“Just GetStarted”

The

by Belinda SmithGUIDE

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Hello, beautiful reader! As promised, here is my special bonus for you, my “Just Get Started Guide”. It contains 5 of my favourite recipes, plus my go-to

wellness websites and apps.

Wow, choosing my favourite recipes, websites and Apps was hard! Why? Well, because I want to make this path to packing more real food into lunchboxes as easy as it can be for you.

I want to share with you everything I have learnt in the past 6 years since starting my own journey, plus include the learnings I have gained from meeting and empowering over 10,000 kids and parents since travelling Australia on our mission to Transform Children’s Health.

There is so much information to share, so trying to filter that down to 5 recipes, Wellness Sites and Apps has been tough!

Please remember, these are my personal preferences. Try them out for yourself and on your family. In terms of the recipes, I have chosen them because of ease of making, whether the kids can easily help, and because they get eaten. If you’re in doubt about whether your family will eat them, try them at home before putting them in the lunchbox.

Remember where you are at right now is totally perfect. Go with introducing foods that will work for your family. You’re moving forward, and that’s all you need to be doing.

Enjoy! Love Bel. xo

SOME NOTES ABOUT MY FAVOURITE RECIPES, WEB SITES AND APPS

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EMPOWERING KIDS TO MAKE BETTER

FOOD CHOICES

If we empower our kids with great food knowledge , and tastebuds that appreciate real food , they will take these skills into adulthood. And you will have given

them the biggest gift , that will last a lifetime!

I believe our job as parents today is made so much harder by the marketing of packaged ‘food’. I use this term ‘food’ loosely because much of this should not be considered food. It’s made in a laboratory first, then a manufacturing or processing plant, with the main motivation being for the profit that comes from it. Wouldn’t you agree?

How many of you have been at the hands of a child having a tantrum in the supermarket because they want something they have seen on TV? Or how many of you have had your child ask for something they have seen advertised at a bus stop?

It is our job to try to teach our kids that these ‘foods’ aren’t really foods. Why? They do little to add to their health and in a lot of cases, they actually take away from their health. But, we all know getting this message across to our children is sometimes difficult. They like to have a debate about it. You say No, they want it to be Yes.

Why is it, another parent can tell them the same message you want them to hear, and they will suddenly listen? Answer: The parent-child power struggle. Have you experienced this?

This is why I have created The Mad Food Science™ Program for schools and community organisations; to eliminate this power struggle, and help children take responsibility for what they eat. To learn more about this program, click here.

It’s also why, in The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System™ eCourse, I teach how to get your kids more involved in packing their own healthy lunchboxes, and even how you can get them a little more involved in the kitchen too. For more details, and to enrol in this course, click here.

THESE PHOTOS TAKEN AT A MAD FOOD

SCIENCE™ WORKSHOP IN ACTION AT A

PRIMARY SCHOOL. I BELIEVE EDUCATING

OUR CHILDREN IS THE KEY TO MAKING

OUR JOBS AS PARENTS EASIER.

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OAT MUESLI ROUNDSPAGE 5

NAN’S BUTTER BISCUITSPAGE 6

PIKELETSPAGE 7

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNAISE MUFFINSPAGE 8

CHICKEN DRUMMERSPAGE 9

LUNCHBOX RECIPES

My Favourite

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup plain / GF plain flour

1 tspn baking powder

½ tspn bicarb soda

½ cup rapadura or raw sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1 tblspn raw honey

150g butter

2 handfuls organic raisons

Did you know the muesli bars you buy from supermarkets contain lots of sugars, additives and preservatives? One big-name brand has 27 ingredients, including 5 different types of sugars - not to mention the additives and preservatives! These are NOT good for your health.

Oat Muesli Rounds

This was the first snack replacement recipe I introduced to my kids. They both love it. I love it because it’s so simple. I now make it using even healthier alternatives for some ingredients, but this recipe has been adapted from Fed Up and is a great introduction to phasing out packaged muesli bars. Check Fed Up for great additive and preservative free recipes.

METHOD1. Cover & soak (5 - 10 mins) raisons with water, then drain.2. Pre-heat oven 180 degrees.3. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, and stir the raisons through.4. Melt butter and stir in honey until combined.5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.6. Press firmly into mini muffin tray and bake for 20 mins or until just brown (you

could also use a slice tin as well).7. Leave to cool before removing from the tray. I use silicon muffin trays and they

pop out easily. If you use a slice tin, slice it in the pan whilst it is hot - if you leave it to cool, it will crumble like mad.

