Kids healthy eating made simple with sugar-free recipes from paediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher

Getting kids to eat healthy food can feel like a daily battle for many families. But paediatric nutritionist Mandy Sacher believes mealtimes don’t have to be stressful.

After becoming a mum herself, Ms Sacher was shocked to discover many products marketed as “healthy” for children were actually packed with sugar, salt and preservatives. Now she’s on a mission to help parents take a simpler, whole-foods approach to feeding their families.

In her new book Unfussy Eaters Club, Ms Sacher shares practical tips for raising confident eaters, along with 100 sugar-free recipes designed to nourish babies, toddlers and the rest of the family.

On Sunrise, she shared two easy favourites from the book: iron-rich lamb and veggie balls that work as a family dinner or lunchbox snack, and a naturally sweet pumpkin and raisin loaf made without added sugar or preservatives.

Iron-Rich Lamb and Veggie Balls

Ingredients

• 1 small (100g) brown onion, quartered
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 medium (260g) carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 medium (160g) zucchini, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 pasture-raised or organic egg
• 500g grass-fed minced (ground) lamb
• 35g rice breadcrumbs or gluten-free crumb mix (see instructions)
• 2 tablespoons arrowroot
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the onion, garlic, carrot, zucchini and egg in a food processor. Process until crushed, scraping down the side once or twice to help chop evenly.
3. Place the lamb in a large bowl and add the vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients. Mix until well combined.
4. Roll the mixture into small balls, approx. ¼ cup per meatball, then place on the prepared tray. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Serve the meatballs mashed or in soft chunks alongside mashed sweet potato and steamed vegetables.
6. For babies 9+ months, serve whole or cut into bite-sized pieces alongside soft sweet potato wedges and steamed veggies

Little Pumpkin Raisin Loaf

Ingredients

• 250g steamed or roasted pumpkin, cooled
• 1 large pasture-raised or organic egg
• 125ml melted coconut oil
• 9 pitted soft medjool dates or 140g Date & Cinnamon Paste (see instructions, below)
• 60ml coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or powder
• 220g wholemeal spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 80g sulphur-free raisins or sultanas, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20 x 10 cm loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place the pumpkin, egg, oil, dates or date paste, milk and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarb and cinnamon and mix until combined. Gently fold in the raisins or sultanas.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40–45 minutes, or until a cake tester or skewer inserted comes out clean.
4. Allow to cool in the tin before slicing.
5. Serve mashed or cut into finger-sized strips to encourage self-feeding.

Make your own: Gluten-free Crumb Mix

Use the crumb mix to coat veggie fingers (like sweet potato, pumpkin or zucchini) or fish bites before baking.

For a protein-rich option, coat strips of chicken or fish, then lightly bake or pan-fry until tender and golden. For baby-led weaning, create easy-to-grasp pieces by coating small vegetable sticks or mashed potato patties with the crumb mix and baking until lightly crisp on the outside but soft inside.

For babies 12+ months and family meals, use as a crunchy coating for homemade chicken nuggets, fish fingers or veggie burgers. Sprinkle over pasta bakes, salads or roasted vegetables for added texture and flavour.

Ingredients

• 20g unsweetened brown rice puffs
• 80g sunflower seeds
• 40g pumpkin seeds
• 45g golden flaxseeds
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
• Chia seeds (optional)
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Make your own: Date & Cinnamon Paste

Stir into porridge or yoghurt, spread over toast or pancakes or use as a natural sweetener in baby-friendly baking.

Ingredients

• 400g pitted soft medjool dates
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Method

1. Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla pod, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or powder (optional)
2. Soak the dates in boiling water for 10–15 minutes to soften.
3. Drain the dates, reserving 300–400 ml of the soaking water.
4. Place the dates, reserved soaking water, cinnamon and vanilla (if using) in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Watch Sunrise from 5.30am weekdays and Weekend Sunrise from 7am Saturday and Sunday or catch up anytime on 7plus.