Food & Eating

We all know that fruit is full of vitamins and an important part of kids diets, but did you know that too much fruit (whether it's fresh fruit, fruit juices, dried fruit or canned fruit) can have a negative effect and contribute to problems such as cavities and erosion, especially if your kids are grazing on fruit all day?

Don’t sweat the small stuff when it comes to fussy eating! Understand that there will be times when your toddler is simply not hungry and that healthy snacks are as essential for young children as meals. Add variety to your child’s diet and encourage them to eat home-cooked foods. Check out these solutions to help your fusser eater on their way.

The hype around what we eat is nothing new with figures showing that a significant number of New Zealand kids are either overweight or obese. It is therefore important for us as parents and caregivers to encourage our children to eat healthily from a young age. Research provides clear evidence that the food habits and patterns children acquire in early childhood remain with them into adulthood.

Is your baby ready for solids? What signs do you need to look out for? Starting your baby on solid foods is a major (and very messy!) developmental milestone. Check out these handy tips.

Teach your kids some basic cooking and baking skills, and with a little patience, you could soon have your very own budding Master Chef in the family! Kids love to help out in the kitchen and being able to cook is a great skill for anyone to have.

How often do you sit down as a family to eat? It seems sitting down as a family to eat is a tradition that's dying fast! It does take organisation and commitment to have regular family meals together, but it seems the benefits are well worth it.

As parents we sometimes face the challenge of fussy eating, where our toddler or preschooler may love a particular food one day and then flat refuse it the next - for no apparent reason! By understanding some of the reasons behind their fussy eating, it might make life a little easier for all of you. Here are 10 things you need to know about fussy eating in toddlers and preschoolers.

Recent findings show that some of the cheaper baby bottles available on the New Zealand market have inaccurate measurements marked on the side of them, meaning that some babies maybe getting infant formula that’s too concentrated, which in turn could cause possible health issues.

Not sure where to start when it comes to serving party food for toddlers and preschoolers? Here are a few easy tips you can use next time your organising their birthday party.

Are you on the lookout for a highchair? It’s often difficult to know where to start! Our buying guide will help you find a highchair to suit your baby or toddler. From the different types of highchairs available to all those important things you'll need to consider when you're out shopping.

Not sure what size birthday cake you should order or buy for your kids birthday party? Check out our simple cake size guide to help determine what size cake you will need. The cake chart will show you at a glance how many portions/slices/pieces you will get out of a round and square cake to ensure there’s no wastage.

Looking for kids party food ideas? Check out these recipes that are cheap, quick and easy to make. From pizza shapes and sandwiches to fruit skewers, fairy bread, chocolate crackles, racing cars, jelly faces, lucky dips and strawberry mice. They’re sure to go down a treat!

A birthday party is just not a birthday party without a cake, candles and the singing of Happy Birthday. However birthday cakes can sometimes cause parents a lot stress and unnecessary worry. Check out these ideas to help ease the pressure when it comes to kids birthday cakes.

Kids party food needn’t cost the earth or take too long to make. So here are some tips on what you can do and what you can make with a little creativity and a limited budget. From the number of birthday party guests you invite to ensuring you have just enough food, plus ideas on budget conscious party food you can buy or make at home.

Are you inadvertently a helicopter feeder? Watching your baby or toddler closely as they eat? Following every spoonful they put into their mouth?

If you have young kids, one of the biggest challenges you may face is getting them to try new foods, particularly if they are fussy eaters. So how do you go about adding new foods to your kids menu, or get them to try something different when they flatly refuse?

Parents are often really frustrated by picky eating as it seems to defy logic. However, as parents we need to remember that we approach food in one way, whilst our picky eater approaches it in another. There is often a huge disconnect between how we look at things and how our children look at things, which can generate a lot of confusion and frustration.

Parents often wonder at what age young kids can learn to cook and start helping out in the kitchen. What is appropriate and what isn’t for them to do? Here is a list of tasks for young kids to help with in the kitchen which can be adapted to suit their age and range of skills.

OK a bit messy, but lots of fun! Make your own edible finger paint for your kids. It’s cheap to make and safe to use and if there’s any left over, store it in the fridge or freezer to use for another day.

Make your own bread paints and brighten up breakfast, lunch or snack time for your toddler or preschooler, by painting their bread in different colours and designs. Making bread paints is cheap and easy for even young kids to do too. Even fussy eaters won't be able to resist!

Get creative with these yummy and easy to make hand painted cookies or biscuits. Your kids will love decorating them and coming up with their own designs - if they don't all get eaten first!

Who doesn’t love cupcakes! A quick and easy basic cupcake recipe that’s perfect for birthday parties, afternoon tea or just because. The recipe can be used to make a cake or pour the mixture into muffin tins to make cupcakes. Easy enough for the kids to help out too!

Make your own hummus at home! Hummus is a healthy and tasty snack that’s easy to prepare and soft enough to not be a choking hazard for your baby or toddler when they eat it. It’s also a great source of complete protein, iron, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin E. Have a go at making our basic hummus recipe.

The whole family will love this cake from Popalicious! Delicious, easy to make & sure to impress!