Understandably, my mother did not think it was necessary to answer our question. She would simply say, “Leg of lamb.” What? A leg of what? Until recently, I did not even know this was a real dish.
It has never crossed my mind to buy lamb at the grocery store or prepare fancy recipes using one of its legs. I am not a vegetarian, but lamb has just never been on my shopping list. I started wondering if my mom ever prepared lamb. I called my dad to clear up the confusion and he assured me that in the 58 years he was married to my mom, she never served a meal with lamb.
He did say, however that when they were visiting my Great Uncle Kenneth early in their marriage, he served a lamb dish. On the way home, my grandpa complained about tasting wool in his mouth.
Do you have a picky eater in your home that balks at trying new foods? Getting picky eaters to try new food is challenging. Your child may eat only a certain type of food or refuse foods based on a certain color or texture. Picky eating behavior is common for many children from 2-5 years. As long as your child has plenty of energy and is growing, he or she is most likely eating enough to be healthy.
If you have concerns about your child’s growth or eating behavior, talk to your child’s doctor. Your child’s picky eating is temporary. If you do not make it a big deal, it will usually end before school age. Try the following tips to help you deal with your child’s picky eating behavior in positive way.
- Let your kids pick out the fruits and veggies they like at the store.
- Have your child help you prepare meals.
- Offer choices. Instead of asking if they want broccoli for dinner, try asking if they would rather have broccoli or cauliflower for dinner.
- Make mealtime fun.
- Offer the same foods for the whole family. Do not make individual meals for your kids.
- Offer new foods first. Your child is most hungry at the start of the meal.
- When trying new foods, try small tastings or portions.
- Be a good role model.
I work with someone who designates days of week with food themes. Monday is Meatless Meatloaf, Tuesday is Taco Tuesday, Wednesday is Wingy Wednesday, Thursday is Breakfast for Dinner, Friday is Pizza Friday and Saturday is Pasta.
What a great idea! I know when my kids were little, this would have really simplified my meal planning. At first, I thought it would restrict my creativity in the kitchen (I am joking) but then I realized you could experiment with various kinds of pasta, meatloaf, and taco meat and still stay within the confines of your daily themes. Have you heard of Meatless Monday? This is another great way to introduce new vegetarian dishes to your family.
Another one of colleague’s ideas I liked was using dice to encourage kids to eat their meal. I am not a huge fan of making kids eat when they aren’t hungry, but if you have a child who likes to play at the table or daydream, this may work. Roll the die (or dice) to see how many bites your child needs to eat before the end of the meal. This could be a wonderful way to practice addition math facts AND get your kids to try new foods.
Recipe: Black-Eyed Peas and Quinoa Salad
Makes 7 cups
150 calories per cup
Ingredients:
3 cups chopped kale (1 small bunch)
1 can (15 ounce) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 small red onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
3 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetables
- In a large bowl, combine the kale, black-eyed peas, quinoa, onion, and bell pepper.
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, paprika, pepper and salt.
- Pour mixture over vegetables and quinoa. Stir to combine and chill before serving.
Tips: Try other vegetables like zucchini and tomato.
Recipe: Quinoa and Black Beans
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ cup quinoa
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, and drained
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Mix quinoa into onion mixture and cover with vegetable broth, season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes; mix in the black beans and cilantro.
Interested in free nutrition education lessons from OSU Extension Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)? Contact Nancy Lyons at 937-244-9654 or lyons.489@osu.edu.
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