Beloved MasterChef alumni Tommy Pham has been busy to say the least. Not only has he welcomed a brand new baby boy to his brood in August, but he’s also launched a new children’s cookbook!
Feeling a bit sleep deprived but overjoyed, the dad-of-three tells Woman’s Day that everything’s “amazing”.
“It’s amazing. I kind of forgot how much sleep you lose. It’s insane. But we’re tracking along – feeding, sleeping, eating, making sure everyone’s healthy and clean,” he laughs.
“We’re just trying to fit everything into the short amount of time in a day. But the other two are amazing brothers, so that really helps.”
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Miles, 4, and Hugo, 2, have been a big help with their new baby brother, who Tommy admits still doesn’t have a name.
“We have two boys already, and it’s like we’ve used all our good names!” he explains. “Apparently, we have eight weeks though.”
In the meantime, Miles and Hugo have generously offered up potential names for their baby brother. “They obviously suggest their best friends’ names because those are the only names they know,” he laughs.
“Then there are silly ones like Spiderman. So not helpful in that sense.”
TODDLER TUMMIES COOKBOOK
His boys were a huge source of inspiration when partnering with Alula Advance+ Toddler to launch this new cookbook called Alula Toddler Tummies Cookbook, which is completely free of charge.
More than a passion project to share his creative recipes and help busy parents in the kitchen, Tommy was inspired to help raise awareness about the importance of prebiotics in digestive health and overall toddler wellbeing.
A national survey reveals that the majority of Aussie toddler parents (74%) admit they could do more to support their toddler’s nutritional intake.
Even more, only 19% of Aussie parents feel very confident that they know the role of prebiotics in their toddler’s diet.
When asked what prevented them from serving a nutritious meal to their toddler, 1-in-5 (21%) toddler parents claimed not to have enough information and almost half (44%) attributed lack of creativity or inspiration in the kitchen as a factor.
KID-APPROVED RECIPES
Leaning on Tommy’s experience in cooking for young children, each recipe in the new Alula Toddler Tummies Cookbook aims to inspire Aussie parents in the kitchen to create healthy meals and snacks.
The recipes are “fun, quick and easy to make”. Importantly, they’re also “full of toddler-approved flavours”.
“Miles loves the recipes. One of the boys’ favourite recipes is the rainbow fritters,” he shares.
“It’s crispy, fun and uses up all the vegetables in your refrigerator, so it’s a great way to clean out the fridge while getting veggies in your kids. Then the dip is made from cashews and Alula Toddler milk, making it full of prebiotics.
“Any food they can hold and feel in their hand and make a little bit of a mess with is always a winner.”
Even better, the cookbook is perfect for busy parents – something he can definitely relate to! “The recipes can be easily batch-cooked or meal-prepped for when life gets busy,” he says. That means mum and dad get more time back in their day to spend time with friends and catch-up.
Julie Goodwin is a good friend of Tommy’s and an “uncle” to his children. “When I was filming my second season of MasterChef, Miles was with me. And for some reason, he called Julie, ‘Uncle Julie’, And then it just stuck from there. It’s the best nickname,” he laughs, before sharing the close bond he and Julie share.
“It can be hard to kind of keep up with all your friends. But Julie is one of those people where I can just message her or call her, and it’ll be like no time has passed.
“I love Julie. She’s just such a lovely person and someone you’d want in your life.”
GET YOUR FREE COPY
Often parents are overwhelmed when it comes to knowing how to best support their toddler’s digestive health. But Tommy says that it can be as easy as including prebiotic-rich foods like bananas, oats and apples – and having the kiddos help out in the kitchen.
“The more you get them into the kitchen, the more they can touch and feel their food, the more likely they are to try different things. Even if it’s the tiniest bit, that’s something.”
The free cookbook features a variety of recipes, including delicious snacks and meals spanning breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And Tommy nods to his heritage through the flavours and ingredients used, serving up gut-boosting noodles, frittatas and gnocchi alongside smoothies, muffins and pancakes.
The Alula Toddler Tummies Cookbook is now available for all to access and download for free here.
