Tag Archives: vegetables

Quinoa & Lentil Salad Vegan Recipe

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Quinoa & Lentil Salad Vegan Recipe

Recently, I’ve been posting about the important health benefits of fiber in kids’ diets.  I’ve also gone through a top ten list (part 1 & part 2) of the best high fiber foods to try on your kids.  But having a good recipe or two helps, so here’s one I made this week for my family: Quinoa & Lentil Salad!

Sadly, much of the processed food kids eat today is very low in fiber.  Refined carbohydrates, like white flour and white rice, have the fiber-rich outer casing of the grain removed.  And of course, animal products don’t contain any fiber at all.  Meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, are lacking in fiber.  Kids who eat lots of these foods are likely to not be getting enough fiber and can end up developing other health issues.  Constipation is the health issue most likely to arise first, and should be taken as a major warning sign.  Unfortunately, other more life threatening diseases such as heart disease and cancer are also linked to low fiber intake.  It is very easy to increase fiber intake if you have a few good recipes!

One of my favorite ways to increase fiber intake is to use juice pulp left over from juicing fruits and vegetables.  There are many ways to use this leftover pulp!  One of the most popular ways to use leftover fruit pulp is in muffins or cupcakes.  I also use vegetable pulp to make crunchy crackers we all love to snack on.

But the best way to get more fiber in your kids’ diets is just to give them fiber-rich foods as part of their daily diet.  That’s why I made this Quinoa & Lentil Salad.  My kids are both happy to eat it (my 2 year old likes to pick out all the lentils and eat them first).  It also keeps well in the refrigerator and is easy to pack in a container and take to school.  Unlike leafy salads, it won’t get soggy or gross, so make a big batch and it can easily be lunch for a few days!

This quinoa & lentil salad contains not one, not two, but three high fiber ingredients.  Quinoa, lentils, and artichoke hearts all feature in this delicious salad.  One one-cup serving of quinoa & lentil salad will give your kids more than half their daily fiber requirements! And it’s vegan and gluten free, too!

quinoa salad

Quinoa & Lentil Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 cup uncooked brown lentils, rinsed
  • 8 large artichoke hearts, quartered
  • 1 large English or 2 smaller Lebanese cucumbers, chopped (peeling optional)
  • 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped (I omitted these because my hubby cannot eat them, but added them into the salad when I served to the kids & myself.)
  • 1/4 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped (I used dill, basil, and tarragon in equal amounts, but use whichever herbs you like best or have on hand.)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar
  • pinch himalayan pink salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the quinoa with 4 cups of water, per package instructions, until all water is absorbed.  Fluff cooked quinoa with a fork.
  2. Boil lentils until soft but not mushy (approx. 25-30 minutes).
  3. If using fresh artichokes (as I did), quarter & steam your artichoke hearts.  If using jarred/preserved hearts that are ready to eat, simply quarter them.
  4. Allow quinoa, lentils, and artichokes to cool.
  5. Combine quinoa, lentils, artichokes, cucumbers, and tomatoes, and mix.
  6. Mix herbs, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and salt to make dressing.
  7. Pour dressing over salad and mix well.  Serve immediately while salad is slightly warm or place in fridge and allow to sit.  Keeps for 3-4 days.

Variations

  • For a non-vegan version, replace the salt with some finely crumbled feta cheese or some finely grated parmesan.
  • For a vegan alternative, omit the salt and add in some finely chopped olives (black, green, or kalamata are all fine).
  • Vary the vegetables!  Consider adding some other veggies or fungi, such as mushrooms, finely diced red onion, capsicum (bell pepper), wilted or fresh baby spinach, or baked pumpkin cubes.
  • Mix up the herbs.  Changing the herb mixture will greatly alter the flavor of the dish.  Quinoa, lentils, and atichokes all have mild flavors, so the flavor of this dish is pretty much controlled by the herbs in it.

This quinoa & lentil salad is pretty much a complete meal in itself.  Most of the major nutrients are featured in it.  Jazz it up by mixing in some baby kale or baby chard and you’ll be certain to have hit all the high points.  It is not only a high fiber dish, but a high protein one, too!  Quinoa is pretty much a complete protein in itself, but lentils are also very high in protein.  Other essential nutrients like iron and vitamin C also play a major role.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we have!

Fiber: 10 Great Sources (Part 1)

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Fiber: 10 Great Sources (Part 1)

Last month I posted about the benefits of kids eating a high fiber diet.  This month the magazine Today’s Dietician came out with a list of their top ten foods high in fiber.  This list is great because it’s chosen by dietitians for dietitians.  It’s not just a list of foods that are highest in fiber – it’s a list of high fiber foods that are also overall really nutritious.  Here are the first 5 in alphabetical order, with 5 more to come soon.

Almonds

Did you know that of all the nuts in the USDA database, almonds are the highest in fiber?  (Incidentally, this is also why homemade almond milk needs to be strained.)  Just one 23 nut snack provides 3 grams of fiber.   But not only are almonds the nuts highest in fiber, they are also the nuts with the highest calcium and Vitamin E.

Almonds also have the benefit of reducing heart disease.  They lower bad LDL cholesterol while maintaining levels of good HDL cholesterol.*  If your children are overweight and you are looking to help them lose some weight, including almonds in their diet may also help them lose weight faster.**  And if your kids have diabetes or a pre-diabetic condition, eating almonds in a meal that otherwise causes blood sugar to spike can help moderate blood glucose levels so they don’t rise so much or so quickly.***

My kids eat a lot of almonds.  They have some great snack cups that I fill with almonds for a snack when we go out.  I also often keep a small bag of raw almonds on the counter – when my kids come begging for a snack while I’m preparing dinner, a few almonds keep them happy but don’t fill them up so much that they can’t eat their meal.  I also mix chopped or slivered almonds into a lot of the foods I prepare.  I add them to muffins and cakes, muesli and cereal, plus yogurt and salads.  Finally, I always keep an abundance of almond meal on hand that I can mix into cakes, cookies, and muffins.  You can even make entire recipes that substitute almonds for flour for a gluten free, high fiber treat!

Artichokes

Fresh artichokes can be a bit of a pain to prepare, but if you do they are worth it.  Just one medium sized artichoke has 10.3 grams of fiber, making it one of the highest fiber vegetables out there.  In addition to fiber, artichokes also boast high levels of Vitamin C, magnesium, and – especially good for pregnant mums – folate.  Artichokes were also the highest ranked vegetable for antioxidants in a 2006 study and were in the top 10 out of the more than 1100 foods examined.****

When I make fresh artichokes, I like to steam or boil them and then make a hollandaise sauce.  Kids can have fun pulling off the leaves, dipping them, and then sucking the meat off each leaf.  (Of course they may need some assistance when they get to the choke, depending on their age and familiarity.)  Personally, I find fresh artichokes can sometimes be a bit high maintenance, so you can cut corners by buying canned or jarred artichoke hearts.  Add them to all sorts of dishes, like quiches and salads, for a big fiber boost.

