Make Healthy Meals

Once you’re past the baby food stage, it can be pretty challenging to keep your toddler on a healthy diet. Toddlers love all kinds of unhealthy foods. Processed meats, candy, French fries, juice… most toddlers would cheerfully live on such a diet.

However, you don’t have to let them. There is no rule saying that you must allow your toddler to eat all those common yet unhealthy foods just because they’re easy to chew.

I’ve seen mothers of toddlers complain that all their child wants to drink is juice, juice, juice! It doesn’t sound so bad if they’re using 100% juice, except that many juices contain vitamin C and not much else nutritionally. Read the rest of this entry »

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour
2-4 cloves minced garlic|
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar

Dip each chicken piece into egg then cover with flour. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour olive oil into skillet. Add minced garlic and spread around. Place chicken on top and cook until chicken is done, turning occasionally.

In a bowl, combine balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and brown sugar. Mix well and pour over chicken. Allow to cook until mixture thickens, turning the chicken regularly to coat all sides.

1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned (chicken can also be used)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) chopped tomatoes with liquid
1/2 c. sliced pepperoni
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 c. dry minute rice
saffron

Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve paid much attention to the news recently, you’ve heard about E. coli being found in bags of fresh spinach. One woman died, and more than a hundred fell ill.

I had to throw a bag of spinach out myself. The brand wasn’t listed in initial reports, but I’ve always been a believer in better safe than sorry, especially since I have small children. I can drop spinach from my diet for a time.

But how does a healthy vegetable such as spinach become contaminated with E. coli? Read the rest of this entry »

1/2 dozen sticks of asparagus
1/2-pint water
1/4-pint milk
1 level dessertspoonful of corn flour
1/4 oz. of butter
pepper and salt to taste.

Boil the asparagus in the water till tender, add the seasoning, and the corn flour smoothed in the milk, boil up and serve.

4 lb. fryer in pieces
2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. cranberry-raspberry cocktail
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg Read the rest of this entry »

1 head Romaine lettuce — chopped
2 cups arugula
3 navel oranges
1 Vidalia onion
fresh parsley — chopped

— Dressing: —–
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
black pepper
1 avocado — sliced Read the rest of this entry »

1 can tuna packed in water – drained
3 tbsp low fat mayonnaise
1 spoonful pickle relish Read the rest of this entry »

2 Tbs. raisins
2 Tbs. crunchy or creamy peanut butter
1 apple
Peanuts, for garnish (omit if making for small child) Read the rest of this entry »

Kids love foods that are terrible for them. Just look at what they eat at fast food restaurants. Greasy, processed junk with very few redeeming nutritional values.

Fortunately, you can also give them a taste for healthy food. You can even get them to enjoy foods that you don’t enjoy yourself.

The first rule is simply to avoid giving kids unhealthy food. I was shocked when I read a news report on a study about how often kids go to fast food restaurants. My daughter is lucky to get fast food once a month, unless we’re on vacation. I can’t imagine letting her eat it every day, as apparently many kids do. It’s too unhealthy and too expensive. Read the rest of this entry »