My Bloom Highlights 2019

I visited Bloom, the Bord Bia garden and food event, in 2018 and thought, what an amazing event, I would really love to bring my workshops here. Fast forward to 2019 and there I was, on the stage in the Kidz Zone.

parentsDeirdre DoyleJune 7, 2019Bloom, Bloom in the park, Bord Bia, Neven Maguire, JP McMahon, Scientific Sue, food education, Mick Kelly GIY

5 ways with tomato sauce

If you only teach your kids to cook one thing, let it be a homemade, tomato sauce.

parentsDeirdre DoyleJune 5, 2019cooking, tomato sauce, cooking from scratch, teach kids to cook, homemade tomato sauce, pizza sauce, get kids cooking, kids in the kitchenComment

5 reasons why our kids should be cooking

I know, I know, I know. Cooking with kids is a messy business…

cooking for kids, parentsDeirdre DoyleMay 7, 2019cooking, cooking with kids, benefits of cooking with kids, kids in the kitchen, cook from scratch, encourage kids to cook, why should kids cook, healthy kids, life skill, varied diet, balanced diet, life skills, messy kitchen

Easter Eggs - healthy alternatives

Easter is fast approaching and with it, the never ending dilemna of parents. Easter eggs!

parentsDeirdre DoyleApril 1, 2019healthy, easter eggs, healthy options, healthy options for Easter, reduce sugar, MummyPages, MummyPages survey, cheap chocolate, toys at Easter, Books at Easter, Kiddies Food Kutter, Stuff 4 Cakes, The Garden Shop

Food Jagging - tips for fussy eaters

Bet you’ve never heard of “food jagging” before? Well, if you have a fussy or picky eater, you are more than likely to have experienced it.

parentsDeirdre DoyleMarch 4, 2019fussy eater, picky eater, food jags, food jagging, tips for fussy eaters, tips for picky eaters, limited diet

5 easy tips for a healthy birthday party for your kids!

My children and yours I’m sure, have gone to and will continue to go to, countless birthday parties over the years. They come home all sugared up

parentsDeirdre DoyleFebruary 5, 2019The Cool Food Schoolhealthy, healthy birthday party, sugar fre, party bags, fizzy drinks, Kiddies Food Kutter

5 books for fussy eaters in the class or at home

Have you a fussy eater at home? Or do you just want to encourage your children to eat more fruit and veg?

Teachers, parentsDeirdre DoyleJanuary 14, 2019fussy eater, healthy food for kids, educational books, fun activity with kids, getting kids to try new foods, too much of a good thing, irish books, growing vegetables with kids

Selection box be gone....

New Year, new you - or at least new you once the selection boxes/Roses/Quality Street/Christmas cake/other Christmas chocolate is all gone.

Chocolate detoxDeirdre DoyleJanuary 7, 2019selection box, chocolate, Roses, Quality Street, healthy habits, obesity, temptation, get rid of temptation

5 tips for keeping your kids healthy over Christmas!

Healthy - at Christmas? Sure that’s not the point of Christmas at all! It’s a time to let loose, eat chocolate for breakfast, mince pies for dinner and watch tv for days on end. Isn’t it? Isn’t it?

healthy Christmas tipsDeirdre DoyleDecember 22, 2018healthy children, healthy habits for children, healthy children over Christmas, Grinch, better snacking, popcorn, veggies, veggie platters, fizzy drinks, reduce sugar for children

9 + 1 Christmas gifts for foodie kids!

Where did Christmas come from? Seriously, I know we all know it’s coming and it’s the same date every year but does it not feel like someone’s stolen half of November and a week in October?

Deirdre DoyleDecember 2, 2018

My day out at the Oireachtas!

Recently I attended the launch of the report “Tackling Childhood Obesity” from the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs in the Oireachtas.

Government ReportDeirdre DoyleNovember 19, 2018childhood obesity, oireachtas, junk food advertising, home economics, breast feeding, vending machines, ban vending machines, school playgrounds, insurance in schools, drinking water, making drinking water normal, no fry zone, planning regulations, local planning laws, sensory food education

Give tricks and not treats this Halloween!

It’s that time of year again when the shops are stuffed, wall to wall, with sweets, chocolates and grotesque confectionery items, in preparation for trick or treating.

healthy HalloweenDeirdre DoyleOctober 19, 2018The Cool Food SchoolHalloween, trick or treating, jelly eyeball, sugar, sugar free, sugar alternatives, sweets, jellies

Dessert for breakfast!

Who eats dessert for breakfast? Imagine the scenario, the kids roll out of bed, don their uniforms and make their way downstairs.

sugar free journey, sugar in cerealsDeirdre DoyleSeptember 24, 2018chocolate cake, breakfast, cereal, sugar, dessert for breakfast, healthy options for breakfast

Back to school SOS - lunchbox hacks to ease you back into it!

It’s back to school this week and in our house it’s a bit of a double-edged sword.

school lunch boxesDeirdre DoyleAugust 28, 2018healthy, nuts, prepare, sandwiches, get kids involved

No use crying over spilt flour….

Part of what I do in my business is to encourage children to get involved in cooking.

cooking for kidsDeirdre DoyleAugust 13, 2018The Cool Food Schoolmessy kitchen, healthy eating for kids, junior chef, get kids involved, duck pancakes, flour, cooking

I've got a 'chip' on my shoulder about kid's menus!

f you’re anything like me, then going on holidays means a break from cooking. Oh happy, oh bliss, oh joy - no cooking. But oh no - we are at the mercy of kids menus when we eat out.

healthy eating for kidsDeirdre DoyleAugust 2, 2018The Cool Food Schoolkids menus, healthy eating for kids, eating out with children, chips