Avocados

When I first learned that avocados are a good source of fiber, I was really surprised.  After all, they are so smooth and creamy!  1 cup of sliced avocado contains 10 grams of fiber.  Avocados are really a superfood, as they contain lots of Vitamins C, E, K, and B6, in addition to folate, potassium, magnesium, beta-carotene, and lutein!

Avocados are also really high in healthy fats.  Over 65% of the fat in avocados are monounsaturated fats, which are good for heart health, with over 10% of their fat polyunsaturated.  Avocados are rivaled only by olives for their heart-healthy fat content.  But another benefit of this type of fat is that it helps the body dissolve and integrate fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, as well as helping the body absorbing phytochemicals.

Avocados are one of the first foods I feed my babies.  With their neutral flavor and smooth texture when mashed, they go over well as one of a baby’s first foods.  They especially love a 50-50 mix of avocado and banana we call “avonana.”  Older kids will enjoy avocados mashed and used as spread on sandwiches in place of butter or mayonnaise.  Of course avocados are amazing sliced into salads.  You can add them to any green salad, but my favorite is diced avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, and sliced hearts of palm dressed with olive oil and lime.  Avocados are also great blended into a dressing for almost any salad you want to have a creamy dressing.  You can also cook avocados.  Cut an avocado in half  or quarters, brush with grapeseed oil and season and stick them on the grill.  If that’s too grown-up for your pint sized crew, they may have more fun with an avocado cut in half and the hole in the middle filled with something – try salsa or an egg.

Cloud Ear Fungus

I don’t like eating fungus myself, but mushrooms and their ilk are so nutritious I definitely feed them to my family.  My kids and husband just love mushrooms.  For a fungus fiber boost, try giving your kids cloud ear fungus.  A one cup serving contains 3/4 of the fiber your older kids need for the whole day!  Not only that, but they are also good sources of manganese, selenium, and riboflavin.  Animal trials of cloud ear fungus also show that it is better than aspirin for preventing atherosclerosis and heart disease by reducing plaque buildup.*****

Never heard of cloud ear fungus and don’t know how to make it kid friendly?  It is common in Asian cooking, so look for it in Asian supermarkets.  Add it to Asian dishes – try adding it to soups (we love egg drop and miso soups) or stir fries.  It has a crunchy texture and absorbs the flavors of the foods it’s cooked with, which makes it a versatile addition to other foods.  Experiment with adding it to less traditional dishes like pastas with sauce or various soups.

Collard Greens

As a Southern gal, I’m very familiar with collard greens, but many people today have not heard from them.  Not only are they a nutritious powerhouse like kale, but they contain 3 times as much fiber as kale!  They also have 3 times as much calcium as kale and double the amount of protein, iron, and riboflavin.  In fact, one cup of boiled and chopped collard greens contain 30% of the recommended daily value for fiber.  They also have 3 times the daily recommended value of vitamin A.   Furthermore, collard greens, like kale, bind to bile acids, which reduces risk of heart disease and cancer, which is particularly potent when they are steamed.******  They also contain amazing antioxidants called phenolic compounds, which further protect against cancer and heart disease, as well as the phytochemical sulforaphane, which may reduce the risk of stomach, breast, and skin cancers.*******

To prepare collard greens, first wash them well and remove the tough inner stems.  Then, slice, chop, or chiffonade the leaves.  There are as many ways to prepare collard greens as you can imagine!  Traditional southern collard greens are sauteed with onion, then simmered slowly in stock, before being served with hot sauce.  Try adding them to any soups or stews (unlike more wimpy leaves like spinach, they won’t fall apart into a gunky mess).  If you are simply sautéing them, try blanching or steaming them first to soften up the tough leaves – then add them to any stir fry, sauté them with other veggies, or just serve them on their own as a side dish.  You can even make collard greens into a salad!  Like kale, the leaves are tough and need to marinate first, so dress your salad in advance with olive oil, salt, and any other dressing you’d like, then leave it overnight in the fridge to cure.

I hope you enjoy learning about these fantastic fiber-full foods!  The wide variety of high-fiber foods and the huge range of preparation methods should make it easier to get your kids to have some!  If you want to recall some of the benefits of fiber in a kid’s diet, just click here!

*Berryman CE, West SG, Fleming JA, Bordi PL, Kris-Etherton PM. Effects of daily almond consumption on cardiometabolic risk and abdominal adiposity in healthy adults with elevated LDL-cholesterol: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Heart Assoc. 2015;4(1)e000993.

**Abazarfard Z, Salehi M, Keshavarzi S. The effect of almonds on anthropometric measurements and lipid profile in overweight and obese females in a weight reduction program: a randomized controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2014;19(5):457-464.

***Josse AR, Kendall CW, Augustin LS, Ellis PR, Jenkins DJ. Almonds and postprandial glycemia—a dose-response study. Metabolism. 2007;56(3):400-404.

****Halvorsen BL, Carlsen MH, Phillips KM, et al. Content of redox-active compounds (ie, antioxidants) in foods consumed in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006;84(1):95-135.

*****Fan YM, Xu MY, Wang LY, et al. The effect of edible black tree fungus (Auricuaria auricula) on experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits. Chin Med J (Engl). 1989;102(2):100-105.

******Kahlon TS, Chiu MC, Chapman MH. Steam cooking significantly improves in vitro bile acid binding of collard greens, kale, mustard greens, broccoli, green bell pepper, and cabbage. Nutr Res. 2008;28(6):351-357.

*******Cartea ME, Francisco M, Soengas P, Velasco P. Phenolic compounds in Brassica vegetables. Molecules. 2011;16(1):251-280.

Nutrients Found in Fruits & Vegetables (You May Never Have Heard of!)

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Nutrients Found in Fruits & Vegetables (You May Never Have Heard of!)

cropped-DSCF1189.jpg

Fruits and vegetables are an essential source of vitamins and minerals.  Today, much ado is made about individual vitamins and minerals.  But there are many more beneficial nutrients in fruits and vegetables than just the Vitamin C and Vitamin A we hear about a lot in the media. Here are some of the beneficial nutrients your kids get in the fruits and vegetables they eat that you might never have heard of.

