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Meat or vegetables? Independent online (SA)
Vegetarian Shoes And Bags
Which Stars Are You From?
If you are committed to becoming one of the "Vegans" or simply looking for ideas for meat free meals, it can be hard to convince the rest of the household to go along with you. Pint-sized picky eaters will turn their noses up at tofu chunks or just about anything that looks unfamiliar.
Fortunately the internet is there to help. There are plenty of tasty kid-friendly recipes that don't call for any animal products what-so-ever.
Go Middle Eastern - One night make falafal with a side of hummus. Any leftover hummus can be packed for lunch the next day with veggie sticks.
Asian Confetti Rice - This dish provides a colorful option for your kids. It is chock full of vegetables and whole grains.
Baked Tofu Nuggets with Sweet Potato Fries - This recipe won't fool your kids into thinking they are eating chicken nuggets but the shapes might be familiar enough to create a new favorite.
(Source: http://www.greendaily.com/; image by: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/realveganchildren)
Eight Easy Ways to Get Your Family to Eat Vegetables
By Cathe Olson
There are children who devour plates of crunchy salads and gobble up steamed broccoli, like it was candy, but what do you do if your kids refuse to eat anything green?
Children need the vitamins and minerals vegetables provide. Vegetables from the Cabbage Family are exceptional sources of calcium, vitamins A and C, and beta-carotenes, especially kale and collards.
Most kids (and many adults) don’t like the strong taste and texture of these leafy green vegetables. Rather than trying to get your child to eat food she doesn’t like, fix the vegetables in a way that she will enjoy. Don’t load your child’s plate with huge helpings that may be overwhelming. Give him a little and let him ask for more.
Encourage your child to taste each dish but don’t force her to eat more if she doesn’t like it. Best of all, set a good example. If you are eating healthy, chances are your children will also.
Grow Them
Even a small plot or a few containers will work. If you haven’t gardened before, choose plants that are easy to grow and provide a big yield, like green beans, zucchini, lettuce, kale, or tomatoes. Let your child pick out the seeds and help with the planting, watering, and harvesting. Last summer, my two-year-old daughter would beg for a green bean every time we walked past the garden.
Mince Them
A food processor is a great investment. It can puree baby food, mix up cookie dough, and mince heaps of vegetables in seconds. Place washed and dried greens, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, etc. in your food processor with the metal blade and chop very fine. Minced vegetables can be added to soups, rice, mashed potatoes, spaghetti sauce, pesto, pizza, pasta dishes, scrambled eggs, egg, potato or pasta salads - just about anything. Add them to food you know your family likes. They’ll hardly notice a taste difference. Once vegetables are minced, they will keep only a few days in the refrigerator. No problem - make a big batch and freeze it. Lay the minced vegetables on a baking sheet and place in freezer. After a couple of hours, transfer to a freezer container. They will keep frozen for months. Just take a handful out anytime you need it.
Dip Them
Kids love to dip things. Give them raw or steamed carrots, celery, bell peppers, cucumber slices, zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower. Use hummus, salad dressing, cream cheese, peanut or almond butter, tahini, yogurt, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, pureed tofu with herbs, or even ketchup for dipping.
Top Them
Sprinkle a little grated cheese on your child’s vegetables and watch them disappear. Even a little butter or sesame oil can make a big difference. When I was young, my Mom’s crumb topping was such a hit, my siblings actually fought over brussel sprouts. Crumb Topping: Melt 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil and mix in 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Crumble over vegetables.
Puree Them Into Soups
If your children won’t eat chunks of vegetables in their soup, puree it in your blender or food processor. Try blending your favorite vegetable, bean, or chicken soups. You’ll be surprised how delicious they taste. My kids call them smoothie soups and like to drink them from a cup. Pureed soups are a soothing way to nourish a sick child who doesn’t want to eat.
Bake Them
Bake Zucchini Muffins, Squash Bread, Carrot Cake, Pumpkin or Sweet Potato Pie using whole grain flour and a small amount of honey, maple syrup, or sugar to sweeten. Try savory goodies like Broccoli-Cheese Muffins or Zucchini Cornbread. Add minced veggies to bread, pizza crusts, rolls, muffins, etc.
Add Them to Burgers
Another great way to use minced veggies is to mix them into tofu burgers or a bean/nut loaf. Make veggie burgers from whole grains and vegetables. Eat them like regular burgers with all your favorite trimmings. Quick Veggie Burgers: Mix 2 1/2 cups cooked rice or millet with 1 grated carrot, 1/2 cup minced kale or collards, 1 beaten egg, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 teaspoon soy sauce or 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand. Add a little water or breadcrumbs if necessary to get them to stick together. Shape into patties and fry in small amount of oil until both sides are brown and crisp. Burgers can also be baked at 400 on an oiled baking sheet about 10 minutes per side.
Drink Them
Vegetables in smoothies? You won’t even taste them. Try this combination - I call it the Everything Smoothie: Place 1 1/2 cups apple juice, 1/2 apple (cored and sliced), 1/2 orange (peeled), 1/2 raw sweet potato or 1 carrot (sliced), 1/4 cup chopped kale or cabbage, 1 banana. Puree together. Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Cathe Olson is the author of Simply Natural Baby Food and The Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook For more information and sample recipes, visit Cathe at Simply Natural Books.
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