Friday, August 9th is Red Nose Day, an Aussie tradition that many of today’s parents remember from when they were kids. The first Red Nose Day was held way back in 1988, and since then, Red Nose Australia has led the way with fundraising and awareness to help prevent SIDS and unexpected child deaths and provide bereavement support to families impacted by the loss of a child. Red Nose Australia was behind the “Back to Sleep” public health campaign which has so far resulted in an 85% reduction in SIDS in Australia – an incredible success story which other countries have since used as a model to prevent SIDS, too.[1]
This Red Nose Day, don’t just pop on a red plastic nose to show your support for the cause – make some edible red noses, too! These beetroot doughnut holes are a fun Red Nose Day treat that showcase the natural sweetness of delicious beetroot from Australia’s farmers. Bonus: they’re so delicious, your kids won’t even know they’re eating vegetables!
The hero of this recipe is beetroot, in season in Australia right now. Beetroot is an iconic Aussie food, and Australians are known for showing their love for beetroot in ways that make the rest of the world a little confused – beetroot on burgers, sandwiches and in dips (and now doughnut holes?) What are we thinking?
Well, besides beetroot is delicious, clued-in Aussies know that the humble beetroot is one of the most antioxidant-rich vegetables in the world, and is also a great source of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, potassium, iron, folate, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium.[2] They’re also a great source of fibre and are known to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of certain cancers, and improve heart health.[3] What’s not to love?
Every Aussie Kid Deserves to Grow Up Healthy
Australia’s farmers are dedicated to growing delicious and nutritious fruit and vegetables to help keep Australians of all ages healthy year round, so it’s only natural that we support the goals of Red Nose Australia and Red Nose Day.
Even with the incredible success of the “Back to Sleep” campaign, nine Australian babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers still die unexpectedly every day – that’s more than 3,000 per year, or more than twice the national road toll. Red Nose Australia is continuing its mission to reduce that nine to zero and make sure every Australian child gets a chance to grow up healthy and strong.
This Red Nose Day, give thanks for the healthy children in your life – and make them just a little healthier with our fun beetroot doughnut hole recipe showcasing Australia’s favourite root vegetable.
[1] https://rednoseday.org.au/about/
[2] https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/11080
[3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0304383595040870, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-010-0156-6#page-1, https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2015/january/beetroot-and-blood-pressure