Flavanoids

IMG_2365Flavanoids are what give fruits and vegetables the vibrant colors in their skins.  There are many types of flavanoids, some of which are covered in more detail below.  Different flavanoids have been shown to confer different benefits, but flavanoids in general are powerful antioxidants that can help improve help by reducing inflammation and even stopping the growth of cancer cells.

Bioflavanoids

Bioflavanoids are found in citrus fruits and they have the benefit of extending the value of vitamin C in the body.  This is a main reason why eating fresh fruits and vegetables is so beneficial – just taking a supplement with a single vitamin or mineral misses out on benefits like bioflavanoids.  Bioflavanoids lower cholesterol levels.  They also support joint collagen in cases of arthritis.

Quercetin

Quercetin is an important antioxidant that is especially good at reducing LDL cholesterol oxidation.  It also helps the body cope with allergens as well as lung and breathing problems.  Quercetin is found in apples, onions, and citrus fruits.

Beta-Glucan

Beta-glucan supports the body’s white blood cells, which stabilizes and balances the immune system.  It is found in mushrooms.

Anthocyanins

Midnight black grapes

Anthocyanins are the most common flavanoid antioxidant, 9 times more common than any other flavanoid.  They are most commonly found in fruits with really strong colors, such as berries, red grapes, red cabbage, eggplants, and blood oranges.  Anthocyanins reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, fight cancer cells, and can even improve cognitive function.

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is used in many dietary supplements because of its immunity-boosting properties and its promotion of T-cell production.  It is also abundantly found in tea.  It also reduces the risk of colon and breast cancer.

Ellagic Acid

Berries in Jean Talon Montreal Market

Ellagic acid is an antioxidant and is also anti-carcinogenic, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract.  It also reduces cancer growth because it inhibits cell production of ATP.  Ellagic acid is found in walnuts, pomegranates, raspberries, and strawberries.

Beta-Carotene

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Beta-carotene is the most well-known of the carotenoids and one you have probably heard of.  Most people have heard that the beta-carotenes found in orange foods like carrots are good for eyesight.  This is because it is converted into Vitamin A in the liver.  But did you know it also decreases the amount of cholesterol in the liver?

Proanthocyanidins

Rose hips

One of my favorite supplements is grape seed extract, which contains antioxidants that can cross the blood-brain barrier to help heal the cells in your brain.  Proanthocyanidins, which used to be known as “condensed tannins,” are a flavanoid antioxidant found most potently in grape seeds and pine bark, but also appearing in apples, berries, barley, sorghum, rose hips, and rhubarb.  In addition to their powerful antioxidant properties, they also extend the life span of Vitamin C by 400% as well as increasing the amount of Vitamin E found in blood vessels.

Lycopene

Before making this soup, I toss all the tomatoes I need to use up in a big tub of water and wash them as I go.

Lycopenes have recently gained some fame for their ability to decrease the risk of prostate cancer.   They also help protect against heart disease.  Lycopenes are found most commonly in tomatoes, which has given ketchup and pasta sauce manufacturers cause to celebrate good sales as well as good health.  (Of course, fresh, raw vegetables are the best source of these nutrients!)

Flavones

IMG_2601

Flavones are another kind of flavanoid, responsible for the yellow coloring in foods like capsicum (bell pepper), yellow summer squash, and apricots.  They are incredibly powerful and have been shown to have the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of other flavanoids, as well as fighting allergies and cancers.  They also have neuroprotective properties, helping to keep brains functioning even better.  They also counteract stress-related diseases and can reduce the complications of diabetes.

Isoflavones

IMG_2498

Isoflavones may have helped get soy a bit of a bad reputation because of their tendency to mock estrogen.  However, isoflavones can help protect against hormone-related conditions in both men and women, including breast cancer and prostate cancer.  They also help increase bone density, reduce cholesterol, and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Lutein

 

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Lutein is another nutrient that’s really good for you.  Lutein, which is found in blueberries and squashes, is important for healthy eyesight (and therefore very important for pregnant mums and growing kids to consume).  Not only that, but it’s also good for your heart, as it helps to prevent coronary artery disease.

Conclusion

This is by no means an exhaustive list of nutrients.  However, these are some nutrients you may never have heard of.  The benefits of eating a broad variety of plant and vegetable foods cannot be understated.  These secretive little nutrients should give you even more motivation to get your kids to eat their veggies!

Pesticides & Herbicides are Poison

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Pesticides & Herbicides are Poison

Organic food is controversial in the eye of the public debate. Some people love it and some people hate it. But regardless of what you feel about it, when it comes to feeding your kids, it is the safest and most nutritious option.  Giving your kids organically grown produce is really the only way to avoid feeding your kids the pesticides and herbicides that are so liberally sprayed on conventionally grown produce today.

The produce you normally buy in supermarkets is what is known as “conventional” produce. It’s grown primarily by really big companies who have forced small farmers out of business, largely by cutting their costs as much as possible. They do this by farming in bulk and by trying to get as many fruits and vegetables as possible to grow on their land.

There are three main ways these companies use to grow as much as they possibly can: 1) they use fertilizers and chemicals to make produce grow faster and bigger; 2) they spray plants regularly with pesticides to keep bugs from eating crops; and 3) they plant as much as possible, as frequently as possible. All three of these things conspire to turn otherwise healthy fresh fruits and vegetables into vehicles of poison for your children.

Just as we are what we eat, plants are also what they “eat.” The soil they grow in provides them with all the nutrients that are then passed on to us. If the soil is full of chemicals and toxins, the fruits and vegetables grown therein will be full of chemicals and toxins. And if the fruits and vegetables are full of chemicals and toxins, then by feeding them to your children, you are feeding your children poison.

The same goes for plants that are heavily sprayed with pesticides or are coated with preservatives. Certain crops, like corn, greens (such as spinach or lettuce), and soft fruits (like berries or peaches) are sprayed more heavily than others. Other crops, like cucumbers and apples, are often coated with a preservative layer of wax to help them last longer in the cold storage they sit in until shops get around to selling them to you (which could be months and months). Now, pesticides really are poison, in every sense of the word. They are put on crops to kill animals that want to eat them. Just because your child is bigger than an insect and won’t die (at least immediately) from eating them does not make them any less poisonous. Would you offer your child some candy, saying, “Don’t worry, honey, it only contains a little bit of cyanide”? Of course not! Nobody wants to feed their child poison. The big companies are just hoping you don’t realize that the products they’re selling you are coated in it.

