Kids And.....Veggies?

Can the two mix harmoniously? Yes, they can! 

You may think kids will always hate their veggies. But, has there ever been a time when you gave your baby veggie baby food (pureed carrots, for example) and they actually smacked it all down happily?  Or have you ever been delighted to find that your toddler was your nutrition pride and joy because they actually devoured those "little trees" (called steamed or even raw broccoli)?  And, my gosh, without even any cheese sauce! 

But then you might wonder, what went wrong? Somewhere along the way, the child started having a hankering for junk food (chips, candy, cake, etc.) and now the healthy veggies have taken a backseat for your youngster, or worse, the veggies are now the enemy at mealtimes.

We have to keep in mind that children (and adults) have been "spoiled" by the tastes of modern cuisine and food manufacturing, most of which is not good for us. The Dietary Guidelines for America for 2005 recommends that adults eat five servings of vegetables and five servings of fruit per day to prevent many kinds of disease and illness, and to maintain a proper body weight. Kids have their own guidelines:

Children 2-3 years old require roughly 2 servings of vegetables, 4-8 years old require about 3.
Girls ages 9-13 require about 4 servings, and young ladies 14-18 require 5. Boys ages 9-13 years need about 5 servings and older guys at 14-18 need about 6 servings of veggies per day.
(These servings are about 1/2 cup each. Information is from http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/vegetables_amount_table.html


How can we get all these veggies in? By teaching our kids how important (and tasty!) fruits and veggies can be, by eating them often in front of our kids, and by making them very available to them every day and digging up neat recipes involving all or mostly vegetables. Going meatless some of the time or even all the time is another heathy way to get all the servings in, as now there will be much more room for veggie and fruit in the diet.

Also, knowledge of the vast variety of veggies available is on the parent's side.  If asked, a child will usually finally say "yes," when asked which veggies they like. One child I know does not like cauliflower and snap peas but loves cucumbers. Another child does not like brussel sprouts but loves carrots and cherry tomatoes. If you dig, you shall find! Give your child lots of kudos for caring for their body and keep adding other veggies they like.

Below you see two children consuming a lunch dominated by veggies:  There's a cucumber and carrot crudite plate that was very easy to prepare with Drew's Orange Dressing in the center, Kashi Mediterranean Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza, and Imagine Portabello Mushroom Soup.

The kids really enjoyed this meal!

We Put Our Walnuts Where ?

Cathy's Winning Walnut Basil Spaghetti

I say "winning" because, besides the abundance of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids (both as much as any meat dish out there!), EVERY MEMBER of my picky five-member family loves this dish, from age three on up through age 40+. And, this delicious, zesty, zero-cholesterol dish is easy to make, and the walnuts give it a delightful "meaty" texture without all the saturated fat!  I usually prefer to post dishes that encourage as much consumption as possible of fresh or lightly cooked veggies (as opposed to processed starches like pastas), but an occasional spaghetti dish can actually be good for you, and especially for active people and growing kids! Walnuts have tons of the healthy Omega-3 fat, which has been shown to be great for your heart, your skin, your brain, your joints and more. Although this is a very healthy dish, it is rich.  You shouldn't really eat calorie-laden pastas very often unless you are very thin and/or are very physically active!

1 box thin whole wheat spaghetti

1/3 medium eggplant, cut into thin strips

1 large handful fresh basil, maybe more, washed, bunched up and cut into strips

5-6 cloves fresh garlic, more if you love garlic, chopped or cut into strips

light virgin olive oil (about 2 tbsp)

1 to 1 1/3 cups fresh walnuts, ground in a food processor

1 24 oz. jar of your favorite organic pasta sauce with little to no sugar added, less than 5gm per svg

red pepper flakes (add to your own plate if children are eating)
sea salt, to taste

1. Prepare spaghetti as directed, al dente,  draining and rinsing when done, then setting aside with a tiny bit of oil mixed in.  While the pasta is cooking, keep an eye on it and do steps 2 and 3:

2. Saute garlic first in a large pan. The idea is to create a "garlic flavored oil," one of the secrets here.

3.  Just before they are lightly browned, add the eggplant and saute 2-3 more minutes.

4.  Mix in the pasta sauce and bring to a simmer.

5.  Add the prepared spaghetti, mix thoroughly.

6.  Add the basil, mixing thoroughly. The basil must be abundant and fresh. Sorry, no exceptions here.

7.  Add the red pepper flakes or just the sea salt.  Enjoy!

Serves about 6-7 people.

Cooking time:  Approx. 30 minutes

Here's a wonderful link that delves deep into the

"wondrous walnut."

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=99

It Goes Way Back...

For as far back as I can remember, I've contemplated what makes "healthy" and what does not. Even in the photos above, you can see I'm pondering a morsel of cookie quite seriously for a two-year-old. I don't actually recall what was going on there... But knowing myself, I mostly likely was thinking that if I ate that last piece, it would be all gone - thus, maybe I'd better not eat it! I was also probably wondering what something that sweet would do to my body, and if it was good for me.