Well, well, well. The good news is that Pete Evans’ new cookbook doesn’t encourage parents to replace breastmilk or infant formula with bone broth. The bad news is that it warns readers “not to use tap water (unless you have a well)”.
Chef and cookbook author Pete Evans. Credit: Instagram
Ten years ago, publisher Pan Macmillan said it would no longer publish the paleo diet book by the former My Kitchen Rules host that contained a baby formula based on liver and bone broth.
Back then the federal Health Department said the book’s recipes for home-made infant formula were “not a suitable alternative” to infant formula that complied with food standards.
Fast-forward to 2025. Evans is making hay in Donald Trump’s America, much like former PM Scott Morrison, billionaire Gina Rinehart and nude golfer Greg Norman. In fact, the MAGA-hat enthusiast recently attended an evening with Trump and enthusiastic maker of children Elon Musk, at Mar-a-Lago.
Evans’ new cookbook, Healthy Food for Healthy Kids, is published by a charity chaired by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the vaccine sceptic recently appointed US secretary of health. The book isn’t widely distributed in Australia, but CBD was intrigued by the promise of baby food recipes including “comforting and nourishing broths for delicate tummies”.
Evans poses with Robert F. Kennedy Jr in 2020.
The Health Department has confirmed the new book contains no homemade infant formula recipes and acknowledges commercial infant formula is the only suitable alternative to breastmilk. Tick.
Now to the matter of water. The book advises not to “use tap water (unless you have a well), as it’s filled with metals that accumulate when heated. You don’t want the heavy metals and fluoride. Remember it’s our job to protect our little ones from toxins.”
It’s true that Australians are advised to boil and cool tap water for babies aged up to 12 months.
But water expert Dr Erin O’Donnell says it’s much safer to drink water from your tap than from any private well in major Australian cities. “The water that comes out of your tap is monitored stringently to confirm it is safe in major urban centres,” she says. “If you live in a capital city in Australia, drink the tap water.”
Hold your horses
Victoria Police thought it could only be onto a good thing when it issued a media alert inviting the local press corps out to Axedale, east of Bendigo, for a media conference on Thursday to highlight the dastardly crime to befall Rosie, an adored black and white Gypsy cob mare reportedly stolen overnight on Monday.
Cue a cavalcade of outraged media reports.
“Heathcote police are investigating the theft of a much-beloved disability-support horse from Axedale this week,” reported Mirage News.
Therapy horse Rosie was reportedly stolen. But was she really?
“Rosie has helped over 100 children with disabilities as a therapy horse over the past two years. The mild-mannered equestrian is valued at $40,000 but means even more to the young children who ride her.”
“Callous thieves steal Rosie the disability support horse,” The Nightly reported.
Our fellow outlet 9News.com.au also ran a story. But just before midday, came the sheepish police update.
“Please be advised this media opportunity has been cancelled,” wrote the police (emphasis all theirs).
“Investigators have located the horse and further information has come to light revealing it had not been stolen. This is no longer a police incident and we won’t be facilitating further media on the matter. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
As one of our colleagues noted, it looks like someone had a mum look and found Rosie. But how easy is it for a horse to hide?
However, the truth, straight from the horse’s mouth, is even stranger than fiction. Sources say Rosie is a “well-known horse in the area” and subject to a local neighbourhood custody dispute.
Don’t believe the naysayers. Police are now convinced that, rather than being stolen, she is back with her rightful owner.
Senator for something
Next Tuesday, the eyes of the entire political establishment will be laser-focused on Canberra, where Treasurer Jim Chalmers will deliver his pre-election budget.
Senator Ralph Babet. Credit: Oscar Colman
But Clive Palmer’s $110 million Victorian senator, Ralph Babet, won’t be in Parliament House. Instead the senator will be some 400 kilometres away. What could possibly drag him so far from Canberra on the national capital’s night of nights, we hear you ask?
Well, we have an answer for you. Babet will be in Newcastle hosting an event tailored to his and Palmer’s right-wing base. He’ll be MC for the 2025 edition of the Australian Freedom Conference, which prominent US right-wing personality Tucker Carlson will be beaming into. Fellow traveller, political commentator and filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza will also join via stream from the States.
Last year, Palmer managed to lure Carlson to Australia. This time, he’s hoping a video feed of Tucker, who can be watched free on X, will be enough to get local fans to cough up $45 for events in Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. He’s even spruiking the events in huge ads in mastheads such as ours.
“It should be a great night. People are ready for change,” Babet said of Tuesday’s event.
He had no worries about missing the Chalmers show, leaving a few minions to endure Canberra in his stead.
“My team will be in budget lock-up and reporting back to me what they find. I expect it will not be great,” Babet told CBD.
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