Suze shares her key takeaways from a fun evening in Zug:

I always enjoy meeting other ex-pats living in Switzerland, hearing their stories of how they came to live here, and particularly how other parents manage the challenges of raising a family in a country far from their homeland without the broader support network of relatives.  Soon after becoming a parent two years ago I found out about the International Mums and Kids Club of Zug. It struck me as a great idea – for both the parents and children to develop friendships and help build that crucial local support network.

So I was looking forward to meeting some of the Club’s members during an event hosted by our very own Connie –  a nutritionist, chef and co-founder of healthy sauces start-up “Connie’s Kitchen” – and an (Austrian) ex-pat.

 Connie’s Main Messages for Healthy Family Eating:

Connie focused on the practicalities of how to navigate mealtimes with young children.  For me, the overall key messages were:

-  VARIETY is important to introduce children to a wide selection of tastes and textures in food. So be adventurous and  don’t be hesitant to introduce children right from the beginning to spices and herbs.

-  PLAN AHEAD for the week ahead so that we have the ingredients available to create healthy choices.

-  BATCH COOKING saves a lot of time – for example, cook enough rice for two or three meals and create different meals from this one ingredient.     

-  Be a ROLE MODEL for children – they are watching what we eat and taking cues from us.

Connie’s Ideas to pack in more Nutrition & Tips for Fussy Eaters:

-  For children who are reluctant to eat a certain vegetables, consider cooking it in a different way, or offer it raw and cut it in different fun shapes. 

- Dress your veggies up! Your kids are more likely to try and accept a vegetable if it is served with a sauce they know and like (creamy dressings and healthy ketchup work well for Connie)

- Keep the skin on most fruits and vegetables as the peels are packed with beneficial nutrients, fibre and antioxidants. Just wash them thoroughly – If possible buy local, seasonal and organic produce.

-  Introduce a new vegetables to children regularly, and be patient if they reject it initially – it may take up numerous attempts for them to accept it.

- Frozen natural foods are of high quality. Stock up on e.g. spinach, peas, berries, meat, fish. Defrosting Meat and Fish in the fridge over night is ideal. For example, natural yoghurt with frozen berries can be enjoyed all year round (when the berries are not in season) and are a great way to boost calcium in a child’s diet.  

- Let kids serve themselves at the table and also offer foods that can be assembled by themselves (e.g. tortillas).

Connie’s Healthy Food Creations

While enjoying some Prosecco and chatting to the Club’s members, Connie showed us some healthy meal and snacks that the whole family will enjoy:

-  Cauliflower fritters make an ideal healthy on-the-go meal. 

-  Koshari was a big dish of lentils and rice served with a tomato sauce and yoghurt – it was delicious and flavoursome and I could imagine making a big batch of that for when friends visit.

-  “Connie’s nuts about seeds” bars were packed with healthy nuts and seeds – a great way to get some essential fats, fibre and protein.

These are just some of the tips and tricks that Connie shared with us.  It was also great to hear other ex-pat parents share their experiences, and how they had adapted their eating habits in a new country. 

I left the evening feeling inspired to be more adventurous with preparing my family’s meals to not only be more nutritious and flavoursome, but also to create happy memories at the dinner table. 

Suze

All recipes can be found here on the Connie's Kitchen website: https://connieskitchen.ch/blogs/recipes