Interview with Tracey Spicer for the Gusty Challenge

Interview with Tracey Spicer for the Gusty Challenge

Gutsy Challenge is a way to encourage their kids to eat fruit and vegetables and to cut down arguments around dinner tables across the country.

The purpose of the Gusty Challenge is to help kids take responsibility for themselves and their future through healthy eating. The Gutsy Challenge is not just preaching to kids to make healthy food choices, it is encouraging them to put what they're learning into action with online games, prizes and fun online activities including a digestion game explaining and exploring how food is processed by the body, and a nutrition game giving them a clear visual representation of the damage that unhealthy food choices can do to their bodies.

The Gutsy Challenge campaign is being launched to encourage kids to get sponsored to eat two pieces of fruit and four vegetables each day for a whole week in September, and to raise money for digestive cancer research. All money raised during the Gutsy Challenge goes to the GI Cancer Institute to fund clinical research into digestive cancers of the bowel, pancreas, oesophagus, stomach and liver.

The Challenge website has just been launched at: www.gutsychallenge.com

Interview with Tracey Spicer

Tracey Spicer is a television newsreader and mother of two; she is an Ambassador for the Gutsy Challenge.

Question: Why did you decide to get involved in the Gutsy Challenge?

Tracey Spicer: I've been passionate about eating well for many years, since my mum died from pancreatic cancer. As the mother of two young children, I was impressed with The Gutsy Challenge and its fun approach to eating fruit and veggies.


Question: What do you think is most important about the Gutsy Challenge?

Tracey Spicer: Recent research shows some parents are feeding their babies cakes, lollies and biscuits. That's why this message is crucially important.


Question: What tips do you have for adults to convince their children to eat two pieces of fruit and four vegetables each day?

Tracey Spicer: My sister gave me the best tip. She blends about seven different veggies into the tomato paste for a pizza base. Hiding veggies is important, but so is exposing them, so kids become used to eating something green.


Question: How do you ensure you are incorporating two pieces of fruit and four vegetables into your diet each day?

Tracey Spicer: We only give the kids fruit as their morning and afternoon tea, so that takes care of the two servings of fruit. With lunch and dinner, we incorporate a couple of different veggies each time.


Question: What tricks do you use to get your children to eat four serves of vegetables, daily?

Tracey Spicer: I make characters out of them! My favourite is called Chicken Run, where the body of the chook is rice and veggies, with carrot sticks as the legs and the head made from mushed avocado and olives. Delicious!


Interview by Brooke Hunter