As an example, one of the most commonly use pesticides is taken from a bacterium called bacillus thuringiensis (“Bt”) that contains a powerful insect-killing toxin. When mice were fed vegetables sprayed with this chemical, they not only had powerful immune responses,[i] but the chemical even damaged their intestines![ii] But not only do mice[iii] and rats[iv] react to this chemical, so do humans.[v] People exposed to the chemical exhibit allergy-like reactions[vi] – even if they’re only handling the plants, not eating them.[vii] Yet, you are feeding your child this toxin, or any number of other pesticide toxins, every time you feed them conventionally grown fruits and vegetables!

Not only are plants sprayed with pesticides, but they are also sprayed with harsh herbicides designed to kill weeds. The most common, and strongest, of these is called Roundup (you have probably heard of it). Tests reveal that this herbicide is incredibly toxic. When rats were given water with trace amounts of Roundup in it (the levels legally allowed in our drinking water supply), they suffered from a 200% to 300% increase in large tumors. When they ate corn with trace amounts of Roundup, they suffered severe organ damage, including liver and kidney damage.[viii]   But you are feeding this poison to your children whenever you give them any food not grown organically!

To make matters worse, processed foods are often made with genetically modified (GM) fruits and vegetables. Many of these, such as rice, corn, and soy, actually have the gene for the harmful Bt toxin and/or the Roundup herbicide coded into their cells! Rats that were fed the same variety of GM corn used in breakfast cereals, corn tortillas, and corn chips developed large tumors and more than half of them died early deaths.[ix] So if you feed your child genetically modified fruits and veggies, there is no physical way to wash it off. You are literally feeding your child poisonous plants.

Organic farms are not allowed to use GM seeds.  They might use some sprays, but they are all natural, not the harsh poisonous chemicals used on conventional produce.  Unless you can grow your own fruits and vegetables, organic food is the best and healthiest option for your kids.

[i] Vazquez et al, “Intragastric and intraperitoneal administration of Cry1Ac protoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis induces systemic and mucosal antibody responses in mice,” 1897–1912; Vazquez et al, “Characterization of the mucosal and systemic immune response induced by Cry1Ac protein from Bacillus thuringiensis HD 73 in mice,” Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 33 (2000): 147–155; and Vazquez et al, “Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac protoxin is a potent systemic and mucosal adjuvant,” Scandanavian Journal of Immunology 49 (1999): 578–584. See also Vazquez-Padron et al., 147 (2000b).

[ii] Nagui H. Fares, Adel K. El-Sayed, “Fine Structural Changes in the Ileum of Mice Fed on Endotoxin Treated Potatoes and Transgenic Potatoes,” Natural Toxins 6, no. 6 (1998): 219–233.

[iii] Alberto Finamore, et al, “Intestinal and Peripheral Immune Response to MON810 Maize Ingestion in Weaning and Old Mice,” J. Agric. Food Chem., 2008, 56 (23), pp 11533–11539, November 14, 2008.

[iv] Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, François Roullier, Dominique Cellier and Gilles-Eric Séralini. 2009, A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health . International Journal of Biological Sciences 2009; 5(7):706-726; and Seralini GE, Cellier D, Spiroux de Vendomois J. 2007, New analysis of a rat feeding study with a genetically modified maize reveals signs of hepatorenal toxicity. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol. 2007;52:596-602.

[v] See for example “Bt cotton causing allergic reaction in MP; cattle dead,” Bhopal, Nov. 23, 2005.

[vi] M. Green, et al., “Public health implications of the microbial pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis: An epidemiological study, Oregon, 1985-86,” Amer. J. Public Health 80, no. 7(1990): 848–852; and M.A. Noble, P.D. Riben, and G. J. Cook, Microbiological and epidemiological surveillance program to monitor the health effects of Foray 48B BTK spray (Vancouver, B.C.: Ministry of Forests, Province of British Columbi, Sep. 30, 1992).

[vii] http://news.webindia123.com Ashish Gupta et. al., “Impact of Bt Cotton on Farmers’ Health (in Barwani and Dhar District of Madhya Pradesh),” Investigation Report, Oct–Dec 2005; and M. Green, et al., “Public health implications of the microbial pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis: An epidemiological study, Oregon, 1985-86,” Amer. J. Public Health 80, no. 7(1990): 848–852; and M.A. Noble, P.D. Riben, and G. J. Cook, Microbiological and epidemiological surveillance program to monitor the health effects of Foray 48B BTK spray (Vancouver, B.C.: Ministry of Forests, Province of British Columbi, Sep. 30, 1992).

[viii] Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, François Roullier, Dominique Cellier and Gilles-Eric Séralini. 2009, A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health . International Journal of Biological Sciences 2009; 5(7):706-726.

[ix] Joël Spiroux de Vendômois, François Roullier, Dominique Cellier and Gilles-Eric Séralini. 2009, A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian Health . International Journal of Biological Sciences 2009; 5(7):706-726.

Teaching Good Nutrition Begins in Infancy

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Teaching Good Nutrition Begins in Infancy

We hear the mantra that the very beginning of life is when babies learn the most as the reason why we should focus on their education from the very beginning.  But we all know from personal experience that nobody actually remembers being a baby.  It’s hard to associate a period of our own lives that nobody can even remember with being the most ideal time for learning.  Yet, even nutrition needs to be taught from the earliest stages, even in infancy, before your child even reaches the age of one!

Late last year yet another study was released that confirms this once again.  What babies were fed in infancy directly correlated to what they consumed later in life, at age six.  Babies who were fed unhealthy foods in infancy grew into children who were more than twice as likely to consume unhealthy foods as children – and of course, many other studies confirm that behaviors cemented in childhood are carried through into adulthood.  In essence, what you choose to feed your baby directly impacts how they will choose to eat during the rest of their lives.

Did you know that over 30% of 6-year-olds consume fruit less than once daily?  Nearly 20% of 6-year-olds consume vegetables less than once daily.  (Personally, I do not even know what these kids could possibly be eating, since fruits and vegetables are virtually all my kids eat!)  Even the US government recommends a minimum five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, so these kids are definitely not meeting nutritional guidelines, not even nutritional guidelines I find sorely lacking.

This study, done by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), found that kids who were fed less than one serving of fruits and vegetables per day in infancy were more than twice as likely to eat less than one serving per day of fruits and vegetables when they were six years old.  No wonder the AAP is getting desperate to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies in any way possible!

