News

This month we continue exploring how to market healthy food to kids with a focus on quality and variety. Click here to read the first installment of our marketing and promotion series.   Getting your product mix right is about …

  SERVES 4 PREP & COOK TIME 45 MINUTES  Ingredients: 2 cups red lentils 2 tablespoons of oil 1 onion, finely sliced ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes (more if wanted) 1 teaspoon of brown mustard seeds ½ teaspoon ground turmeric …

  Vegetables and fruits are important for growing children and teenagers. Unfortunately Australians are not eating enough fruits and vegetables.  Sometimes access to fresh fruit and vegetables can be challenging however there are some tricks to get a variety of …

Did you know that the recent Australian Health Survey (ABS) found that 51% of teenage males had consumed soft drink on the day before their interview.   Drinking energy drinks and soft drinks regularly may seem appealing to the ‘risk taker …

preparation time 1 hour Ingredients: 2 cups of self-raising wholemeal flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup pitted dates, chopped ½ cup of bran cereal 1 ¼ cup of skim milk 2 whole …

In our work with school tuckshops, we have seen that those making a healthy profit from selling healthy foods are doing this by applying marketing principles in their tuckshop. They are letting students and teachers know what is available by …

The Food Foundations program has recently introduced the Magnificent Menu award. This accolade is awarded to settings who complete a menu assessment with the Food Foundations program and meet the minimum serves for the five food groups for children while in …

Many ancient civilisations have relied on grain foods for nourishment.  While the Chinese were eating rice, the Babylonians and Assyrians were eating wheat and barley and in Central and South America they were using maize.  Today we have access to …

Dr Sandra McMahon – Speech Pathologist, PhD, Director SpeechNet Speech Pathology Dr Sandra McMahon has over 15 years clinical and research experience in the areas of early communication and feeding development in infants and children. Her interest and passion in regard to …

Good nutrition assists in the maintenance of independence and supports the overall health and wellbeing of residents.  Despite the value placed on good nutrition, the prevalence of malnutrition in the aged care setting is alarmingly high. Australian studies show a …

  New Australian Physical Activity Guidelines were released on the 7th of February this year.  The new guidelines place a greater emphasis on highlighting the importance of a variety of aerobic and other exercise.  There is also a much greater …

Parent orientation events are the perfect opportunity to provide information to future parents on food supply in your school and the importance of healthy eating for productive learning and good behaviour.   You may like to use these resources at …

Sesame seeds are tiny, flat oval seeds with a nutty taste and a delicate, almost invisible crunch. Although sesame seeds are classified as seeds and not nuts, the proteins in sesame seeds may resemble proteins in certain nuts and may …

Osteoporosis is a condition that leaves bones fragile and at higher risk of fracture than in normal bone. Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more rapidly than the body can replace them resulting in a sparse, mesh-like …

QUT Ethics Approval Number 1300000625 We are writing to invite your ECEC service to participate in a survey for the new LEAPS (Learning, Eating, Active Play, Sleep) project that is being run by Queensland University of Technology, NAQ Nutrition and …

Does your menu provide children with the recommended number of serves from the 5 food groups each and every day? Is it consistent with the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Australian Government guidelines Get Up & Grow? Food Foundations …

Dietary fibre is found in the parts of plants that cannot be digested. Fibre plays a role in keeping the bowel healthy by aiding in the elimination of waste efficiently and regularly. Maintaining bowel health is important as it can …

WINNERS OF THE NATIONAL NUTRITION WEEK FOOD SMART SCHOOLS COMPETITIONS    As part of the Nutrition Week 2013 activities students were invited by NAQ Nutrition to take part in two “design” competitions. All schools that completed these activities to promote …

We would like to give you ideas about how easy it is to make and enjoy delicious Christmas style recipes and snacks and still keep up the healthy eating habits. There are plenty of Christmas style recipes that use the …

We would like to give you ideas about how easy it is to make and enjoy delicious Christmas style recipes and snacks and still keep up the healthy eating habits. There are plenty of Christmas style recipes that use the …

Dehydration is a significant issue amongst the elderly, is under-diagnosed, and can often go unnoticed. The consequences of dehydration, however, can be serious. For those working with the elderly, it’s important to understand: why the elderly have a greater risk …

Did you know that inadequate cooking was found to be the cause of more than a quarter of all food poisoning outbreaks between 1980 and 1995? Food must be cooked to a high enough temperature to destroy most bacteria and …

LAST CHANCE! The Nutrition Week Competition has been extended until the 15 November. Get your entries into NAQ Nutrition to have the chance to win some of the great prizes on offer. Each class where students submit an entry (Activities …

Healthy lunchboxes play a role in developing lifelong healthy eating habits.     Healthy lunches and lunchboxes can help develop an understanding of: The importance of eating a variety of whole foods The relationship between food, growth and development and which foods …

 Did you know that inadequate cooking was found to be the cause of more than a quarter of all food poisoning outbreaks between 1980 and 1995? Food must be cooked to a high enough temperature to destroy most bacteria and …

This week, we look at the lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legume/beans group. This group is a good source of many nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc, and other vitamins.  Nuts and seeds can also …

Homemade vs. commercial products A wide range of commercial baby foods are now available in stores across Australia, targeting parents and carers. These products were the spotlight of media articles recently, which reported findings from UK research on the nutritional …

Lean Meats update from the new Dietary Guidelines This week, we look at the lean meats and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts and seeds and legume/beans group. This group is a good source of many nutrients, including protein, iron, zinc, …

EAT FOR HEALTH – THE NEW AUSTRALIAN DIETARY GUIDELINES AND AUSTRALIAN GUIDE TO HEALTHY EATING FOR SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN  And it continues……….for those who have been following our e-newsletters this year, we have been providing you with and in depth …

Vegetable based dips make a healthy snack choice and can be used as a spread on sanwiches and wraps. It should come as no surprise that dips top the list of the perfect party food. They are fun to eat  and  simple and …

Grain (cereal foods), mostly wholegrain and /or high cereal fibre varieties such as breads, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, polenta, cous cous, oats, quinoa, and barley   More specifically, this group includes; Breads – wholemeal, wholegrain, white, rye, pita, lavash, naan, foccacia, …

There are a number of food safety hazards to consider with eggs and there are some strategies you can use to minimise risk and keep food safe: –          The outside of egg is easily contaminated with micro-organisms that can cause …

There is a wide variety of fruit available in Australia. The main distinguishing nutrients in fruit are vitamin c and dietary fibre, with smaller amounts of carbohydrates, folate, beta-carotene and potassium. Edible skins are especially high in fibre; however fibre …

A recent query from one of our members was around wearing gloves when feeding an infant expressed breast milk. Due to breast milk being classified as a bodily fluid, there are some confusing messages out there around this practice – …

Healthy Eating for 1 – 5 years By providing your child with the recommended amounts from the Five Food Groups and limiting the food’s that are high in saturated fat, added sugars, and added salt; they will get enough of …

Have you ever walked down the breakfast cereal aisle in the supermarket and wondered which cereal to choose? Gone are the days when cereals were just cornflakes, oats, rice bubbles and coco pops. Now there is an endless variety of brands, flavours …

We have come across a few of our NOSHC subscribers who are starting to use online grocery shopping as a means to get their food delivered to their setting. For those settings who can easily access this service, it can …