As a Dad with a young son, it’s a huge priority of mine to ensure that he is eating healthily. To make sure my wife and I have enough time to create healthy balanced meals for Gabriel, we make everything from scratch at the weekend – which only takes a couple of hours – put them in pop-out trays and freeze them. This means we can take something out each morning for his lunch and dinner and we know exactly what’s in his food. 

Gabriel

Gabriel’s favourite is Annabel Karmel’s Cod and Spinach recipe, which he gets very excited about, as you can see! 

To help inspire parents, CVS has launched ‘Health Kick’ our special healthy families drive, where we will be offering tips, advice and ideas on our blog and interactive Facebook page. You can choose from the following articles for advice from us and our guest bloggers:

Encouraging Children to Eat More Healthily – by Annabel Karmel
Healthy snack SOS!
Family bootcamp – top tips for family fitness by personal trainer Simon Parker
‘Super’ foods for kids

We’d love you to get involved and to share your own hints, tips and recipe ideas.

Perhaps you have a clever way to encourage children to get their five-a-day? Or maybe you have some fun ideas for getting more active as a family? Whatever your experiences, we’d love to hear from you, find us at www.facebook.com/computersharevoucherservices

CVS is the UK’s largest dedicated provider of childcare vouchers. We work with thousands of parents and carers across the UK. To find out more about childcare vouchers and how they could help you save up to £1866 a year, visit www.computersharevoucherservices.com

Annabel Karmel

Food is the fuel that powers our children. It makes them grow strong, gives them energy and plenty of opportunities to wind up their parents. If you struggle to get your children to eat healthily, don’t let frustration take over, try not to respond to bad eating habits. Your child will soon find there’s not much point making a fuss if you don’t react. Let your child be hungry sometimes. A hungry child is often a less fussy child.

Try to avoid letting children graze between meals on unhealthy snacks.  Avoiding snacks will mean they are more likely to try new foods come mealtime. However for occasions such as after school when kids come home starving, having things ready-prepared and to hand, such as raw vegetables and a dip, a pitta pocket filled with tuna, or cut up fruit, means you don’t fall back on the easy option of an empty calorie snack such as biscuits or crisps.

Remember food is not just sustenance, but can also be fun. Making food more appealing is a great way to get children trying new healthy food. It is good to be a little inventive in how we present our food. Mini portions of dishes such as cottage pie in a ramekin dish looks far more appetising than a dollop of food on a plate. Noodle or stir fry dishes are a great way to up the intake of vegetables and get them to use child friendly chopsticks. When it gets warmer you can puree fresh fruit to make your own fresh fruit ice lollies.

A great way to get your children eating healthily is by getting them in the kitchen helping you. This is quality time with your children and can make them much more interested in trying new things. Once children are a little older give them the responsibility of cooking the family meal one night, give them a simple recipe that you help them with first time round, then let them make it once a week for a month and by the end they will know how to make one dish really well and be proud of their achievement.

Annabel’s recipe for Rainbow Ribbon Noodles – makes 2 toddler portions

Omelette

Annabel's Rainbow Noodles

1 tbsp sunflower oil

1 egg

1 tsp soy sauce

Noodles

1 tsp water

Small clove garlic, crushed

Half tsp grated fresh ginger

1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks

Quarter yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into matchsticks

Half skinny courgette cut into matchsticks

75g medium rice noodles (pad Thai type) prepared according to the packet instructions or 150g ready to use noodles

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sweet chilli sauce

Half tsp sesame oil

Chopped fresh coriander (optional)

METHOD: Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a wok. Beat the egg, 1 tsp soy sauce and water together and add to the wok. Cook the eggs until just set and brown underneath. Break or chop into pieces and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the wok and add garlic and ginger. Sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the carrot, peppers and courgette and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the noodles and spring onions and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes until the noodles have heated through. Stir in the soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and sesame oil, followed by the omelette pieces, then remove from the heat and transfer to bowls. Garnish with chopped coriander if you like.

Annabel Karmel is the UK’s best-selling author of seventeen books on baby and children’s food and nutrition. Her ’Essential Guide to Feeding your Baby and Toddler’ is available on iTunes for £3.99 with 120 recipes and ‘how to’ videos. For more information visit www.annabelkarmel.com

 _{These opinions are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Computershare Voucher Services.}

How to keep snacks healthy, even on days out.

As part of ‘Health Kick’, our healthy families month, we are offering parents advice and tips on ways to get healthier as a family.

In this blog post we take a look at junk food danger times, when unhealthy snacks and fast food may be hard to avoid, such as family days out.

Snacks

Every parent wants their child to eat healthily, but even with the best intentions sometimes it can prove difficult – especially if you have a schedule packed with fun!

From a trip to the cinema, to family days out and long car journeys, there are a number of situations where you may find yourself tempted to reach for those high fat, high sugar foods.