Starting babies out eating fruits and vegetables is the easiest thing in the world.  Babies are a captive audience when it comes to food.  They only experience as much variety as you provide them with and their taste buds are uncorrupted by flavors like sugar and salt.  All babies naturally gravitate toward sweet flavors (actually, I think most people do), which makes it even easier to give them fruits and vegetables as kids.  I fed my babies a wide variety of sweet foods when I started them on solids: stewed fruits like apples and pears, mashed soft fruits like bananas (especially delicious mixed with some mashed avocado) and ripe peach flesh, and steamed sweet vegetables like purple and orange sweet potatoes or carrots.

My kids generally had one to two servings of oatmeal (cooked using expressed breast milk for added nutrition), one serving of a sweet fruit or vegetable, and one serving of a savory vegetable (such as pureed spinach or peas) per meal.  I would also mix savory and sweet vegetables together (such as peas and carrots or spinach and butternut squash/pumpkin) and might even add fruit (pears with peas and carrots, for instance).  For ideas, look no further than your local grocery store – what fruit and vegetables combinations are being sold in prepackaged baby foods?  Those foods are tried and tested, so you know the flavors go together well.

I always made all my own baby food, which is easier than it sounds.  I often made extra of whatever I was preparing for dinner and simply set it aside and pureed it.  Other times, I would specifically cook up a batch for the baby but I would freeze the majority of it in quarter-cup ice cube trays.  That way it took maximum a half an hour of time per week to make separate food for the baby.  Of course, you could just buy baby food! Today the range of organic baby food free of added sugar, salt, and preservatives is growing.

Studies like this one show just how important it is to start educating your kids about nutrition from the very beginning.  Their first lessons start when they first start solids!

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

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Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

Roasted root vegetables

Following on my last couple of posts about roasted vegetables, here is an alternate and incredibly easy use for roasted root vegetables: soup!  My husband loves soup and although he prefers chunky soups to purees, I find a hot and hearty pureed soup really comforting.  This is another way to repurpose one meal into another.

Roasted root vegetable soup is so simple to make, I don’t even think I need to post up separate instructions:

  1. Dump roasted root vegetables into a blender.
  2. Add some vegetable stock.
  3. Blend.
  4. Serve.

The thing about making roasted root vegetables is that I find it incredibly easy to make a massive amount at once.  But eating roasted vegetables every night for a week can get a bit boring, so it is worth it to find alternate uses for them.  If it is possible to make a huge amount of something one night so I can do minimal cooking the other nights of the week, I am game.  Who doesn’t love a life hack like that?

Often when we repurpose leftovers, it’s tempting to just change them marginally.  But they still retain the same mouthfeel, even if the flavors change a bit.  By turning the roasted root vegetables into a soup, you completely alter their texture and taste.  Normally when we eat roasted root vegetables, we taste each individual vegetable.  You can close your eyes and tell if you are eating a potato, a carrot, or a beet.  Even if you get a couple of different flavors in one bite, they are only marginally mixed and still identifiable.  But once they are blended into a soup, the flavors meld seamlessly and create a new taste.

Simply adding all these vegetables to a pot, boiling, and blending will not give you the same result as roasting.  Roasting is a process that tends to intensify and concentrate flavors.  The caramelization process that takes place during roasting naturally intensifies the sweetness of even the most bland ingredients.  Boiling and then blending will leave you with a soup that is much more bland and flavorless, whereas blending up roasted vegetables will give your soup all the oomph and power of sweet, concentrated flavors.

Another bonus of turning leftover roasted root vegetables into soup is the freeze factor.  Roasted root vegetables cannot just be frozen as they are because some vegetables just will not maintain the right kind of texture and flavor when later defrosted, plus you’ll lose all the crunchiness that comes from roasting and be left with soggy cubes.  Not appetizing!  But once you blend all the vegetables up into a soup, you can definitely freeze it.  Just remember that if your mixture contains potatoes, you will need to stir well when you reheat it to redistribute the moisture in the soup evenly throughout.

Perhaps the best part about this soup is that it is so easy and fast.  Once you have your roasted root vegetables, you basically just need to spend one minute blending them.  If they’re cool, then just heat and serve.

And of course, it is versatile, too.  You can change the flavor of the soup dramatically depending on what vegetables in what amounts you’ve chosen to roast.  Is it a sweeter soup with lots of things like pumpkin and beets?  Or is it more savory, with flavors like potato and celeriac?

Changing the seasonings on the roasted root vegetables also dramatically changes the flavor profile of the soup.  Make Indian-style curried root vegetables and you’ll have a curried soup.  Italian herbs give you an Italian style soup.  Virtually any flavor combination that works for roasted root vegetables works for roasted root vegetable soup, too.

Finally, jazz it up with different toppings.  A soup heavy in orange colored vegetables, like pumpkin, carrot, and sweet potato, begs for a sprinkle of nutmeg and some toasted pumpkin seeds.  Pine nuts and soaked raisins are the perfect topping for a Moroccan-style blend.  Try sour cream and spring onions (or finely diced jalapenos) on a Mexican-style blend.  A curried soup goes great with some yogurt and chutney on top.  As far as toppings go, they sky’s the limit!

Because roasted root vegetables often include more starchy or high-calorie ingredients, a big bowl of this soup is satisfying enough to constitute an entire meal.  Alternatively, serve it up as a pre-course, or even during the meal itself.  A curried soup can be a nice side during a meal of thali while a Moroccan-style soup could even be poured over a mound of couscous.

Heat it up really hot before school and fill a thermos to send with your child as a healthy school lunch choice – it should still be hot, but not too hot, by the time they are ready to eat it.

To me, roasted root vegetable soup is the ultimate comfort food.  It’s easy and fast and is a great way to repurpose leftovers.  I hope you enjoy!  We enjoyed it so much I completely forgot to take a picture until it was all gone!

Roasted Root Vegetables, Three Ways

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Roasted Root Vegetables, Three Ways

Roasted root vegetables

Yesterday I posted about how to make the perfect roasted vegetables.  It’s one of my go-to dishes when I am unsure of what I ought to make for dinner because it tastes great, it’s incredibly versatile, and it’s perfect leftover food for lunch the next day.  Recently, I had a collection of root vegetables I decided to roast up.  I had too many for just one tray, so I decided to do three trays, three different ways!

I have had people ask me about how to season the veggies when you are roasting them.  The reality is, you can season them with just about any flavor combination you love.  And you can cheat, too, by buying pre-mixed spice combinations like Chinese five spice or Mexican taco seasoning and using those.  Yes, that is a legitimate way to get a good flavor on your roasted vegetables!  Your guests will never need to know how easy it was to mix those spices up.

