Parent Teacher Magazine Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools September 2014 | Page 22

Beatrice's Healthy Options You want your family to eat healthy, tasty food, but you’re busy. What should you do? Instead of unhealthy fried chicken, make “Beatrice’s Better-than-fried Chicken” for dinner. Add an easy-to-prepare side dish of squash. Create a delicious kale salad, and finish with a wonderful no-bake cheesecake. The following healthy recipes are dairy-free, gluten-free, toxin-free, soy-free, sugar-free, and MSG-free. You can even hide vegetables in the dessert—a secret weapon for any supermom who knows that her kids need to eat more vegetables! What is the thinking behind these recipes? Before the industrial revolution, people ate food from local farms. They cooked it themselves. Now, most foods are processed with chemicals to be more flavorful and last longer. They are genetically modified to be bigger and more attractive. They even have pesticides built into their genes with these genetic modifications. Cows and chickens grow faster, thanks to hormones and antibiotics. Milk production is artificially accelerated. This does not mean that nutrients are added. In fact, your kids are ingesting toxins at an unprecedented rate. Also, children are less active Spaghetti Squash Side Dish Preparation time: 40 minutes. 1 medium spaghetti squash--3-4 pounds Coconut milk Garlic Parsley or cilantro Salt and pepper Cut your squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Place in your steamer pot open side down for about 20-30 minutes until your fork can cut into it smoothly. With a spoon, scrape out the squash from the shell. Mix in the raw garlic, a little coconut milk and the chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve hot. Raw garlic is super nutritious. (Roast the seeds with salt if you like.) Beatrice RD Hair 818 Corporate Circle Salisbury, NC 28147 704-633-8207 704-633-8206 - Fax [email protected] now than in the past, which creates a scary combination: less healthy intake and less healthy activity. But if you abruptly stop giving your kids good-tasting, artificial foods, they will not be happy. The solution is to create your own replacement recipes that avoid chemicals. For a smooth transition, make sure the flavors pop! Each meal should contain an appealing variety of colors; it is fun to incorporate all the colors of the rainbow. Time spent preparing healthy food means less time taking care of a sick child. Once in a while, turn off the TV and ask your kids to help you cook. From my 25 years as an educator, I know that children like messy, creative, hands-on activities. Here are some healthy recipes to get you started. The one for chocolate is my personal guilt-free pleasure. Kale Salad Preparation time: 10 minutes. 1 head of kale, with stems removed, and chopped in food processor 1/3 cup chopped prunes Juice of two limes 1 tbsp of olive oil 1 tsp of local honey ½ cup of pumpkin seeds Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients and garnish with fermented carrots for a delightful, delicious salad. Chocolate: this is sugar-free and guilt-free Prep \