TIPS• This recipe freezes well and makes about 24-30 rounds. So much cheaper than

store bought bars!• Cut this into good sized squares or rectangles - whatever takes your fancy.

ANOTHER 2 WAYS TO USE THIS RECIPE• Add a mashed banana, roll into balls, then flatten to make a biscuit.• Add extras to boost slice eg. coconut, choc chips, pepitas, sunflower seeds.

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INGREDIENTS

175g softened butter

65g rapadura or raw sugar

1 tspn vanilla extract

230g plain or gluten-free plain

flour

70g seed & sultana mix or

cranberries & sunflower seeds

This recipe is one of my Nan’s, so it’s an oldie but it’s a goodie. It does have quite a bit of sugar in it, but at least because you’re making it yourself - You know there are no additives and preservatives in it.

Nan's Butter Biscuits

If your child is used to having a ‘sugary’ biscuit of some sort in their lunchbox, this is a good alternative. It’s melts in your mouth and you can taste the sweetness. Over time, you can gradually reduce the sugar content without your family noticing. If your’e up for a refined sugar free version, check out my Yummy Banana Butter Biscuits.

METHOD1. Mix butter, sugar and vanilla. You can do this in your food processor or with a

mixer. It doesn’t have to be super creamy.2. Stir / mix in the flour.3. Stir through your seeds (or choc chips etc) – this should be like a dough now.4. Split the dough in half, and place one half on glad wrap or baking paper. Roll

into a log - do this for the other half too.5. Put dough in Fridge for 1 hour.6. After the 1 hour, heat oven to 180 degrees.7. Slice each log into rounds about 1 cm thick.8. Place on lined baking tray.9. Bake for 12-15 minutes.10. Cool on the tray.

TIPS• At step 5, you can freeze the dough. I usually cook one log and freeze the other.• Store biscuits in a glass jar. They will store for the week.

ANOTHER 2 WAYS TO USE THIS RECIPE• Add choc chips or nuts for an outside of school snack.• Add 1-2 tablespoons of cacao powder at step 2 for a chocolate flavour.

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup GF plain flour or

wholemeal flour

2 tspns baking powder

vGood dash cinnamon (optional)

2 eggs (or egg substitute)

1 tblspn Rice Malt Syrup

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 cup coconut milk or milk of your

choice

1/4 cup of water

Pikelets

This recipe makes a batch of about 30 pikelets depending upon the size you make them. I like to use an ice cream scoop half full to get similar sized pikelets.

METHOD1. Mix all dry ingredients together (whisk in a bowl, or shake in a big jar)2. Add rice malt syrup, eggs, milk and water to the flour mix3. Whisk until combined or shake until all combined (don’t over whisk or over shake)4. Heat a frying pan over high heat5. Grease well with olive oil spray or coconut oil6. Pour a small amounts into the pan to make the pikelets - about 8cm in diameter.

If you want to be more precise, use something like an icecream scoop to scoop out batter - this will ensure consistent sizing of the pikelets.

7. Turn heat down a little. As the pikelets bubble and pop, flip the pikelet over and cook the other side

8. All to cool on a plate

FREEZING / STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS• Store 2 pikelets in individual zip lock bags (once they’ve stopped steaming) and

freeze. • Alternatively, you can put baking paper in between each set of two pikelets, and

then freeze them in one bag.

ANOTHER 2 WAYS TO USE THIS RECIPE• Make big pancakes and wrap up a banana & honey • Make this savoury by dropping the rice malt syrup. Add dash of salt and pepper.

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INGREDIENTS

1 cup of your bolognaise sauce

(Note: if you use a bottled sauce

I will teach you in the e-course

how to read the label to check

for additives & preservatives)

1 cup of spaghetti noodles – use

your kitchen scissors to cut the

strips roughly into smaller pieces

1 cup grated tasty cheese

1 egg beaten

1 tablespoon chia seed (optional)

Spaghetti Bolognaise Muffins

I love making a big batch of spaghetti bolognaise sauce. It’s so versatile. You can make so many dishes from it. You’ll fast learn in the 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System eCourse, that’s the way I roll. One lot of ingredients which you can use multiple ways. Anyway, these muffins are a great way to use up left over spaghetti bol from dinner.