When faced with rows of confectionary, nothing but fast food outlets and ‘pester power’ from the kids, it could prove difficult to resist even for the most resolute of parents!

But the good news is you can get through these ‘danger times’ with a little forward thinking – and in many cases save your bank balance as well as keeping your little ones healthy!

What are the junk food danger times?

The first step is recognising those danger times. How many of these situations have you faced?

• Cinema trips – who can resist the bright lights of the confectionary counter, ice creams and pick’n’mix?
• After school snack – the kids get back from school and want something the second they walk in the door, it’s all too tempting to reach for the biscuit tin
• Days out – lunch time arrives while you’re out and about but there’s nothing but fast food outlets
• Car journeys and service stations – desperate to keep them distracted a quick stop at the services with their sweets, drinks and fast food can suddenly seem very appealing
• Theme park visits – from burgers and chips to candy floss, sweets and fizzy drinks, it can be a calorie-filled ride
• Birthday parties – whether you have 5 or 20 children attending, the table could easily fill with crisps, cakes and other goodies

Getting prepared

The best way to breeze through these times is to be prepared. To help you we have compiled a list of quick and easy snacks, which can be used for almost any of these occasions, as a healthy alternative – whilst still being super tasty!

Homemade popcorn – Fun to make and fun to eat! What’s not to love as a healthy alternative to crisps? Popcorn can easily be made at home, either in the microwave or saucepan, and the kids will love listening and watching as each little corn explodes. This tasty treat can still be delicious without the traditional sugar or butter. Great for: Birthday Parties, Cinema trips, After School snacks.

Fruit & Vegetable bites – Carrot, cucumber, celery, pepper and anything else you fancy, along with berries and grapes, are great when you’re on the go or as an addition to your child’s lunch box. It’s an easy way to add extra fruit and vegetables into your child’s diet. To make it a little more exciting why not add a little houmous or cottage cheese for dipping. Great for: Birthday Parties, After School, Picnics/Days Out, Lunch Box, Car Journeys. 

Trail Mix – Nuts and dried fruit are another healthy snack option which is filling and releases energy for your child. Mix nuts, seeds and dried fruit such as raisins and cranberries can give your child a healthy and sweet treat. Great for: Lunch Box, Car Journeys, Picnics/Days Out, Cinema, After School. 

Taste the Rainbow – How many different coloured fruits and vegetables can your child eat in one day? Make it a competition for the whole family to take part in and reap the rewards which each different food gives you. Turning this into a game will help encourage fussier or less adventurous eaters to discover new foods they might not usually eat, such as blueberries or gooseberries. Great for: Lunch Boxes, After School, Picnics/Days Out, Car Journeys.

You will find more helpful hints and tips on our Facebook page and remember to share your own hints and tips to help inspire other parents.

You may be surprised to learn that you can use childcare vouchers towards the cost of days out, with vouchers covering a range of registered childcare including some of the top child activity centres – and it’s not just for toddlers, the vouchers can be used for children up to the age of 16. For more details, visit www.computersharevoucherservices.com.

Simon Parker

Exercising regularly as a family and encouraging your children to be active is a really important part of keeping them healthy. Coupled with a healthy diet, it is the best way to prevent your child becoming overweight and suffering its many associated health problems, including diabetes and heart disease.

But how much exercise do you think your child should be doing each day?

10 minutes? 30 minutes? An hour?

The NHS actually recommends that children aged 5 to 18 should be doing at least one hour of aerobic activity every day. That is physical activity which gets them breathing hard and fast and that has their heart rate up quite a bit. It can be broken down into segments throughout the day.

For children under five who can walk unaided they should be physically active for at least three hours a day. This can be spread throughout the day, indoors or out, and can be things like jumping, skipping, dancing and running.

As well as doing activity which raises their heart rate, it is good to include activities that will help strengthen their muscles and bones.

Swimming is a great example. It is fun to do and uses every muscle group, so is great for cardiovascular fitness.

Stuck for other ideas? Then how about these suggestions for active games and play sessions:

• Play a game of ‘tag’ or ‘Stuck in the mud’
• Jumping or hop scotch
• Building a den out of cardboard boxes
• Play musical statues
• Hula hooping
• Running
• Dancing
• Playing football
• Going for walks
• Swimming
• Cycling and bike rides
• Roller skating
• Scooters
• Skipping

Older children and teenagers

Joining local or school sports teams or clubs can be a great way for your children to keep fit whilst learning new skills and making new friends. If they’re not so keen on sport or other activities, why not try getting them involved with the household chores (perhaps incentivised by extra pocket money). This can be a good way to encourage them to be more active, and may also give you a helping hand. Try suggesting the following next time they’re looking for something to do:

• Washing the car
• Cutting the grass
• Walking the dog
• Painting the fence
• Hanging out the washing
• Chopping wood
• Cutting hedges
• Digging up weeds and gardening

Simon Parker is a Personal Trainer – www.live4fitness.co.uk

_{These opinions are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Computershare Voucher Services.}

However, the hardest part can be getting them to give them a try so we’ve included some suggestions here, but do you have any good tips? Leave us a comment below.

