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It’s a battle. We want to live our best, healthiest lives, but the hustle is against us. Statistics NSW (ABS) says that over the last ten years, the percentage of overweight or obese adults aged 16 or over has gradually increased from 52% to 61%. In the Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains, 64% are above a healthy weight.
Habits are key. The Gazette spoke with Bonny Keevers Hawkesbury mum of three, Allied Health Nutritionist, and founder of Healthy Little Heroes, a trusted early childhood health education program helping shape lifelong habits.
“Early childhood is when lifelong food preferences and habits begin to form. When children are exposed to healthy foods and positive nutrition education early on, they’re much more likely to feel confident making healthy choices as they grow into teenagers and adults,” says Keevers.
In 2024, 23% of children aged 5-16 years were above a healthy weight according to Hawkesbury’s Local Health District (Nepean Blue Mountains).
Keevers says “We know from long-term research that children with obesity are much more likely to experience obesity in adulthood.
That’s why early childhood is such an important time to build positive food habits and confidence around healthy foods.”
Before starting her business, Bonny worked as an NSW Health Munch & Move support officer, a role focused on helping early childhood services promote healthy eating and active play. It gave her a front-row seat to what works in real classrooms and what doesn’t. Rather than telling children what they should eat, she noticed the biggest breakthroughs came when children were given repeated, pressure-free exposure to foods in a fun setting.
Then, in May 2024, Keevers’ daughter's preschool reached out to parents inviting them to show their skills to the children. “I’ve always loved being an involved Mum and had a lot of experience with children's nutrition. I have a Bachelor of Nutrition and Food Science; and worked in the Children's Health space for over 6 years prior to starting the business. I worked in the Health Promotion team with NSW Health. We delivered children's health initiatives such as the NSW Health Munch & Move program in early childhood centres.”
The I can EAT a rainbow program concept began.
“The feedback I received from my daughter's educators and the director was overwhelming: they encouraged me to start a business and deliver programs at other childcare centres!”
Keevers got stuck in. Instead of focusing on nutrients or food rules, the program introduces children to fruit and vegetables through colour, characters and storytelling. A friendly watermelon named Wanda, a mystery box filled with real produce, and the simple goal of “building a rainbow” in the classroom all help children explore food with confidence and curiosity.
The approach is grounded in research showing children may need to see and experience a food 10 to 15 times before deciding whether they like it but the delivery is pure imagination. Children touch, smell, talk about and celebrate different foods, without any pressure to taste.
For Bonny, the program reflects everything she learned working alongside educators and families in the Hawkesbury region.
“We started with just 1 program: I can EAT a rainbow. Now we have 4 programs to offer (I can EAT a rainbow, Little Farmers, Happy Lunchbox and Mini Rainbow Heroes).
In 2025, they delivered 118 programs which reached approximately 2940 children. They already have over 120 programs booked for 2026.
“Educators are already doing an incredible job,” she says. “I wanted to create something that fits naturally into their day, supports what they’re teaching, and makes healthy choices feel exciting rather than overwhelming.”
Healthy Little Heroes began with Keevers delivering programs in the Hawkesbury. She now has 2 staff who help deliver the incursions within the Hawkesbury, Penrith, Blacktown, Hills, Mountains, Parramatta, Cumberland, and Sydney/South Sydney and Northern Sydney.
“The long-term goal is to support early exposure, education and positive nutrition experiences in more early childhood services in the Hawkesbury, Western Sydney and across NSW. We will continue to develop and adapt our programs to reach a larger age-range, ensuring that all children receive the opportunity to grow up feeling capable, informed and empowered to make healthy choices!”
What began as an idea shaped by years of frontline experience has become a colourful, community-focused business helping Hawkesbury’s youngest learners discover that healthy food can be fun, friendly and full of adventure.
You can follow Healthy Little Heroes on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. https://www.healthylittleheroes.com.au/
