HEALTH & WELLBEING
smaller quantities. Meat is consumed in its leaner cuts that permit raw consumption, sliced or in tartare, for the preparation of fresh dishes topped with vegetables.
Ricotta, mozzarella, feta, halloumi and soft goats cheese are present in the Mediterranean diet and eaten in salads or with bread. Good for quick meals, they are rich in calcium and vitamin D which is well absorbed during sun exposure, while matured cheeses offer more energy and are used to dress pasta dishes or to season side dishes.
During the hot season it is essential to keep hydrated. Fresh water should always be the first choice to drink but herbal drinks are a good choice, too. Flavoured waters or fruit juices should be limited because they are very high in sugar. A good idea can be to refrigerate a few bottles with some pieces of a favourite fruit or fresh mint leaves. But let's not forget that the Mediterranean diet also includes the pleasure of dining with a glass of wine, which is an excellent antioxidant – especially red wine. It is also associated with the conviviality of being at the table and
sharing a meal with friends, and this is the real foundation of the principles of the Mediterranean diet lifestyle.
Eating together is not only the simple act of consuming a meal with other people, its meaning extends to strengthening the foundations of an interpersonal relationship, promoting creativity and passing on the identity and values of communities. This is even truer in the presence of children that need to learn early in their life the importance of a healthy approach to food.
How to encourage your children to eat more vegetables and fruit
Make it colourful
At mealtime, present vegetables first
Blend them into creative smoothies
Sprinkle fruit with your child’s favourite treat (cocoa, honey, coconut flakes)
Serve vegetables in two or three dishes each meal (entrée, soup, side or pasta sauce)
Ask your child often to try new vegetables/fruits
Seabass Salad Serves 4 Ingredients
1 whole sea bass (800g) 50g pitted Kalamata olives 1 red radicchio 2 tbp salted capers 1 fresh garlic clove 1 bay leaf 1 lemon 3 tbp extra virgin olive oil
Bring to boil a wide pan with free litres of slightly salted water with the bay leaf.
Wash the fish and remove the entrails. When the water is boiling, gently lay the fish and turn the heat down. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the eye is completely white.
Wash the radicchio and drain it. Cut it into two halves straight down the middle. On a chopping board lay the halves cut side down and finely cut it into thin strips. Remove the fish from the water with a skimmer and lay it onto a wide dish. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Clean the fish from skin, head, fins and all the bones.
Squeeze the juice of the lemon and mix it in a small bowl with the olive oil. Whisk well and add a pinch of salt and the peeled garlic clove. Rinse the capers to remove the salt and chop it roughly together with the Kalamata olives. Remove the garlic clove from the dressing.
Bring together fish, radicchio, olives, capers and the dressing. Gently mix it.
Raffaella Cappello is an Italian mother of two and founder of Seeds for Kids which provides healthy food education for children to private families and schools. You can find her at
www.seedsforkids.co.uk
www.focus-info.org FOCUS The Magazine 15
Use fun activities when introducing new food
Set challenges with other members of the family
Involve often your child in food preparation
… and moreover, use this attitude: “You don’t have to like it, only try it”
Kids menu don’t exist, one family, one meal
Be patient and determined Limiting is better than prohibiting
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
