Inspiring The Next Generation Of Avocado Lovers

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Avocado ice cream

Inspiring The Next Generation Of Avocado Lovers

TAURANGA, 2nd December 2016: Leading nutritionist Claire Turnbull is encouraging Kiwi parents to introduce avocado into their children’s diets as soon as possible and has invented an amazing new range of recipes to tempt young taste buds these school holidays.

The popular nutritionist, author, speaker and Healthy Food Guide contributor says encouraging your children to eat avocado will help set them up with healthy food habits for life.

The delicious fruit is also low in sugar and sodium and high in fibre, which we all know is important, and helps to keep small tummies feeling fuller for longer.

To foster a life-long love of avocados, Turnbull has developed a range of kid-friendly recipes including purees, ice-creams and a loveable ‘morepork’ made entirely of fruit and vegetables which almost looks too cute to eat! These fun and creative recipes will keep your kids well-nourished and well-entertained during the upcoming school holidays.

When it comes to dessert, Turnbull has perfected two delicious ice-cream recipes – chocolate avocado ice-cream and white chocolate avocado ice-cream.

“Children love sweet treats but a lot of treats are packed with sugar and unhealthy fats. Avocados are the perfect base for super healthy desserts and treats for kids. Full of healthy fats, their creamy rich texture makes them an ideal ingredient to make ice-cream.”

Alternatively, these recipes can also be made into popsicles for a great mid-afternoon snack.

Turnbull’s own young son, Zac, loves moreporks and is the inspiration behind her adorable ‘avocado morepork’. Using half a peeled avocado for the body, you can use mushrooms, carrots, celery, capsicum and apple to finish off your delicious creation that kids won’t be able to resist.

“My little boy LOVES moreporks and he enjoyed eating his very own avocado one with some homemade brown rice sushi with salmon, avocado and veggies. If you can make meals fun to eat in this way you’re more likely to convince fussy eaters to give something new a try. With school holidays just around the corner, getting kids in the kitchen creating their own moreporks is also great fun,” she explains.

NZ Avocado Chief Executive Jen Scoular is thrilled with Turnbull’s new recipe suggestions which give parents plenty of inspiration without making life too difficult.

“Every parent knows time is precious so whipping up these quick purees and ice-creams is a great way to create a nutritious meal or treat in a short space of time,” Scoular says.

Avocado is also a perfect first food for babies.

“It can be made incredibly smooth initially when babies are just starting to learn to eat, and then lumpier as babies progress and are able to manage this texture,” Turnbull explains.

“Avocado’s smooth, creamy consistency and excellent nutritional content make it an ideal first food,” Turnbull explains. “They’re packed with almost 20 vitamins and nutrients, are full of healthy fats, are great for energy and the development of your little one’s immune, brain and nervous system.”

Avocado blends easily with other fruits and vegetables to make delicious puree mixes such as avocado and mango, avocado and broccoli, or avocado and pea baby food.

“We all want our children to grow up eating a healthy diet and avocados pack a big nutritional punch. The sooner you can introduce this delicious-tasting fruit into their daily diet, the better. We hope New Zealand parents enjoy giving these new recipes a try.” says Scoular.

Find all of Claire’s recipes, as well as other great avocado recipes, on the NZ Avocado website www.nzavocado.co.nz under the “Mums & kids” category.

Recipes

Avocado purees
Avocado is a perfect first food for babies. It can be made incredibly smooth initially for when babies are just starting to learn to eat, and then lumpier as babies progress and are able to manage this texture.

Avocado can very easily be blended with other fruits and vegetables to make delicious mixes for your baby.

Avocado and pea puree
This can be pureed to be smooth for babies who are just learning to eat, or can be made more chunky for older babies who are able to manage lumps.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado – peeled
1 cup frozen peas, partially defrosted

How to make:
Blend the avocado and peas together to make the consistency you require. Enjoy fresh or freeze into cubes.

Avocado ice-cream
Children love sweet treats, but a lot of treats are packed with sugar and unhealthy fats. Avocados are the perfect base for super healthy desserts and treats for kids, packed with healthy fats, their creamy rich texture makes them ideal to make ice-cream.

Chocolate avocado ice-cream
Ingredients:
2 large ripe avocados
2 medium ripe bananas (ideally frozen)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp coconut milk or milk of your choice
Optional: 2 large dates or 1-2 tbsp maple syrup

How to make:
Blend everything together and freeze into a container or into ice block moulds.

Avocado Morepork

To make the morepork :
½ ripe avocado
Capsicum to make the beak
Green apple to make the wings
Celery to make the ears and pattern on its tummy
Carrot to make its feet
Mushroom circles and black olives for the eyes

Serve with homemade brown rice sushi with salmon or chicken, avocado and veggies.

About New Zealand Avocado

The New Zealand avocado industry is vibrant and growing with a vision and strategy in place to quadruple sales to $280m and triple productivity by 2023. The industry is pursuing exciting opportunities in both export and the New Zealand markets, supported by innovation and collaboration with stakeholders and with new partnerships with the Crown and Crown Research Institutes.

New Zealand currently produces just 2% of the global supply but is the ninth largest international avocado exporter. There are over 4,000 hectares of avocado trees planted in New Zealand, primarily in the Bay of Plenty and Northland.

For more information visit www.nzavocado.co.nz or follow us on social @NZ_Avocado @Jen_Scoular

-ENDS-

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