Pop these in the oven after you’ve finished dinner. Then put them in the fridge and pull them out the next day for the lunchbox. Too easy!

METHOD1. Pre-heat oven 180 degrees and grease a muffin tray.2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.3. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the muffin mix – I put mine in paper cases

but you could easily just put them in your muffin tray.4. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They should be firm to touch.

TIPS• This makes about 12. Our kids love these and actually eat them for breakfast too. • Could be frozen but I usually make them on the Sunday then pop them in either

Monday or Tuesday’s lunchbox so they are still fresh.

ANOTHER 2 WAYS TO USE THIS RECIPE• Throw some baby spinach into the mixture. If your children aren’t into seeing big

bits of green, just shred the spinach.• Layer the muffin tray holes with bacon first, and then spoon mixture onto top.

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INGREDIENTS

1 kilo chicken drummers or

wingettes

¼ cup raw honey or rice malt

syrup

½ cup tamari (gluten free soy

sauce)

1 clove garlic crushed

1 lemon juiced

Chicken Drummers

If your child loves to run around at lunch time, and eating is not high on the priority, then this finger food is perfect. Easy for them to eat so they can run off and play.

Our whole family oves these. I have a hard time making them and keeping them aside for school lunches because the kids want to eat them - like now!

METHOD1. Mix the honey, tamari, garlic & lemon.2. Pour over the chicken.3. Marinate in fridge for 1 hour. (can skip this if you don’t have time)4. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees.5. Take chicken out of marinade and put in baking pan.6. Bake for about 1 hour – turn a couple of times throughout.

TIPS• Keep in fridge and best eaten in about 2 days.• Pack some wet wipes to make it easy for them to clean their fingers. This will save

time for them having to run to the toilet to wash their hands.

ANOTHER 2 WAYS TO USE THIS RECIPE• Serve on a bed of lettuce with cherry tomatoes.• Take the flesh off the bones, and mix through some brown rice with tomatoes

and other salad vegetables your child likes, or even put the flesh on a sandwich.

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FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK / FED UPhttp://fedup.com.au/I personally think Sue Dengate, author of Fed Up and founder of the Food Intolerance Network, is the God Mother of research into food additives and preservatives. She has been at the forefront of bringing additives and preservatives to our attention for so many years. My mother-in-law even used Sue Dengate’s materials when her (now adult) kids were young. This isn’t the prettiest of websites, but there’s loads of real life stories to highlight how additive and preservatives can affect us. It’s also packed with loads of interesting articles, failsafe recipes, shopping lists and more. ADDITIVE FREE PANTRYhttp://www.additivefreepantry.com/ If Sue Dengate is the God Mother of research into additives and preservatives, then Tanya Winfield is what I term the New-Age Mother of additives and preservatives. Tanya does the most incredible product comparisons of ‘food’ that gets marketed to us as a convenience, or is packaged in a way that makes our children want it. I am honoured to have Tanya as an Expert Contributor for The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System™ eCourse. Tanya will shares scary insights into some snacks which commonly make their way into lunchboxes.

LOW TOX LIFE WITH ALEXX STUARThttps://www.lowtoxlife.com/Alexx posts the most beautiful recipes but she is most well known for her incredible knowledge on the toxins which have crept into our everyday life. With our skin being our biggest organ, many of us do not think about the products we are putting on our skin, hair, nails, etc - or even those that we are breathing in. Alexx is down to earth and straight to the point. I love her style. I was beyond stoked when Alexx agreed to be an Expert Contributor for The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System™ eCourse. Alexx shares what we need to look out for toxin-wise when buying lunchbox tools.

BROWSE, BUT DON’T OBSESS!It is very easy to get lost in the world of the internet when you find something interesting. Set yourself a timer for how long you can spare to enjoy these sites (maybe visit one at a time), and when the timer goes off - it’s time to stop. Reward yourself another time, another day. I do this for myself because I get lost in my research. The practice of setting a timer also shows your kids you have screen time limits too.

LUNCHBOX RECIPES

My Favourite

NATURAL NEW AGE MUMhttp://naturalnewagemum.com/Fantastic blogs about natural ways around the home. Food, toiletries, cleaners and more. Loads of recipes too. Sonia - the Natural New Age Mum - has a brilliant sense of humour too!

