Dietary Changes
We're making a few dietary changes around here for overall better nutrition. Though we're all actually quite healthy in terms of stability of mood and rarity of illness, there's no doubt our diet is less than optimal. I'm excited about the change - seeing flax oil and brown rice and plain, nonfat yogurt on my grocery list makes me feel like a more loving mother and wife, or at least one who is trying to love better - but, I'm scared. I've been eating a certain way for a very long time. I like rich, buttery meals and snacks with a lot of heavy flavor (I put rich sauces on absolutely every main course and rarely eat chicken without skin).
I'm not changing everything - I know I'll still make some of my favorite meals, but I'm adding vitamin and mineral-rich foods to our daily eating habits in general, hoping to help us all grow to love better foods.
My only question is for the finicky-eater. How do you get a child who cringes at the sight of a bean of any kind to like legumes such as lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc.? And hummus is not an option. Any suggestions are welcome.
20 comments:
Beans are the one thing my children refuse to eat. I've pureed them in soup and they have eaten them that way and I also spread a layer of pureed beans on tortillas with assorted other veggies or cheese and that's worked too.
I found a lovely little cookbook that deals with finicky eaters as I have a few myself. It is Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. The idea is to cook and puree the veggies and mix them in the meal such as meatloaf. I do like the meals and more importantly my kids do and there are no funny tastes the veggies complete the meal. I have implemented this method in many of my other meals as well. Enjoy!!
Burritos with refried beans prepared without lard has always been a favorite of my very finicky eater. Also, a bit of lentil soup has been tolerated well when accompanied by sourdough bread and followed by a slice of her favorite fruit pie.
And here's a funny story for you: I was taking a flax seed oil supplement this morning, thinking, "Oh, this is supposed to help improve my memory!" And I turned around and saw two tortillas burning on the stovetop as I had forgotten that I had started lunch fifteen minutes earlier. It goes without saying that I also frequently forget to take the supplements. :)
My daughter loves eating black beans on a whole grain tortilla with cheese. She often will have this for lunch. Of you could make a black bean salsa of some sort... lots of recipes around for that type of thing. Hope you find something she'll like... and good luck with your new dietary changes!
Taking notes... some good suggestions so far. We have some "dramatic" eaters here too.
Black bean soup is good because the beans are pureed, it's usually very flavorful, and finicky eaters can add cheese and sour cream to mask some of that "beany" flavor.
For a child who refuses to eat beans, my remedy would be not making them eat beans. There are so many wonderful healthy options available. Beans are amazing, it's true. But there's nothing more likely to set up an antipathy for them than trying to get them into the child's diet. I say this because I hated beans and my mother never made me eat them, then one day we had some fresh from my uncle's farm and I decided to try them, and was hooked!
Your previous diet doesn't sound that bad. You've probably been getting a lot of omega oils and iron and other nutrients which have kept you healthy. But the changes also sound delicious. I wish you luck.
We've always (20+ years) had beans in our diet, primarily because they are cheap protein. The bean I use the most is pinto, followed by black. All of us love Mexican food as long as it is served with a good salsa. Yesterday I made pinto beans in the crockpot and we had burritos for dinner. Today I added vegetables and spices to the leftovers and we'll have chili with cornbread for dinner.
Brazilian Black Bean soup is great served over rice. I highly recommend the Moosewood Cookbook. Their recipe for "Gypsy Soup" using chickpeas is a favorite here. It also has a good vegetarian chili recipe. One of the Tightwad Gazette books has a very tasty, simple recipe for a lentil and rice casserole. I also use the leftover casserole to make enchiladas and pour a homemade red sauce over it. Other good simple, wholesome food books are the La Leche League cookbook and Diet for a Small Planet.
We have a pretty straight forward way dealing with picky eaters. They can eat or go hungry. As my dad used to say, "This is not a short order kitchen. Eat." You just have to make it a way of life and they'll get used to it. Kind of like homeschooling!
It's a gratitude thing too - toward the cook and the source of all good things, God. I think gratitude is a greatly neglected virtue.