Spinach – It’s not just Popeye who can benefit from this leafy vegetable! Spinach is a great source of calcium, iron and is rich in antioxidants. Try blending into soups, chopping and mixing into pasta sauces or mixing into salads.

Blueberries – This fabulous super food is low in calories and high in fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants. Put a handful into a lunchbox, or mix into yoghurt. 

Sweet potato – This colourful vegetable is full of fibre and immunity boosting antioxidants, vitamins C and E. Try as an alternative to roast or mash potato, or as an amazing soup.

Nectarines – These little oranges are bursting with vitamin C, important for a strong immune system and the development of healthy bones, teeth, gums and blood vessels. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron and calcium, helps cuts to heal and keeps the brain working properly. Try adding to jelly before it sets for a fruity dessert or adding to a lunch box.

Broccoli – Another great source of calcium, broccoli is also packed with vitamin C and fibre.  Chop up small and put into pasta sauces or mix into mashed potato.

Watercress – Gram for gram it contains more vitamin C than oranges, more iron than spinach and more calcium than milk! Add to salads, sandwiches, soup, pasta or stir fries.

Yoghurt – An amazing source of calcium, which is important for strong teeth and bones. Pour over fresh fruit or cereal, or just enjoy as a quick snack.

Oats – Give your child the strength and energy they need to get through the day. Packed full of vitamin B and zinc, which helps to promote a healthy immune system. Start the day with a steaming bowl of freshly cooked oatmeal, try adding some fresh fruit pieces on top for sweetness, or a teaspoon of honey.

Baked beans – Baked beans are a good source of fibre, which is great for the digestive system. The tomato sauce can also count as one of your kids’ five-a-day. Beans are so versatile they can be added to most meals, served with mash, on toast and even cold!

If you’re looking for more advice on getting your children to try new things, read our guest blog from Annabel Karmel, leading child nutritionist and best-selling author.

CVS – together with the other leading providers Edenred, Sodexo and Grass Roots – has been working for several months to put together a model that is workable, easy to implement and will ensure self-employed parents reap the same benefits as other working parents.

I had the honour of presenting our model to the Conservative Women’s Forum at the House of Commons last Thursday and they’re keen to back the plans.

The model will allow self-employed parents to claim tax and National Insurance back at the end of the financial year – providers will be required to issue them with a certificate, detailing their childcare voucher spend for that year.

It’s piqued George Osbourn’s interest as well and made the pages of the Independent on Sunday this weekend. You can read the full article here, including a quote from me:

Tax break to encourage ‘mumpreneurs’ to start their own businesses

I’m delighted that we’ve put together a strong model which is being supported by such an influential group. Extending childcare vouchers to the self-employed supports the ethos of ‘Start-up Britain’ and will allow self-employed parents to enjoy the same £933 saving per annum as basic rate employees.

Of course, we’re not resting on our laurels now and will continue to support this model and work tirelessly to ensure vouchers for the self-employed become a reality.

We covered the ruling and HMRC’s initial guidance in our blog post ‘ECJ Ruling does not apply to childcare vouchers’ on 11 August 2010.

HMRC issued further information in 2011 which expanded on the initial guidance and stated that new VAT treatment must be taken into account from 1^st January 2012 – you can read the full guidance notes here.

No doubt you have sought the proper advice in the run up to this deadline and are clear on your requirements but as there has been considerable commentary on how childcare vouchers are affected by this ruling I wanted to be clear on what the guidance is and who you can contact for help.

Section 4.3 of the HMRC’s guidance relates to childcare vouchers and states that:

“Childcare vouchers are not directly affected by the judgment as they are not subject to VAT.

However, employers that incur administrative fees from their voucher provider have, to date, been permitted to recover VAT on those fees as a general business overhead. However, because the fees are directly attributable to the exempt supply of vouchers the normal partial exemption rules must be applied with the result that the VAT incurred may no longer be fully recoverable.

Affected businesses should apply this treatment from 1 January 2012.”

Source: HMRC Revenue & Customs Brief 28/11

It is worth stressing, as the guidance states, that VAT may not be fully recoverable, suggesting that a portion of it may still be recovered and that this change will not affect all employers offering a scheme. If you’re in any way unsure of how this will affect you then we’d urge you to contact HMRC for clarification.

This ruling does not affect parents; they will continue to receive childcare vouchers as before.

