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BestBites: Jordy McPeake, BestStart Halswell Junction

At BestStart Halswell Junction, the kitchen is a hub for fostering healthy relationships with food, largely thanks to Centre Cook Jordy McPeake. Jordy has spent over a decade in the food and nutrition industry with various roles over the years. After having children of her own, her interests honed in on ways to create healthy eating relationships with young tamariki.

Jordy's philosophy is simple: all food is good food! She believed in offering a variety of foods and allowing children to decide what they want to eat, fostering an intuitive understanding of their own hunger and fullness cues. This approach helps children develop a positive and healthy relationship with food from a young age. Jordy also empathises with the importance of elimination the notion of 'treat' foods, which can create negative associations and affect how children view eating.

To bring this philosophy into practice, Jordy has started sharing her own recipes with centre families, inviting them to try her nutritious and delicious dishes at home. The recipes are simple, tasty and perfect for family cooking!

"Food is meant to be enjoyed", says Jordy. "Encourage your children to try new things, listen to their bodies and most importantly, have fun with food!" With this mindset, Jordy continues to inspire and educate, making a lasting impact on the children and families at BestStart Halswell Junction.

Looking for a quick and easy midweek meal that's packed full of nutrients? Give Jordy's 20-minute Pumpkin Soup recipe a go! The soup pairs perfectly with her Southland Cheese Roll recipe - both recipes are below!

20-Minute Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1 x onion
2 - 4 x cloves of garlic
Knob of butter or olive oil
500gm grated pumpkin
2 x grated carrots
500ml vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, fry the onion and garlic in your butter or oil until soft
Add in the grated pumpkin and carrot, coating it in the onion mixture
Pour in the vegetable stock and pepper, then simmer for 15-20 minutes
Blend until smooth with a stick blender
Season with salt and pepper to taste

Southland Cheese Rolls

Ingredients:

1 x loaf of white bread - the thinner and cheaper the better!
1 x tin of reduced cream
1 x packet of onion soup mix
50gm of grated cheese
Butter
Toothpicks

Directions:

With soft butter, butter the whole loaf of bread, laying them butter side down
In a bowl, mix reduced cream, onion soup and cheese together
Spread the cheese mixture onto each slice of bread
When spreading, only spread 2/3 of the bread, so when you roll it up the filling won't squeeze out
Roll each piece of bread up, using a toothpick to hold them together, and place on a baking tray
Bake at 190 degrees for 10 minutes or until your preferred amount of crisp
Serve with extra butter if desired