Eating healthy (First of three parts)

Feeding kids can be tricky; let them pick their food and they will probably choose junk, which is packaged in fancy wrapping and loaded with fat, sugar, and salt that make it so yummy. If you're a parent, you're probably familiar with the tantrums that come with meals when you force your kids to eat the healthy food that they don't like. But it doesn't have to be that way?you can experiment with healthy, flavorful dishes, dishes that your kids will love. Involving your children in part of the preparation will also help them appreciate their food and increase the likelihood that they will eat it.

If they are really picky, you can always tweak food recipes to match their tastes and include vegetables without them noticing it. Sometimes all it needs is a little extra spice or a change in presentation.

For the next three articles, we will be featuring some recipes that you can try at home for your kids.

Breakfast Yogurt and Fruit

Blend some plain yogurt with fresh fruit and serve with some cereal or nuts that kids can sprinkle on top for added crunch. Put yogurt in a bowl and serve pieces of cut-up fruit for children to dip and eat! Older children can take part in chopping up the fruit themselves. Make a breakfast halo-halo?layer yogurt, cut-up fruit, and cereal in a glass. Serve with a spoon and let children dig in.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a yummy source of protein (check the label though and choose a brand that does not have too much sugar). Serve it with toast bread, graham crackers, banana or apples. Make a grilled peanut butter sandwich using bread or pandesal (whole wheat is best). Your kids will love the crunchy outside and gooey inside. Add bananas in there to make it even better!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients

2-3 cups rice (can be leftover from last night's meal)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons oil

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced onion

4 teaspoons soy sauce

1/2 cup leftover meat, sliced into small pieces

1 cup green peas

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1 small cabbage, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

Preparation

Beat the egg and set aside. In a pan with oil, sauté garlic, onion, red bell pepper, green piece, carrots, cabbage and leftover meat, cook, stir until the vegetables are just tender. Do this for about two minutes. Add rice, soy sauce, salt in the mixture for two minutes. In a separate pan, fry the eggs, sliced thinly and combine the rice mixture. Remove from heat. Serve.

Sources:

Food editorials.com

Ang Inyong Nutri-Guide 3rd Edition

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The Freeman and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. is running weekly features on Early Childhood Care and Development to emphasize the importance of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and to increase public support for ECCD.