Week two of Natural Kids camp and I am in need of some ear plugs. We have more children and a higher percentage of boys so the decibels have cranked up somewhat.

But aside from the assault on my ear drums (and a loose connection to my sanity) this might be the most fun I have ever had in the “office”.

I think I’m also learning as much as the children. They are getting a crash course in nutrition and I am getting a crash course in teaching. Sam Willis, my amazing “pro” from Saltus, has some nifty tricks up her sleeve.

She has also perfected “the look” — you know, the one that makes you freeze mid-naughtiness and go back to your best behaviour. I am working on that. It would be so useful to be able to use it on my husband.

I have also learned the following about children in general: 1) When they raise their hand to answer your question, you have a 50/50 chance of getting a specific answer.

The rest of the time you will get an answer that has absolutely nothing to do with your subject.

Cutting this off without hurting anyone’s feelings (but maintaining the focus of the class) is an art form, 2) I always thought watching old people dance at weddings was funny.

But it’s not as funny as watching four years olds lose their inhibitions completely and shake their stuff. This gets mildly irritating after ten days. Finally, 3) no matter what you are cooking, there will always be one child that tells you it looks like poo.

Do not let it inhibit your confidence. Despite this, they always seem happy to eat what comes out of the oven.

Of course, children are always going to be more willing to try something they have made themselves. There is something about going to the effort of cooking themselves that simply makes them much more open minded.

Even if they are hesitant, the idea that they can take some home for Mum or Dad to try is also an incentive.

The whole process of measuring, mixing, feeling, smelling and tasting gives them ownership over their actions.

We are always quick to say “don’t play with your food”, but cooking gives children a safe place to touch and explore all this weird stuff that we give them, without the pressure of eating a plateful.

When we made Chia jam this afternoon, I was a little worried about how the children would react.

I let them play around with the dry chia seeds and also demonstrated how they form a gel when the seeds come into contact with liquid.

I explained that this is what would help turn our fruit into “jam” without using crazy amounts of sugar.

The problem is, plain Chia and water looks like frogspawn. Amazingly it didn’t put them off. By the time we had stirred it in to stewed blueberries, maple syrup and vanilla, they were happy.

One of the things that I have been explaining this week is how a short ingredient list is usually a good thing.

We made whole-wheat goldfish and jam with four ingredients each, so they are surprised when they see long lists of words they don’t understand on packaged items.

Jam is a tricky one however, because the ingredients list is usually short — even on a “junky” brand. But if those words are “corn syrup”, or worse “high fructose corn syrup” it’s not a good sign.

Even “all-natural” brands can be extremely high in sugar, so you might want to make your own. This recipe is so quick and easy — and if 26 four to 11-year-olds can do it, so can you!

Blueberry Chia Seed Jam

Ingredients:

1lb frozen blueberries (I used the Waitrose essentials from Supermart which were really juicy!)

3 tbsps whole Chia seeds

3 tbsps maple syrup

½ tsp real vanilla extract

Method:

1. Add the frozen fruit (I have done this with raspberries and peaches too) to a large pan over a low heat and allow the fruit to soften. You shouldn’t need to add water (as the water content of frozen fruit is high) but you can add a splash if you want to.

2. Once the fruit has softened and the base of the pan is evenly covered, bring to the boil temporarily. Take the pan off the heat and stir through the chia, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix well, nudging all the stray chia seeds down from the walls of the pan.

3. Place the pan over the heat again and simmer for about 5 minutes until the jam has thickened.

4> Take the pan off the heat and allow the jam to cool. Once cooled, store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Enjoy on toast, rice cakes or on top of plain Greek yoghurt.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda.