Let them help; it’ll help them.


You will often find, “Cook with them” or “Let them help in the kitchen” high up on the list of suggestions on how to get kids to eat healthier foods. I agree. I do sometimes see parents or even teachers letting the kids help when it comes to making cookies or baking a cake, but it’s not as often that I notice them help make a healthier meal or a salad.  I do think it’s good to get them involved in helping prepare many different foods so they learn more about them and may be more interested in eating that food they had a hand in. 
I’m not saying my kids help me on a daily basis but they do love to help and do it often enough that they feel involved and interested.  They do seem more enthusiastic about the meal and even more eager to try it because they’re proud of their contribution. I also may go further than some would ever consider at my sons’ ages; like letting them use knives.  

They need to learn; so who better to teach them and what safer place than at home?  It took a while for my husband to let my eldest son use a chef’s knife, but even he relaxed a bit and realized we needed to show him how to handle it properly and to position his fingers that hold whatever he’s cutting.  Now they all help. 
My eldest isn’t very coordinated but he’s doing a fine job and loves to feel empowered with the trust we’ve given him.  He now feels confident enough to fix himself sandwiches and other quick meals when he’s hungry.  We even give my 4 year old a steak knife at the dinner table.  I feel it’s often safer to give a sharp knife than a dull one, and serrated knives are less likely to slip. Again, as long as they’re supervised and shown the proper way to handle the knives, they should be fine and it should be good for their confidence.

So, get them involved in food preparation even teach them how to use knives— they’ll be better off for it all!  And before you know it, they might create a great meal for you!

Meatless Meals

I often make meals without meat, but it’s usually when my husband isn’t here.  He just seems to think you need protein in each meal, but I don’t think it has to be animal-based.  After reading Mark Bittman’s recent article in the NY Times I guess I’m not the only one who thinks that way and my husband’s not the only who eats his way.

How much meat/protein is too much?  I’ve noticed often parents will be happy if their kids get protein through chocolate milk and yogurt but not give as much consideration to the kids’ vegetable (especially green veggies) or even sugar intake.  “At least they’re getting their protein.” is a common mantra.  But is it right?

Milk, yogurt, chicken, beef, eggs, cheese, and protein-fortified food and drinks.  I think my generation got a little obsessed with protein and overlooked the vegetables. 

We don’t need more than a few ounces of protein a day.  An 8 oz. burger is 4 or 5 oz. too many and especially if that’s not the only protein that person has had that day…  And that’s the recommended amount (around 3 to 4 oz or about 100 grams) per day for an adult. 

We are told we should be giving kids about 5 to 9 servings of whole* vegetables and fruits (*I just mean with the fiber of it; not just juice) daily.  So, the fruit flavored yogurt, fruit snacks or juice don’t count.  I found the best way to figure out what a “serving” is, is it’s about a fist-full.  A child’s fist is their serving size and an adult’s fist is our serving size. 

 

So, following in the footsteps of Meatless Monday, I’ve decided to serve some Meatless Meals (Whatever the Day).  And also try to pay some attention to how much protein we’re taking in during a day or week.

One was meal was Eggplant Parmigiana that I totally cheated on and lied about.  Cheating part was that I got frozen eggplant cutlets from Trader Joe’s which I baked first (according to package directions) then placed in oven-proof dish topped with their Organic Tomato Basil Sauce and shredded mozzarella.  Baked it until cheese was melted and sauce hot.  Served with roasted cauliflower and tri-colored radiatore tossed with olive oil, butter, sea salt and a little garlic powder.

My kids have never been big fans of eggplant unless it’s in ratatouille or a similar dish.  So I lied.  I had one try it first and when he said “Yum, what is it?”  I lied.  I can’t believe I did it, but I knew the others wouldn’t even try it if they knew it was eggplant.  So, I said chicken.  CHICKEN!?!  Later on I let them know it was eggplant, but that was after they’d eaten most of it. They kind of noticed when the breading was off that it didn’t look like chicken.  Hey, I never said I was perfect or that I don’t resort to tricks at times.  I got them to eat it and most amazingly my youngest liked it the most.  Now I can make it and tell them what it really is.

Roast Cauliflower

½ head cauliflower, broken/cut into small pieces

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp olive oil

1-2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Bring ½ cup of water to boil and add cauliflower, cover.  Steam/boil for several minutes until cauliflower has softened slightly.  Shock with cold water. Drain and toss with oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Place in preheated oven at 375ºF for at least 20 minutes until cauliflower has golden brown crispy top.  Toss with parsley to finish.

