10-minute (delish) suppers for children
Reading the scrumptious recipes in Poppy Fraser’s new book 10 Minute Suppers for Children makes you want to pop round to her Dorset farmhouse, whatever your age. Cooking is Poppy’s passion: ‘Like gardening, it’s good for the soul,’ she says. Although Poppy, 36, a full-time mother of four, is avowedly greedy – ‘I’ve always thought about food 24/7’ – she used to be known as the worst cook in the world. This culminated when, as her elder sons Lorcan, ten, and Bertie, eight, told me with glee, ‘she gave our dad food poisoning’.
A decade later, Poppy’s cooking had vastly improved, mainly due to her coaxing ‘fantastic recipes from my favourite people’, the title of her first book published in 2006. Since then, Poppy and her first husband separated, she moved to the country with Lorcan and Bertie, met and married local ceramic artist Alexander Macdonald-Buchanan and in 2012 gave birth to Constance followed by Jacobi just 11 months later.
This new book, illustrated with charming drawings, germinated during her fourth pregnancy. ‘Reducing the time I spent cooking was essential to save myself from meltdown,’ she says. So once again Poppy wrote to her friends and ‘the response was instant and wonderful’. The recipes, while speedy, are the opposite of junk food. Four years ago, Poppy’s father Hugh died of cancer (profits from the book will go to a cancer research charity), which reinforced her belief that ‘you eat well to stay well. Nothing is more important for the children’s health than giving them nourishing fresh food.’
In her book, Poppy aims to give tired parents with exhausted children the guidelines to prepare good food fast. ‘Having a plan stops mealtimes being a source of tension.’ Her family sits down together for high tea when the children return from school. ‘It’s often the only time we all catch up.’ Poppy loves eating early – ‘much better for your digestion so you sleep better’ – but admits she and Alexander do need a snack, such as oatcakes with pesto, later.
At a time when fussy eating is common, Poppy’s children are refreshingly omnivorous. Lorcan’s current favourite supper is salmon and noodles in miso broth while Bertie thinks ‘the beef meatballs are amazing’.
‘I read in a Gina Ford book that it is key to introduce babies to as many flavours and textures as possible in their first year, and that’s what I did,’ says Poppy. Each of the older boys is allowed to select one thing they can leave (whether it’s broccoli or butternut squash), ‘but that’s it: I’m quite strict. If they leave their lunch that’s fine but they know they won’t get pudding and the next meal is teatime.’
Saying we feel blue may actually reflect how sadness changes the way we see colour, according to new research by the Association for Psychological Science. Participants who watched a sad film were less accurate in identifying colour on the blue-yellow axis. More research is needed, say researchers, but since our senses are so interlinked it makes me wonder whether the old adage of wearing warming colours such as orange when you feel down may prove more than an old wives’ tale.
I am a huge fan of omega-3 essential fatty acids, which are vital for our brains as well as bodies, and have taken supplements for decades. I like the new MindCare range from Igennus Healthcare Nutrition, which combines high-quality omega-3 fish oil with a second capsule containing different combinations of micronutrients to help aspects of brain health. The range offers Balance (to help you stay relaxed), Focus (for alertness), Lift (to help you stay happy) and Protect (to help you keep sharp). From £18.49 for 30 days’ supply, from www.victoriahealth.com. NB I do recommend taking them daily for two to three months to judge the results.
A recent study claimed omega-3 does not protect the brain. Jerome Burne’s award-winning blog, www.healthinsightuk.org, explains why this is a mistake.