun silicone moulds make most food fun! You can freeze things in them, bake in them or chill anything in them for a quick fun snack, meal or dessert.
Bottles & Jars
Serving nutrient-rich smoothies out of small bottles with straws can be a great way to get children to have vitamins. Meals served in a glasses can be fun, try rainbow layers, layered yoghurts with fruits and seeds or serve a variety of ‘sprinkles’ out of them for soups or omelettes.
Cookie Cutters
A quick stamp with a cookie cutter can transform a boring meal or lunchbox into an exciting new shape or learning experience! To cut cucumber into hearts, red pepper into stars, mango into flowers, sugar free jelly into rabbits or cheese into numbers you just need a few fun metal cutters.
Gelatin
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