Trying to get children to eat healthily can be a tough task for parents and caregivers, but it doesn’t have to be such an uphill challenge! The key is to find foods and beverages that children enjoy which are as natural as possible with underlying health benefits. The addition of Rooibos tea to drinks, meals and desserts prepared for children will help ensure that they are benefitting from the complex antioxidants and nutrients found within this uniquely South African herbal beverage.
“Rooibos tea is an incredibly healthy addition to any child’s diet,” explained specialist dietitian, Mbali Mapholi. “It doesn’t replace other sources of nutrition like healthy foods or milk, but rather provides children with healthy hydration that is caffeine-free and packed with benefits.”
Laager Tea4Kidz marketing manager, Candice Sessions, added: “Not all children like warm beverages but Rooibos can be enjoyed in a number of different formats. Just like adding veggies to a meal to bulk up the nutritional value, Rooibos can be added to a variety of foods and beverages to up the nutritional content.”
Mapholi noted that alongside the many health benefits Rooibos offers, the Laager Tea4kidz Rooibos tea range has a variety of delicious flavours that can enhance a number of child-friendly recipes: “I’ve outlined five tips for including it in meals, and selected my favourite Rooibos-infused recipes that will keep children healthy, and parents happy.”
Tip#1: Add in cooking
Oats, whether prepared as overnight oats or served hot in the morning, can be cooked with Rooibos tea to enhance the flavour and health benefits. They are quick to make, delicious to eat and extremely filling.
Tea4Kidz Apple & Berry Golden Oats
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups (325ml) Tea4Kidz+ Apple & Berry flavoured Rooibos tea, brewed.
½ cup (40g) raw oats
1 tsp margarine
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ apple thinly sliced
¼ cup blueberries
Plain yoghurt (optional)
Method:
1. Bring the tea and oats – with salt added – to the boil. Once the tea boils, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the margarine, cinnamon and sugar and turn off the heat.
3. Serve in a bowl and top with apple slices, blueberries and optional plain yoghurt.
Tip#2: Homemade ice-tea to replace sugary drinks
Childhood obesity has become a huge problem in South Africa and one of the major contributing factors is a high intake of sugary drinks. Homemade iced teas are a healthy alternative since the sugar quantity can be controlled and they can be sweetened with natural ingredients like fruit and honey.
Tea4Kidz Peach & Apricot Iced Tea
Ingredients:
5 teabags of Tea4Kidz+ Peach & Apricot flavoured Rooibos
1 litre boiled water
1 tsp honey (optional)
1 cup apple juice
2 trays of ice cubes
1 sliced apple, peach and apricot (optional)
Method:
1. In a large jug, add in the boiled water and the Peach & Apricot Tea4Kidz teabags. Let it draw for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how strong you would like the tea to be.
2. Remove the teabags and allow to cool slightly.
3. Stir in the apple juice and honey.
4. To enjoy right away, add in the freshly sliced fruit and top it up with ice cubes!
Tip#3: Ice lollies for hot days
Ice lollies are popular but they are often packed with added sugar. With homemade Rooibos tea ice lollies, you can cut out the excess sugar, and your children can have fun helping you prepare them!
Ingredients:
2 cups fruit of your choice (pineapple, nectarines, kiwi fruit, or other)
¼ cup of full fat coconut milk OR full cream yoghurt
½ cup boiling water
2 x Tea4Kidz+ Peach & Apricot teabags
1 to 2 Tbsp honey
1 banana, sliced
Method:
1. Cut fruit chunks into small pieces and freeze overnight, or until solid.
2. Draw the Tea4Kidz teabags in water with honey and allow to cool, then discard the teabags.
3. Pour coconut milk or yoghurt, chilled tea and fruit chunks into a food processor.
4. Pulse fruit, yoghurt and tea until smooth consistency is reached.
5. Using a small spatula, scrape mixture out of processor into a ziplock or piping bag.
6. Cut the corner off and pipe mix into popsicle moulds.
7. Place popsicle moulds into the freezer until firm enough to turn-out.
8. Serve immediately.
*To make berry lollies swop the fruit and tea with:
– 2 cups frozen berries of your choice (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or others).
– 2 Tea4Kidz Strawberry teabags.
Tip#4: Add to desserts
Children love desserts but parents and caregivers often worry about them being unhealthy. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Here’s a delectable dessert recipe that children will love.
Tea4Kidz+ Peach & Apricot infused fruit jellies
Ingredients:
3 teabags Tea4Kidz+ Peach & Apricot flavoured Rooibos
450ml boiling water
450ml cold water
1 packet peach flavoured jelly
3 teabags Tea4Kidz+ Apple & Berry flavoured Rooibos
1 packet cranberry or raspberry or grape jelly
1 x 410g tin of peach slices
Fresh blueberries or raspberries
Prepared custard
Method:
1. Place the 3 teabags into 450 ml boiling water. Allow to draw then remove the bags and add the peach jelly powder. Stir to dissolve and then add 450 ml cold water. Repeat using the Apple and Berry teabags with the cranberry jelly powder.
2. Place 4 glasses in an empty egg tray and angle them. Pour in the peach jelly dividing it between the glasses. Place a few peach slices in each. Allow to set completely in the fridge.
3. Once set remove the glasses from the egg tray. The jelly will have set at an angle. Now pour in the cranberry jelly. Add a few blueberries. Allow to set.
4. Top with custard before serving.
Strawberry slushie
This is the ultimate strawberry sorbet which is easy to make, healthy and can be enjoyed as a dessert or healthy treat.
Ingredients:
2 teabags Tea4Kidz Strawberry flavoured Rooibos
60ml boiling water
500g frozen strawberries
2 to 3 Tbsp honey
Method:
1.Place the teabags in the boiling water and allow to draw, then squeeze all the water out and remove. Dissolve the honey in the warm tea and cool completely.
2. Blend the berries very well, adding the tea mixture.
3.Transfer to a suitable container and freeze for 3 to 4 hours depending on the firmness required.
Tip#5: Healthy smoothies
Whether they’re enjoyed in the morning or as a snack, smoothies are a perfect nutrient-dense addition to your child’s diet. It helps to have Rooibos tea ice cubes in the freezer at all times, especially in the warmer months.
Ingredients:
4 teabags Tea4Kidz+ Apple & Berry flavoured Rooibos
500ml boiling water
1 tin pie apples, unsweetened
300ml natural yoghurt
Method:
1. Draw the tea bags in boiling water for 5 minutes. Arrange berries in empty ice trays. Use the tea to fill up ice trays.
2. In a food processor, process the apple until smooth. Add the yoghurt and sweeten to taste using honey.
3. Add the ice cubes with the fruit and whizz until the shake thickens and ice is crushed.
4. Pour into chilled glasses to serve.
“Our Laager Tea4Kidz range was designed specifically for children, as a way to introduce the many health benefits of Rooibos into their diet,” explained Candice Sessions, Laager Marketing Manager. “Through our More4Momz website (www.more4momz.com), Tea4Kidz Facebook page and with the help of our wonderful specialist partner, Mbali Mapholi, we want to empower parents and caregivers to make healthy diets the norm for South African children.”