Just be sure to avoid liquid seasonings like teriyaki, hoisin, duck, or garlic sauce.  Save those for a stir fry or for dipping some tempura vegetables in.  It’s tempting to want to just drizzle on some sauce and stir it around, but often these kinds of sauce thin out when heated.  The result will be a sticky gooey mess on the bottom of your roasting pan.  Your vegetables will not be evenly coated and they will end up soggy.  Seriously, stick with a thin coating of extra virgin olive oil and dry spices and herbs.

Of course, if you are into mixing up your own spices, feel free to do so.  The vast majority of the time, I mix my own flavors and they turn out amazing.  I’ve spent a lot of time testing different flavors and generally have a pretty good idea what they combine well with.  When I come across a flavor I happen not to be comfortable with, I simply leave it out or experiment with it in small batches until I get a good feel for the flavor.  Just two years ago, for example, I was totally unfamiliar with tarragon.  It’s still not a flavor I use all that often, but now I know its uses pretty well (I love it with fish and, perhaps surprisingly, in a German potato salad).  So, rule of thumb, if you’re not 100% certain the spices and herbs you’re planning on using go well A) with the vegetables you’re roasting and B) with one another, just avoid them, OR make a small batch first .  Better safe than sorry!

Now that you know how to make Chinese flavored roasted vegetables (just add a tiny drizzle of Bragg’s seasoning prior to coating with olive oil, then mix in Chinese five spice mixture) and how to make Mexican flavored roasted vegetables (just mix in Mexican taco seasoning mixture), I’m going to move on to the more advanced class: Three ways I love to make my roasted vegetables.

*WARNING* I am NOT going to give amounts for each of the seasonings.  It completely depends on how much you are making and how strong you want the flavor.  Also, I suck at measuring things and didn’t have the patience to make these dishes several times to measure everything until I figured out the perfect amount when I could get the perfect amount the first time just by eyeballing it.  Sorry!

Roasted Root Vegetables, Three Ways

Winter Vegetable Mix for Roasting

These are the vegetables I used:

  • Potatoes
  • Butternut Squash/Pumpkin
  • Sweet Potato
  • Rutabaga/Swede
  • Turnip
  • Parsnip
  • Carrot
  • Daikon Radish
  • Onion

(There is also garlic in these, but I didn’t use it for all of the mixes, only one.)

Preparing a huge batch of roasted vegetables

First you have to chop up your vegetables, then toss them in olive oil.  If you don’t know how to do this, please follow my tutorial on how to make the perfect roasted root vegetables.

The instructions for all of the following spice mixes is the same: Add the spices/herbs to your oil-coated vegetables, mix to coat, then cook (again, according to the tutorial – I’m not going to repeat myself a zillion times here.  I have two whiny kids begging me to take them to the park!).

Italian Style

Serve this one with some white fish poached in wine and some whole wheat garlic bread.

Italian Roasted Vegetables

Fresh garlic cloves (whole or sliced/diced/mashed – up to you)
Basil
Oregano
Rosemary
Thyme
Black Pepper
(Salt – optional)

Indian Style

Serve this one with a pot of dahl and coconut and lime whole grain basmati rice.

Roasted Vegetables Indian Style

Curry Powder
Garam Masala (mild – unless your kids like spicy food)
Garlic Powder
Ginger Powder
Organic Flaked Coconut OR cubed fresh young coconut
(Salt – optional)

Moroccan Style

Serve this one with some eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce and couscous with raisins and pine nuts.

Moroccan Style Roasted Vegetables

Cumin
Coriander
(Sweet) Paprika (again, unless you have kids with asbestos mouths)
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Ginger Powder
Diced Preserved Lemon

I hope you enjoy these three suggestions for good roasted root vegetable seasonings!  They make great meals and also make good lunches and fillings for wraps to send to school with your kids.

If you have your own favorite spice combo, please share!

Roasted Vegetables: A Healthy Meal How-To

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Roasted Vegetables: A Healthy Meal How-To

Roasted vegetables sounds like the easiest healthy meal/side dish in the world.  And in some respects, it is.  It is simple to prepare, highly versatile, and is usually very healthy.  But there are a lot of ways to roast vegetables, some better than others.  This is a guide for how to make the very best healthy roasted vegetables.

 Preparing a huge batch of roasted vegetables

What Vegetables?

Before making roasted vegetables, you have to ask yourself what kind of veggies you want to roast.  Do you want it to have a more savory flavor or more sweet? Do you want to do winter/root vegetables or summer vegetables?  You can’t just mix and match any vegetables.  Some cook slower and others faster, plus some flavors just go together better.

Some vegetables can go either way, which I tend to think of as onions (especially yellow/white/brown/Spanish onions for winter vegetable roasts and red onions for summer vegetable roasts) and garlic primarily.  Tomatoes can also be nice in a winter vegetable roast, especially if you’re planning to puree it into soup later.  I find eggplant can also go either way.  If you do want to mix it up a bit, for instance to mix carrots in with “summer” vegetables, put them in to roast for a while before adding your other vegetables.  For the most part, however, I divide vegetables into “summer” and “winter” vegetables, although there may be some crossover as to when the veggies are actually in season.

Winter Vegetable Mix for Roasting

Winter Vegetables
Winter vegetables tend to be hard vegetables that take a bit longer to cook.  The ones in bold below are especially sweet and can be mixed in with a more savory mixture or selected on their own to make a sweet mix that will appeal to kids’ sweet tooth palates.

  • Carrots
  • Parsnip
  • Turnip
  • Rutabaga/Swede
  • Celeriac/Celery Root
  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Beets
  • Pumpkin/Butternut/Winter Squash
  • Kholrabi
  • Radish/Daikon
  • Yam
  • Cassava/Yuca/Manioc
  • Jerusalem Artichoke/Sunchoke

Summer Vegetables
Summer vegetables tend to be softer, quicker to cook, and more varied in type.

  • String Beans/Green Beans/Wax Beans
  • Asparagus
  • Summer Squash/Button Squash
  • Zucchini
  • Tomatoes/Cherry Tomatoes/Grape Tomatoes/Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Eggplant
  • Corn
  • Capsicum/Bell Pepper
  • Sweet Mini Peppers
  • Spring Onions
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Broccoli
  • Mushrooms
  • Brussels Sprouts

Unusual Additions
Some foods are not “traditional” additions to a tray of roasted vegetables, but can actually complement a tray of roasted vegetables, make it “pop,” or become a great talking point.  If you’re making a savory dish, adding one sweet or tart element, like fruit or berries, creates an added flavor dimension that takes a dish above and beyond.  Who says roasted vegetables have to be simple or boring?!  For instance, adding sliced star fruit into a tray of green and red summer vegetables will be both visually and flavorfully appealing, but will also be a great talking point around the table.