Kristen,
I've read a few articles (sorry I can't find the links right now) that suggest that fat in milk products is beneficial for helping you to absorb the vitamins and minerals. So I don't give non-fat yogurt, cheese or milk to my girls, though I do try to cut the sugar and sweeten their yogurt with a just a bit of jam or honey. I think you should cut fats in other places rather than in dairy, especially for growing children. Of course, you'll do your own research and do what you think is best for your family.
i'm another one who's going to help you blow the new diet. there's the whole theory of "real food" - which includes chicken skins and butter. weston price foundation. i don't ever give non fat anything around here, either. even for myself. not that i'm the model of good health...
Fat is good! :) I always use real butter and I fry with lard. :) It makes the world of a difference! ;) So you don't have to get rid of your butter or chicken skin! :) I guess going back to the way grandma cooked is not bad at all, makes for a great rich in taste, good for you meal! :) It's also Julia Childs secret, as fat is great for absorbtion of vitamins and fantastic for hormones.
Hence why maybe some of us have so many issues with hormones. :)
These guys are a little fanatic, but I believe them 110% :) They are a great resource for nutrient dense food. http://www.westonaprice.org/
Did you watch FoodInc. that is out at blockbuster? I think we might be better off eating the grass from our backyard then grocery store food. It's crazy! :)
I'm slowly/fastly switching my food over to organic and grassfed meat.
Hi, Kristen~
I like Marilyn Shannon's recommendations regarding diet. There is now an updated edition of her book "Fertility, Cycles, and Nutrition." I find it to be an excellent, reasonable resource regarding nutrition for the whole family.
Kristen--kudos to you! Making small changes to your family's diet is where it all begins. It's hard to make lots of sudden changes overnight.
I am curious about what specifically you are hoping for as far as dietary changes? Butter and rich foods taste good for a reason...they are densely loaded with nutrients--but obviously require balance and moderation. I don't know that giving up your favorite foods necessarily needs to be part of your dietary modifications. :)
May I recommend a book that is a quick read and sort of served as a "gateway drug" to a food/nutrition overhaul for our family? _Real Food_ by Nina Planck. Also any of the books by Michael Pollan. We believe in just eating "real food" or more specifically, food our GREAT-grandmothers would recognize as food. Both authors subscribe to much of what the Weston A. Price Foundation has been saying for years: a traditional diet is healthier than the modern, western diet.
If your kids don't enjoy beans, I say don't make them eat them. Let them observe you eating your beans and like other behavior, if they see you modeling good nutrition, eventually they will want to try it too--but in their own time.
My kids think it is fun to eat "chicken peas" (chickpeas). Lentils in soups can be disguised, especially tomato-vegetable. I changed our diet too to more fruits and veggies. They protested and I told them they could eat or not, but I was not making another meal. Eventually, they started to adapt, but the first few weeks were not fun. Good luck!
My answer to your only question....let said child get very hungry...no snacks between meals, only water. When meal time comes around she should be willing to eat the delicious meal you have prepared for your family. And why no hummus? I made some today - chickpeas, tahini butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper, a couple cloves of garlic, a couple tablespoons of fresh green onion, and about 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes - served with tortilla chips...it is all gone and was so good. Your finicky eater will appreciate you helping her to "open" her palate to different, healthy foods. Good luck, Kristen :)
I agree with those who have said stay away from non-fat dairy. We eat Mountain High plain, whole yogurt here because everything that I have heard and read says that you need the good fats in your diet.
Two women spoke about nutrition ("Nourishing your Family the Traditional Way") at our Catholic homeschool conference this past year, http://nwcatholicconference.com/audio.html We added coconut oil (cooking with it) to our diet and started eating mushrooms again thanks to the information that was shared.
100% foolproof tip for getting a finicky eater to eat beans....
Take one bean, grind it to a fine consistency in the food processor, drop in one gallon of melted chocolate, temper, pour into molds, and cut into bars.
I'd be surprised if that didn't work!
(although it might defeat the purpose....)
If the girls like green salads, try sprinkling them with black or pink beans. My kids like this snack too. I toss them with sea salt and paprika and roast.
Do you take advantage of the fresh seafood you have out there? Kids (and adults) don't get nearly the Omega 3 that we need -- fish is a great source.
I have one who hates the texture of beans too. Try boiling up lentils and then mixing them into ground beef or turkey to make hamburger patties. Kids don't usually notice them if they are mixed in and on a bun smothered in ketchup! My son will also eat beans cooked in a thick, hearty (not soupy) chili. He will scoop the chili onto corn chips. He prefers to eat only the meat, but will get some beans in too.
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