Chancellor George Osborne announced that the provision of early year’s childcare is to be extended to an extra 130,000 disadvantaged two year olds. This is part of the Government’s targets to tackle the long term causes of child poverty, by enhancing early development for disadvantaged children.

The Government plans to invest a further £380 million a year by 2014-15 to extend its offer of 15 hours of free education and care a week for disadvantaged two year olds – effectively doubling the number of children who will receive free nursery care.

This means that 40% of two year olds – 260,000 children – from the most disadvantaged families will now get support in their early years.

While we welcome these changes and the positive effect they will have for a number of families, we feel there is still more which can be done to support working parents.

For families facing increasing bills, stagnant salaries and rising childcare costs, childcare vouchers continue to play a vital role and we believe the scheme could be adapted to provider even greater support.

Over the coming months we will be looking at other opportunities for the scheme – including ways for vouchers to be made available for the self-employed.

One thing is clear, with childcare costs estimated to increase dramatically over the next few years the savings available through the childcare voucher scheme will prove more important than ever.

The research is supported by The Childcare Voucher Providers Association (CVPA), of which CVS is a founder member.

Key findings show that:

• Low income families in 2015 are likely to pay £600 per year more for their childcare compared to 2006 – almost 7% of their annual income:
• a middle-income family in 2015 is likely to pay £900 per year more; and
• a higher-income family in 2015 is likely to pay £1,400 per year more.
• If childcare costs continue to rise at the current rate, the cost of a typical amount of childcare will be £104 per week in today’s money; a 13.5% rise from 2006.

Ultimately, this means that if we’re to return to the public support levels offered in 2006, the high point for childcare support, the following measures need to be taken:

• The proportion of childcare costs covered in the new Universal Credit would have to increase to 83% (from the current 70%)
• The childcare voucher entitlement for basic rate tax payers would need to increase to £83 per week – it’s currently £55 per week, which has remained unchanged since 2006.

The report clearly demonstrates the consequences if funding continues to drop whilst costs rise. As part of the CVPA we’re committed to promoting the role childcare vouchers can play in offsetting the costs parents are faced with – it’s not just childcare they have to pay for after all and easing that burden will help elsewhere and hopefully help them return to work.

The report will be formally launched today where the SMF will present their findings to members of parliament and civil servants in order to raise awareness of the issues and highlight potential solutions. 

I’ll be at the event to represent the CVPA and give the introduction to the session. I’m looking forward to being able to talk about the relevance of childcare vouchers in helping parents meet their childcare demands and how we move forward to ensure parents are not simply priced out of childcare.

You can read the SMF’s report ‘The Parent Trap’ here.

We asked over 1000 parents how much they plan to spend on presents for their children this Christmas and found that despite increasing financial pressures, 16% expected to spend over £300 in total on their kids’ presents this year. A further 19% said they’d shell out between £200-£300 and 5% are planning to spend over £500!

Christmas can be tough on the family bank balance, but even when budgets are squeezed parents still want to provide all they can for their children, the important thing is not to be left having to pay the price for Christmases past.

I read a recent survey by HSBC which showed 21% of parents will be borrowing money to pay for presents, while others will be relying on their overdraft, payday loans, personal loans and borrowing from friends and family.

If you’re a parent, then make sure you’re making the most of all financial schemes and benefits you are entitled to, such as childcare vouchers, which can save a huge amount to be able to add to the Christmas present fund. If you’d like more information on childcare vouchers and the savings you can make, visit our website.

Also, consider other ways you can make savings this time of year. We’ve put together some simple ideas of fun ways for families to save some pennies and have a ‘home-made’ Christmas this year.

CVS’ tips for ‘making’ this Christmas the best ever:

Spending less can often mean giving more, especially when it comes to presents for relatives such as grandparents. Here are some ideas for ‘making’ Christmas:

• Get handy – Handmade Christmas cards are fun and easy to make, highly personal and will always be well received. One idea to try with the children is to create a design using an upside down hand print to become Santa’s face and beard. Stick on eyes and add rosy cheeks to bring extra charm to the design.

• Get cooking – Stained glass window biscuits make a beautiful and edible Christmas tree decoration. Use seasonal biscuit cutters to create trees, stars, bells and present shaped biscuits then cut out an identical shape in the centre of each biscuit and pop in a boiled sweet before putting in the oven. Remember to make a small hole at the top of each biscuit so you can thread ribbon through for hanging, then bake and decorate with icing.

• Get foraging – Pinecones can make a festive and charming decoration. They are versatile and can be painted and hung on the tree or around the home. Place in silver bowls/cups/candlesticks and top with glitter covered cardboard stars as tabletops; or even use them to decorate the cheese board and fruit bowl.

• Get snappy – Collect together photographs from Christmases past and from members of the family. See how far back you can go by involving grandparents, and see what precious stories and anecdotes can be uncovered along the way. Copy the images and use them to make unique place settings or gift tags.