MM Diet
Most children will go through a food phase or fad, where they either pick and choose what they want to eat. So how do you ensure that your child enjoys a balanced diet?
Peaters icky
Most children will, at some time, develop a love of one particular food and, if it’s nutritious, then by all means allow them to have it, but only once a day. At other mealtimes, give them what everyone else is having. Try the following: If your child wants something that you
consider undesirable, then don’t ban it completely, but set boundaries by saying that it is for certain times only. Beware of banning a food in such a way that you end up making it more attractive - it may be better to allow it occasionally, rather than not at all. If your child takes a particular dislike to
a food, especially something that is an intrinsic part of what you consider a healthy diet, continue to put it out on serving dishes and allow the family to help themselves as usual. If you’re dishing the food up on
individual plates, give the child who dislikes it, a very tiny amount without comment. Your child has one of two choices: they can either eat it or leave it. After a period of time, it may be eaten. It is possible that a minute amount of a disliked food will gradually become accepted. Large dollops of it will, however, attract the adverse reaction and intensify the dislike. As most parents will tell you, if there’s a
food that’s going to be disliked, you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be vegetables! With the emphasis on five
42 Modernmum
portions of fruit and veg so highly emphasised as part of a healthy diet, many parents panic when their child scoffs at Brussel sprouts and balks at even a handful of peas. So, what can you do? Remember that no single vegetable is
essential. Veg of similar colour are roughly interchangeable nutritionally, so, if your child eats broccoli, but eats no other green veg, then that’s fine. Always make sure that other veg are available for other family members. Offer veg as a treat. You could maybe
have raw veg sticks as party or picnic food, or bubble and squeak as a surprise treat when a friend is visiting. Chop the veg into different shapes
and cook them in different ways. Carrot chips and beetroot crisps are particularly popular. Serve veg as purées. Carrots or sprouts
can be puréed with potato, a drop of their cooking water and a speck of real butter. Two or three tiny heaps of different veg
are less off-putting than a big mound of one kind. If all else fails, then hide or disguise
them! Incorporate veg into composite dishes, such as lasagne, soups and stir fries. If your child dislikes raw tomatoes, for example, try a well-flavoured tomato sauce with chicken or fish, or serve over potatoes and rice.
Healthy ideas
Italian tomato sauce It’s a great idea to make up a large quantity and freeze in small containers for use later on.
1 large onion, chopped 2 tsp tomato ketchup 1 bay leaf Good pinch thyme, sage, basil 2 tbsp olive oil Pinch of black pepper and sale 2 cloves garlic, copped Tiny pinch cayenne 1 kilo tinned tomatoes
Cook the onion and garlic in the oil for seven to ten minutes to soften and lightly colour. Add all of the other ingredients except for the salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, lower heat and cook uncovered over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened (about 30 minutes). Taste before adding seasoning.
Home-made chicken nuggets 1 large chicken breast, boneless, skinned 40g polenta (cornmeal) 2.5ml (1/2 tsp) salt 1.25ml (1/4 tsp) garlic powder Freshly ground black pepper 90ml (3 fl oz) water 1 egg white
Preheat the oven to 200°/400°F/Gas mark 6. Cut up the chicken breast into bite-sized chunks. Combine the polenta, salt, garlic powder and a little black pepper. Place the mixture into a large plastic bag. Combine the water and egg white in a
bowl. Dip the chicken pieces into the egg mixture and then drop into the plastic bag. Shake until the chicken is thoroughly coated. Place the coated chicken pieces on an
oiled baking tray. Bake for ten to fifteen minutes or until tender and golden brown. Serve with home-made chips or a baked potato with carrots or broccoli.
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