  • Baby Bok Choy
  • Celery
  • Cucumbers (salt first to draw out extra moisture)
  • Olives/Capers
  • Berries (Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries)
  • Figs
  • Peaches
  • Pineapple
  • Apple
  • Grapes
  • Tofu
  • Tempeh
  • Seitan

Cut Them Up

Vidalia Chop WizardCutting up veggies to roast sounds simple, but some techniques are better than others.  I used to just roughly chop up vegetables into big bite-sized pieces, but after having kids I realized this was less than ideal.  Not only did it mean I had to cut them up further for my kids, but uneven sized meant some small pieces were overcooked while other big pieces were undercooked.  If you’re just planning to whiz them into soup, this won’t matter, but if you actually want to eat your roast vegetables, you need consistency.  Ideally, you want all pieces about the same size and you want them small enough for your kids.

Vidalia Chop WizardI use a Vidalia Chop Wizard to attain an even dice on all hard vegetables.  The cubes it makes are always the same size and are perfectly bite-sized for babies and toddlers.  Because they are smaller, they cook a faster, but it is so easy to use that you won’t have to spend lots of time chopping your vegetables.  I just slice them and then push them through my Vidalia Chop Wizard.  I have been using this thing for at least 10 years now and it’s still going.  I have tried other brands, but I’m nowhere near as enthusiastic about them.  This one, I would actually buy again.  It’s cheap and it saves me loads of chopping time. And it is apparently indestructible. What’s not to love?

For summer vegetables, I just try my best to get them in bite-size pieces all of approximately the same size.  I might slice beans and asparagus all into one-inch pieces.  Zucchini I will slice lengthwise in quarters and then slice into sticks or chunks depending on how skinny my zucchini are.  (Zucchini are my favorite summer vegetable.  LOVE their versatility!).

Seasoning

I use a huge variety of seasonings and I tend to season winter and summer vegetables differently.  In fact, seasoning roasted vegetables really merits its own post, which I think I’ll save for tomorrow.

Mixing Vegetables for Roasting

The most important part of seasoning roasted vegetables is getting the right amount of oil on.  You want just enough to lightly coat them.  Too little and your veggies will become too dried out.  Too much and you’ll have a disgusting oily layer at the bottom of your pan.  I used to just dump a whole bunch of oil on top of the vegetables in the pan and hope for the best.  The best was never what I got.  No, to get the right result, you really must season first in another bowl where you can thoroughly toss your vegetables.  I always used my hands so I can get a literal feel for how much oil is on my vegetables.  As a rule, I add just a couple of tablespoons, mix, and add more if necessary to coat.  By tossing in a separate bowl, you can make sure oil and seasonings are evenly distributed, but you also avoid gross roasted vegetables if too much oil goes in.  Just leave the extra at the bottom of the bowl when you transfer to a baking tray/pan.  (Don’t just dump the vegetables in – spoon them or scoop them in.)

At their most basic, season your vegetables with sea salt and cracked black pepper.  Roasted vegetables caramelize nicely so they really have amazing flavors on their own, which just need a note of salt to highlight.  As I said above, you can season with all sorts of flavors, herbs, and spices, but that’s for another post…

Now Roast Them!

Roasted Vegetables

For root vegetables chopped small, I will fill a whole tray with them – they shrink as they cook – and I won’t worry about even trying to do a single layer.  I then mix them up during the cooking process so that as the top layer gets a nice caramelized brown color, I mix it to put the bottom layer on top.  This ensures the nice crunchy caramelized bits are distributed throughout and nothing burns.  Summer vegetables, on the other hand, I always try to get in as much of a single layer as I can, because they tend to be more watery types of vegetables and benefit from having more access to the air circulating in the oven.

You want to get the temperature such that it is hot enough to cook the vegetables but not so hot it burns them before they have time to caramelize.  I generally cook mine at 180 C fan forced or 200 C if not (Americans should use 400 F).  Root vegetables take 45-60 minutes to cook through if they are chopped small or 60-75 minutes if chopped large.  Summer vegetables generally take 30-45 minutes.

Serve Them

Roasted vegetables are delicious as a side dish, but I also use them as a main so they can be the star of the show.  Starchy winter vegetables are hearty enough to really fill you up.  Pair them with a less conventional grain dish, like polenta, quinoa, or even couscous.  Roast some marinated tofu or tempeh in the oven at the same time or add cubed tofu or tempeh to your roasted vegetable dish and you’ll have a complete meal.

Roasted vegetables are also good cold.  This makes them an ideal part of a school lunch.  Both winter and summer vegetable roasts are good cold and lend themselves to becoming portions of a school lunch.  You can also send them as filling in a wrap or, rather than using a grain-based wrap, make a flat omelet and wrap that around your roasted vegetables for a high-protein lunch option.  This is where the small dice method really comes in handy – it is just the perfect size and shape for filling wraps and omelets!

So go ahead, enjoy your perfectly roasted vegetables.  Winter or summer, hot or cold, they are a delicious and nutritious addition to your kids’ diet.  Remember, even if your kids are vegetable-averse, you can tempt them by doing a sweet mixture, such as sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut, and beets with apples or peaches mixed in.  Delicious, nutritious, and kid friendly! Yay!

Inspire Healthy Kids: Getting Toddlers & Children Involved – How to Get Kids to Try New Foods

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Inspire Healthy Kids: Getting Toddlers & Children Involved – How to Get Kids to Try New Foods

Yesterday I spoke about how to talk to teenagers about the importance of a healthy diet. Today I’d like to share some ideas on how to get younger kids involved, too.  Here are some ideas on ways to inspire healthy kids from a very young age!

Feed Them Healthy Food

Toddlers and young children are very impressionable and generally really look up to their parents.  Ultimately, our kids will imitate many things we say and do, our mannerisms, our values, and even our diets.  We all do some things our parents did, even if we don’t realize it.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! Also, remember that “comfort” food is the food we found comforting when we grew up.  If our childhood favorite was grilled brussels sprouts or kale chips, those are the things we will return to for good feelings later in life.  So just by feeding kids healthy food from the very beginning you are setting them up for a lifetime of returning to the foods you fed them as children.

Take Them Shopping

One great way to get your kids involved is to take them food shopping with you.  Show them the different fruits and vegetables.  Let them see different colors and feel different textures.  Smooth purple eggplant, fuzzy brown kiwi fruit, dimpled orange mandarin, bumpy green kale… There are so many types and textures of fruits and vegetables.

