Books & Literature

Cookbook Review: The Good Stuff, by Lucinda Miller

Naturopath and child nutrition expert Lucinda Miller offers a series of simple positive steps to help your child build a positive relationship with food that will banish fussy eating and have huge benefits for their long-term health and well-being.

A great book full of nutrition information, ideas to help provide healthy alternatives for kids and many recipes that the children can make themselves with little supervision. Illustrated with bold photographs and every recipe providing options for people with a food intolerance, every kitchen that has a child passing through it needs this book, not in the book shelf but on the kitchen bench.

Miller has provided healthy options for every meal, snacks, treats, and drinks. Desserts are also covered and, as an added bonus, there are also meal plans and shopping lists. The end note section is very informative as are the sections before the recipes, explaining carbs and sugar rushes, fats, hiding veg, and food allergies and intolerances.

The book is arranged according to meal types and has many recipes and hints that add to your everyday meal preparation. In reviewing this book, I tried two new recipes and a range of hints. The recipes were for the Salmon & Polenta Muffins and the Courgette Brownies. The hints all worked really well and were easy and tasty.

The cover says “Delicious recipes and tips recipes for happier and healthier children”. This book provides good alternatives to encourage happier, healthier families and I will be recommending it to all my friends who have young people at their tables.

Toast toppings

The six toast toppings came simply from a page of toast photographs. I used light rye toast to top with melted cheese and grated apple, chopped tomato with basil and balsamic vinegar, scrambled egg, smoked salmon and dill, cream cheese with banana, cinnamon and honey, ricotta with pomegranate seeds and, because of my own food allergy, rather than peanut butter I used cashew butter with sliced strawberries.

Flavoured waters

The flavoured waters were also tasty and refreshing. The quantity for one child was easily converted to suit a litre for sharing and, made in clear bottles or jugs, were inviting for little eyes as well. I made all three suggestions and had to do refills. Orange, raspberry and mint, and lime and cucumber were equally enjoyed by my young guests ranging in age from 2 to 7.

Salmon & Polenta Muffins (page 164)

Salmon and Polenta muffins would make a different lunchbox filler, especially if packed frozen and thawed to eat at the midday break. I found them a little dry but added a little tartare sauce and coleslaw to make a satisfying lunch. These also worked as a starter for a meal when rewarmed.

Courgette Brownies (page 194)

Several of my friends raised their eyebrows when I said I was making Courgette (Zucchini) Brownies but were pleasantly surprised with the rich, moist chocolate flavour in them. Good when cooled and cut, they are great after being refrigerated, gaining a more fudgy consistency and an even stronger depth of chocolatiness.

Reviewed by Leanne Caune

Rating out of 10:  9

Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: November 2018
RRP: $35.00

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