Nationwide search for ‘Favourite Family’ recipes for special eBook to mark Eat Smart Week 2012

MyKidsTime.ie partner with Nutrition & Health Foundation

Tuesday, 20^th March 2011: Parents nationwide are being asked to dish out their nutritional family secrets and submit their ‘favourite family’ recipe to MyKidsTime.ie and the Nutrition & Health Foundation (NHF) for inclusion in a special eBook that will be unveiled during the NHF Eat Smart Week 2012 (2^nd April - 8^th April 2012).

Fronting the campaign launch today, busy mum Miriam O’Callaghan unveiled that her family favourite is Char grilled Chicken, Roast Carrots with Orange and Raisin salad. For parents looking to try their hand at Miriam’s favourite dish, her recipe is available to download at MyKidsTime.ie.

From all of the recipes submitted, the seven most voted for will be nutritionally assessed by the NHF and will be included in a special Eat Smart Week eBook that will be available to download for FREE on www.mykidstime.ie on Monday, 2^nd April. The deadline for recipe submission is Thursday 29^th March 2012 at www.mykidstime.ie/d/easy-family-recipe-competition. The campaign is a joint initiative between Ireland’s newest online parenting community MyKidsTime.ie, which generates over 60,000 visitors per month and has 20,000 Facebook fans, and the Nutrition & Health Foundation.

According to Dr. Muireann Cullen, Dietitian and Manager of the Nutrition & Health Foundation,
“Ireland has one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in the world at 10% of children aged 5-12. This is no surprise when three out of four 9 year old children don’t get the recommended level of physical activity. What happens in today’s family kitchens can have a significant impact on the nutritional wellbeing of tomorrow’s generation. Through our annual Eat Smart Week, we aim to show families that simple steps like lowering the levels of salt used in cooking, replacing full fat ingredients with lower fat options and reducing sugar can all have an impact on the family’s waistline. Obesity costs €1.6 billion per year and will escalate if this national health issue is not addressed. An obese person dies on average nine years earlier than a person of normal weight. Yes, these facts are alarming and we need to address our lifestyle choices – eating smart is a good start.”

Deborah McCarthy, MyKidsTime.ie commented: “As busy parents, it’s handy to have easy recipes that you know are nutritious but quick to make and more importantly, that have been given the thumbs up by both children and parents. We were delighted to team up with the NHF to put together this set of recipes all submitted by parents themselves. ”

See www.nhfireland.ie for lots of useful tips and recipes for cooking nutritious and low cost family meals.


INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts, skinned
8 carrots peeled or 1 bag of frozen carrots thawed out
4 oranges (peeled & sliced)
1 cup raisin
1 table spoon of chopped herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme etc)
1 bunch spring onion - peeled, trimmed & tossed in olive oil

METHOD:
Heat oven to 200C & place roasting tin in oven to heat for 5 minutes, then remove. Cut carrots lengthways. Drizzle olive oil into roasting tin & add carrots, herbs – season with sea salt & pepper. Toss & place in oven. Cook until tender, tossing occasionally.

While carrots are cooking heat a char grill pan until very hot, if preferred you could use a conventional grill. Season chicken breasts with sea salt & pepper & drizzle with olive oil. Place on griddle for 3 – 4 minutes. Turn & cook for a further 3 – 4 minutes. Remove chicken from grill pan. Place sliced orange on each breast with the raisin.

TO SERVE:
Spoon carrots on plate, put chicken on top & then spring onion.


About the NHF:
The Nutrition and Health Foundation (NHF) is an independent partnership of industry, government, State agencies, internationally recognised scientists, health professionals and relevant stakeholders working together to address Ireland’s lifestyle, nutrition and health challenges. The NHF communicates evidence based information on nutrition, health and physical activity to encourage an improved and healthier society in Ireland with key initiatives including their free Workplace Wellbeing Campaign, the annual NHF ‘Eat Smart Week’ and its annual Seminar which encourages debate on these core topics. For further information, see www.nhfireland.ie.

About MyKidsTime:
MyKidsTime.ie is an online parenting community that has 60,000 visits per month and a Facebook Ireland page fan base of 20,000. MyKidsTime.ie is driving a positive childhood agenda in Ireland and partnering with the NHF as part of its focus on childhood nutrition.