Only my middle son and I loved the cauliflower.  He told his friend’s mom last night that cauliflower was his favorite vegetable.  My eldest said it was “Good.” but he didn’t want more than one piece. My youngest refused to try it.  It was so good, maybe next time.

Thank you!

I notice that some time in the night I went over 3000 followers on tumblr.  Thank you to each and every one of you.  I hope that I can keep it interesting and helpful!

Best of luck to all!

This is my youngest son enjoying one of his favorite veggies.  Though when I asked him last night what his favorite vegetable was, he said, “Salmon!”

Ideas for Busy Times

The past month has been very busy but when I was filling out dates on June’s calendar I realized May was just a teaser on what being hectic means.  So I thought it appropriate to share some of my quick meal tips/ideas for those who like me have little time to cook but want to give their kids healthful foods.  These can all be cooked/prepared in under 10 minutes.  Combine them as you like or add to another quick recipe idea.

Snow peas.  These are in season and go so well with Asian stir-frys and pasta mixtures.  They cook in a mere 3 minutes and are great as a healthy side vegetable.  One of youngest son’s favorite vegetables. Try some with dash of sesame oil, soy sauce and peanut or canola oil. 

Snap peas.  Another of my kids’ favorites.  They too are now coming into season here in the Northern Hemisphere.  They cook quickly and are great raw too!  Sweet and crunchy, many kids will prefer them over plain peas or more bitter vegetables. Just add a tiny bit of butter when cooked and watch them gobble them up!

Organic Baby Spinach.Again a fast cooking or raw vegetable.  No fuss in preparation— no trimming or cutting, just rinse and serve. Perfect to add some more dimension to a romaine or iceberg lettuce salad.  Cooks in less than 3 minutes with just a touch of water, covered.  Add a pat of butter and serve.  Great with pasta blends, stuffing for pork or chicken.  Chop some and add to prepared Nan with boursin or goat cheese for a pizza-like creation. 

Swiss Chard.  My kids love this vegetable that’s similar to spinach but earthier and more flavorful.  It can be steamed like spinach.  I chop the stems and give most to my youngest who prefers the crunch over the wilted leaves.

Frozen organic brown rice from Trader Joe’s.  Brown rice is so much better for you, for one it doesn’t spike blood sugars like white rice.  I find this an easy and delicious short cut.  One packet gives our family of five a great side that only takes 3 minutes in the microwave. (3 packets in a box.)  Brown rice usually cooks in 35-45 minutes, so it really helps save time!  My kids love the heartiness of brown rice. If you want to make a fried rice dish, this is perfect!

Pork tenderloin.  Can often find on sale.  Cut into one inch medallions for a really quick meat dish— pan fry for few minutes each side.  (145ºF) Salt & pepper  add some seasoning like Penzy’s Mural of Flavor.  My mother makes a quick sauce in the pan with 3 Tbsp tamari soy sauce, 3 Tbsp apricot jam, 2Tbsp dry sherry or vermouth, 1 clove chopped garlic.

Trader Joe’s Beef Bool Kogi (Bolgogi/Korean Barbeque).  Not exactly authentic per most reviews, but my kids and I love this as a quick meal.  Usually it’s grilled and served in lettuce but I just sear it in very hot pan and serve with rice and veggies. You can buy shaved beef and marinate it with soy, scallions, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, and rice wine vinegar for your own Korean-style beef.

Chicken tenders  These are the strips of breast meat that are sometimes sold separately.  Cut these into bite sized portions and sauté, they’re done in minutes.  You can sprinkle some curry powder, paprika or garlic salt for a bit of flavor that won’t need a sauce.  Or find a really good prepared marinade from a store (with natural ingredients) and that morning cover it with sauce, leave in fridge so it’s ready to cook that night. Can use bread crumbs and bake for a fairly easy and quick meal. 

Green salad.  Whether you like lots of color with multiple vegetables or a plain salad of just lettuce(s), giving your kids fresh raw vegetables is a great way of providing them healthy foods in little time.  Go for a home made dressing of oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and lemon juice or buy a good prepared one.  Just make sure its ingredient list is not full of preservatives or fillers.

Hope this helps give you some ideas so that your kids get a few healthy meals during the rush of the week!

My camera lens is broken and I’ll be sending it off to get fixed.  Hopefully will be done quickly.  I’ll pass on the recipe I used for the dal in this photo Chicken thighs, not breast were used here.

Gallery

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Thinking of adding Quinoa to your diet but unsure how to cook it or what to serve it with… try this simple shortcut.  Trader Joe’s frozen Quinoa Duo with Vegetable Melange.   It’s slightly spicy (galangal and chili pepper) and very delicious.  … Continue reading