WELL NOURISHEDhttp://wellnourished.com.au/Amazeballs recipes and food photography I aspire to. Georgia has a great style with the way she writes and her recipes are simple too. I am super excited to have Georgia as an Expert Contributor for The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System eCourse. Georgia shares tips on how to make real food lunchboxes a way of life.

BRENDA JANSCHEK HEALTH & LIFESTYLEhttp://brendajanschek.com/Brenda has some amazing recipes on her site, and I love how she shares her kids being in the kitchen too. I am grateful to Brenda for agreeing to be a Expert Contributor for The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System™ eCourse. Brenda will share her tips for getting your kids involved!

CUT OUT THE CRAPhttp://www.cutoutthecrap.com.au/Dedicated to gluten-, dairy- and additive-free cooking, this site has lloads of recipes and blogs too. Collette’s simple, effective cook books are right at home on my kitchen book shelf.

VEGIE SMUGGLERShttp://vegiesmugglers.com.au/So if you have trouble getting your children to eat vegetables, this site is the place to visit. Aside from that Wendy has an absolutely brilliant sense of humour - you simply must read her New Years Day Blog about detoxing - being an 80’s girl, I seriously laughed - a lot!

QUIRKY COOKINGhttp://www.quirkycooking.com.au/So if you’ve seen any of my videos, you may have spied my baby - the Thermomix in the corner of my kitchen bench. Quirky Cooking is the most incredible website for Thermomix cooking. Jo Whitton (Quirky Jo) creates the incredibly delicious dishes using her Thermomix. But she is also an expert on cooking the GAP’s way if gut health is of interest to you.

SUPER HEALTHY KIDShttp://www.superhealthykids.com/I love love love this site. They are constantly putting out loads of great recipes (I’d love to know how they find the time). It is a USA-based company so occasionally

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PHONE/TABLET APPS

My Favourite

CHEMICAL MAZEhttp://chemicalmaze.com/product/chemical-maze-complete-edition/This is seriously the best $12 you can spend. The app allows you to look up the numbers and names of ingredients (additives and preservatives) on the back of packets to see what they are, how they are derived and any known health impacts. It’s also a good tool to educate the kids. In the eCourse, we will spend some time understanding about additives and preservatives, and how this tool can change your life.

HEAL YOUR BODYhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/app/heal-your-body-a-z-louise-l.-hay/id362593371?mt=8This app may not be for everyone but over the years I have come to learn and believe that for every ailment, there is usually an underlying emotional reason at the root cause. This app allows you to look up a physical ailment, and it will tell you what’s the likely emotional reason that’s driving this ailment. When you open your mind and eyes to this, you will be amazed at what you uncover.

HEADSPACEhttps://itunes.apple.com/app/headspace-on-the-go/id493145008This is a fantastic introduction to meditation and an better way to teach you about how 10 minutes a day for yourself can make a huge difference to your headspace and ability to deal with stress. I have included this here because we will touch on Self Care in our e-Course to help reduce stress.

RELAX KIDS INTERACTIVE BOOKhttp://www.relaxkids.com/tips/entry/I_am_an_APPy_star/203A great short relaxation book to do with the kids.

GRATITUDE JOURNALhttps://itunes.apple.com/au/app/gratitude-journal-original!/id299604556?mt=8I use this app daily. It’s got a great little reminder system that pops up to ask you what you are grateful for today. It’s a good way to remind you of all the great things you have - perfect for days when things go pear shaped.

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I hope you enjoyed my “Just Get Started Guide”, and it helped you... well, just get started!

As you may have picked up, I run a fantastic eCourse called The 5 Minute Healthy Lunchbox System™, and also The Mad Food Science™ Program. To learn more, simply follow the links.

Please send us any feedback you might have regarding this ebook to israel@therootcause.com.au. Any and all feedback would be gratefully appreciated.

Thanks again!

With much love & wellness,Bel, Is, Indrani and Rilien. xoxoxoxo

Thankyou!RECIPES BY BELINDA SMITH.

DESIGN + ALL PHOTOGRAPHY

(EXCL. P7 + P12) BY ISRAEL SMITH.

PUBLISHED BY BEACH BREAK

PRESS.

COPYRIGHT © THE ROOT CAUSE

2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

CONTACT:

THEROOTCAUSE.COM.AU

1300 KIDS FOOD