Educating our little ones on healthier choices

PROMOTING a healthy lifestyle can be difficult, when struggling to create exciting recipes and fit meal prep into busy schedules.

HEALTHY FOCUS: Aura-Rose and Tyler Spiteri making a healthy lunch. Picture: Brian Cassidy

PROMOTING a healthy lifestyle can be difficult, when struggling to create exciting recipes and fit meal prep into busy schedules.

Paisley Park Early Learning is dedicated to educating children and parents about making healthier choices and how the "garden to plate” concept can provide exciting and tasty options.

The daycare centre works with celebrity chef Miguel Maestre and a team of qualified chefs, to offer children a variety of meals that anyone would enjoy - from rice bowls and Italian minestrone soup to lemon curd tarts with coconut cream. To experience every stage of a healthy diet, the centre also encourages children to plant, grow and pick their food from the on-site herb garden.

Centre Director of the Bundaberg location, Marinah Keverkis sought to expand the initiative further, by offering free cooking classes to the local community every Monday morning.

"We have a huge obesity epidemic happening at the moment and we know that introducing healthy eating routines at a young age will follow children through to adulthood,” she said.

"We grow a lot of fruit and vegetables in the gardens and all ingredients, like sauces and bread are made by our chef from scratch, so we know exactly what goes into our food.”

Ms Keverkis came up with the idea after parents requested recipes of the meals provided at the centre and wanted to demonstrate how this food can assist with the mental and physical development of a child.

Paisley Park are passionate about giving back to the community so the complimentary classes are offered to all members of the community, even if their children are not enrolled.