Next, help them decide on some items to buy.  Let them take control of the dinner menu by choosing fruits and vegetables to incorporate.  It’s fine if they choose the same old ones they already eat and enjoy.  If it’s fresh fruit and vegetables, it is still healthy!  This won’t 100% guarantee that they’ll eat it (kids can be so unpredictable) but as long as you have an adventurous spirit, too, at least you can eat it up, and they will see you doing so.  This will encourage kids to try and eat more in the future.

Encourage kids to select at least one new fruit or vegetable (but not more than one or two at a time, or it can be overwhelming… fun in the store might be overload at home).  If it’s new to you, then be adventurous and learn how to cook and prepare it.  Make it exciting and get your child involved, too.

Unfortunately, grocery stores can be quagmires, with lots of junk food and colorful packaging designed to appeal to kids.  So don’t take them to the supermarket.  Take them instead to the farmer’s market or a specialized fruit and vegetable stand.  This removes most of the junk food from the equation.

Get Them to Try New Foods

Many kids have aversions or fears of unknown foods.  It’s not good to force it on them, but at the same time, it is important that kids learn to try new foods.  It can be frustrating as a parent to have a child who will only eat the same two or three vegetables.  It also makes you concerned about how to make sure they’re getting the right amounts and combinations of vitamins and minerals.  Kids need a varied diet and a balanced diet.

There are some steps you can slowly take to expose your child to new foods:

  1. Show them the uncut, uncooked food. Let them touch it, play with it, etc.
  2. Show them the cut, uncooked food.  Let them touch it, play with it, etc.
  3. If it is an item (like eggplant) that cannot be eaten raw, show them the cooked food. Let them touch it, play with it, etc.
  4. Give them a piece of the item and encourage them to lick it.  Remind them it’s not going IN their mouth and they do not have to eat it.  Show them a demonstration.  Perhaps make it part of an activity that involves licking many other items they already like.  Once they lick it, talk to them about it.  Ask them how they would describe it.  Is it bumpy or smooth? Hard or soft?  Wet or dry? The more non-taste adjectives you can come up with, the better.  Repeat step 4 as many times as necessary until the child is comfortable with the new food.
  5. Give them a piece and encourage them to take it in their mouth.  Remind them they are comfortable with licking it and they do not have to chew or eat it.  If they are completely unwilling, go back to step 4.  Once they have it in their mouth, have them roll it around.  Ask them lots of questions about it, as you did with step 4.  Ask them if it feels different in their mouth than when they licked it.  If they seem okay with it, ask them about the taste.  Repeat step 5 until the child is comfortable with the new food.
  6. Give them a piece and encourage them to chew it.  Remind them that they are comfortable with licking it and holding it in their mouth, and make it clear they do not have to eat it.  Provide them with a receptacle in case they want to spit it out.  If they are unwilling to do so, repeat step 5.  Once they chew it, ask them questions about it.  What kind of texture was it? What noises did it make when they chewed it?  Was it soft or hard? Was it easy to chew?  Ask them to describe the flavor.  Did it taste different from when they licked it and held it in their mouth?
  7. Give them a piece and encourage them to eat it.  Go through steps 4, 5, and 6 in order and then simply ask them to swallow.  If they are unwilling, stop at step 6.  If they do swallow it, congratulations! Your child just ate the new food!  Once they swallow ask them questions about it.  Did they taste anything when they swallowed it, and if so, what? Did they taste anything after they swallowed it?  How did it feel as it went down their throat?  Would they be willing to do this again?

I recommend doing one step per day for a one-week plan to introduce one new food per week until they’re comfortable.  You may find it takes much longer, especially if your child has serious food issues or texture aversion.  The slow introduction process will also make it easier for you to rule out any potential allergies, if that’s a big concern for you.  Of course, if you ask your child to lick it and she wants to eat it, then she’s definitely more open to new experiences and might breeze through the steps all in one shot.

The great thing is that once they learn that tasting new foods is fun, they won’t be afraid of it anymore.  Last night I gave my boys a new fruit, an achacha.  It is delicious, with a flavor reminiscent of mangosteen.  Of course they loved it (how can you not love something that tastes like mangosteen?!).  But they both tried it and loved it.  I didn’t have to force them.  They both wanted it.  Persistence and patience pays off.

Get Them Gardening

Kids who grow things are more willing to eat them.  Investing their time and effort in caring for a plant, watching it slowly blossom and then bear fruit, and then finally being able to pick it makes kids feel more connected to their food.

Remember, you don’t need to be a farmer to do this, and you don’t even need a backyard.  My brother-in-law grows vegetables in pots in his small apartment.  His two young daughters love it!  Most plants do not require a lot of effort, so you only need to devote a few minutes per day in giving the plant a bit of water, ensuring it is getting enough sunlight, and teaching your child about it.  Of course, the more your toddler or young child is able to be involved, the better.  Let her do the watering, sprinkle plant food on it, move it into the sun, and talk to her a lot about how the plant is growing food for her to eat.

I recommend starting with vegetables she can eat raw, right off the plant.  Cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, capsicum/bell pepper, and even zucchini are good options.  That way when the first veggies are ready to be picked she can try some straight away.  Choose vegetables she can watch grow and get excited about.  So avoid things like onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots, or you’ll likely be answering the same questions about how big the vegetable is day after day.

Let Them Cook

Kids who get involved in cooking are more likely to eat what they’ve cooked.  As with the gardening option, they feel more connected to food they helped prepare.  Give toddlers and young children easy tasks like mixing things together or helping pour.  For example, if you want to make a dish of rice with vegetables, let her pour the cups of rice and water into the pot, bowl, or rice cooker.  When it is ready to be assembled, let her add the veggies/seeds/nuts/spices and stir them in (tomatoes are an amazing one, as are pine nuts, sesame seeds, and grated vegetables like zucchini or carrot… the possibilities with a dish like this are endless).

This technique can be applied for nearly any meal.  Of course it may slow down your cooking time as you supervise your little assistant.  But then again, it may not.  By getting your kids involved as you cook, you guarantee they won’t be interrupting you every five minutes, making a mess you later have to clean up, or clinging to your skirts whining.  It’s actually a great stimulating activity, so it could be a real win-win situation!

Conclusion

I hope these tips help you get your young children to be more involved.  The more involved kids are in their relationship with healthy food, and the more willing they are to try new healthy foods, the longer their relationship with healthy food will last.  This is how to set your kids up not just for a healthy childhood, but for a healthy life.