Everyone is doing it... Right? I mean... It's all the rage; getting your kids to eat healthy food. People everywhere are talking about the way children eat and how it affects them. If you saw Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC last Friday you got a glimpse of just how poorly some kids are eating. Our First Lady is on a mission to fight childhood obesity with her Let's Move campaign. It's not a joke, people; this is serious stuff!
so.... What's the problem? My sister Jill, my best friend Louise
and I are all chefs. Kale, asparagus, quinoa, parsley, tomatoes, avocado, lentils, beans, spinach and peas are all a regular... Yes, REGULAR part of their everyday diet.
I have been talking, talking, talking (easy for me...) to parents who are having a lot of trouble getting their kids to eat healthy food. So many parents are frustrated and so many kids are not eating well.
So... What are Chef Mamma's and parents of healthy eaters doing differently? I think one of most valuable tips is that we present our food, all food, with confidence! We love our yummy greens and we honestly don't see any reason why our babies shouldn't either!
WE BELIEVE "KID'S FOOD" IS REAL FOOD. By adjusting the texture NOT omitting entire food groups!
* From the start, we put greens in everything; a big handful of parsley in scrambled eggs, spinach in a quesadilla, grated zucchini mixed into brown rice, chopped (really chopped) up broccoli in ground turkey or lamb, avocado and tomato in quinoa.
* We lightly season our food and moisten it with extra virgin olive oil, or add fresh ricotta cheese or sour cream and Greek yogurt to smooth out textures.
* Use sweet potato or yam to sweeten it up a bit!
Above all... Keep an open mind and don't let go of your preconceived ideas get in the way of giving your babies the amazing gift of a healthy fresh start!
Love it! I have a 9 month old baby girl and would love to have a recipe to whatever you are feeding your little one.
ReplyDeleteThe first one:
ReplyDeleteQuinoa (white) cooked as directed on the box. Add: sauteed mushrooms, spinach (chopped really small for babies)or kale (same small chop), scrambled egg and maybe a little olive oil then avocado once it has cooled off a bit... keeps it moist. Think of it as Healthy "fried rice". You can add anything! Think green! Throw in tiny chopped broccoli or asparagus.
Next: The next one is just a quesadilla that we make with a little jack cheese, and cotija cheese ( you can use farmers cheese)... and we use either corn tortillas or whole wheat tortillas. We cut in pieces for kids that have new teeth. They should have teeth before you serve them this dish.
Finally in the video: Sauteed Black Kale (sometimes called Cavolo Nero) mixed with quinoa and smashed roasted yam and sweet potato (you can also use butternut squash or pureed cooked carrot.
Try to season the food just a little with a tiny pinch of salt and a few little drops of lemon or orange. If it doesn't taste good to you... it probably won't taste good to your baby!
Most of all... Good for YOU for doing something wonderful for that lucky baby girl!!! Keep up the good work!