healthy diet

Want to add something new to the Thanksgiving spread this year?

This is a fresh seasonal salad made with oranges and red onion. You will be surprised at how well these flavors compliment each other! And this taste bud sensation couldn’t be easier to fix and serve.

Healthy? You bet! This colorful salad is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin B (folate) and a number of different antioxidants. For example, red onions are a source of the phytochemical quercetin which has anti-inflammatory properties. That’s another way of saying oranges and red onions are good for you!

Savory Orange Salad

3 naval oranges
¼ red onion, sliced thin
2 teaspoons good quality olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground
salt

Cut the peel and white pith from the oranges with a sharp knife. Slice the oranges into rounds and place on a serving plate. Cover with the slices of red onion and drizzle with olive oil. Add coarsely ground black pepper and a light sprinkle of salt. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 4.

What about the kids? Serve their sliced oranges unadorned on another serving plate. Now everyone is happy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

If you love fresh tomatoes too much to give them up in the winter, look for fresh cluster tomatoes on the vine. They may not compete with a home grown tomato, but they can deliver real tomato taste year round.

There are some amazing health claims out there for the simple tomato. Tomatoes are Superfood #4 for women, rich in antioxidants (like lycopene), Vitamin C and a variety of other vitamins and minerals. They are also a negative calorie food. No, they really do have calories, but some people think more calories are burned eating and digesting these foods. Now that is an appealing idea!

This is one of my favorite quick salads. The red onion, olive oil and basil (and sometimes a splash of vinegar) help boost the flavor of the tomato; just for a moment you might forget it’s not summer anymore…

Fresh Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Fresh cluster tomatoes purchased on the vine, cut in wedges
½ red onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
5 or 6 basil leaves, rolled and sliced in strips
Salt to taste

Cut the desired number of tomatoes into wedges and place in a serving bowl with the sliced onion and basil. Drizzle with olive oil; add a splash of water, season with salt. Toss well and refrigerate before serving.

Keep the slices of onion large enough to remove if the little ones won’t eat them (but they might surprise you). Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices…just don’t get caught by the etiquette police!

Breaded chicken doesn’t have to be fried to be good. Oven-fry this chicken using just a sprinkle of oil before baking and add grated Romano cheese and garlic to the bread crumbs for flavor that will beat fast food chicken any day.

Breaded Chicken, Italian Style

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, whole or cut into 2 or 3 pieces
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Line a cookie sheet with foil; spray lightly with cooking oil. Rinse and dry the chicken. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, basil and garlic together and place on a large plate. Sprinkle the chicken pieces lightly with flour, dip in the milk and then in the bread crumb mixture. Pat the crumbs into the chicken so they will adhere. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared cookie sheet and drizzle each with a small amount of oil. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (less time if the pieces are small).

The chicken should come out of the oven just before you think it is done…it will continue to cook for a few more minutes. This chicken will be tender and moist as long as it is not overcooked.

Keep bread crumbs in the freezer so they will always be fresh. Make them from leftover bread (using a few quick pulses in the food processor) and keep different types on hand. (Try whole wheat bread crumbs for breaded fish; plain or sourdough for chicken, etc.)

And finally, make extra! This chicken is great for dinner, sandwiches, lunches; it packs up perfectly for potlucks, picnics and tailgating!

My niece occasionally asks me for pediatric advice about her two beautiful girls. This is one concern that is shared by many parents in my practice…

Q:  We cannot get my 19 month old daughter to eat meat. We have tried (many times) lots of variety. We’ve tried it in things, on things, from our plates, when she asks for it….but she just won’t eat it. In fact, she usually wipes it off her tongue with a napkin or her fingers. I’m open to any tricky things I might not have considered

A:  Meat is an excellent source of protein and calories for toddlers, but it is not as easy to chew as starches, fruits and veggies. It also has a different “mouth feel” compared to many other foods.

Try these strategies to acclimate your young one to the taste and texture of meats…

Focus on offering thin sliced or shaved deli meats, chicken, turkey or ham. These have a saltier taste and lack the distinctive flavor and coarse texture of most meats. Mix crumb-sized pieces of meat with other foods that are moist and flavorful.

Disguise shredded meat in pureed veggies, sprinkle into a grilled cheese sandwich, stir into cooked pasta with butter or tomato sauce. Serve tiny pieces of meat with just a drop of ketchup, ranch dressing, mild BBQ sauce or applesauce if she likes those things. In the beginning, just add traces to her menu until you can let a bit more taste shine through.

Don’t let on that you are trying to push her in any way. It is important that she controls what she eats, and you control what is served. Keep up other sources of protein that she will eat.

And be patient. Most toddlers who don’t like meat soon acquire the taste. (Then you can try my healthy baked chicken nuggets, so stay tuned!)

The photo? Yes, that’s the one!

Sausage bread that is healthy? You bet! This has become one of my favorite recipes, made with turkey sausage and low fat mozzarella…

When I saw this recipe prepared on Fine Living  more than a year ago, I couldn’t wait to try it. My version is even better; you won’t believe how tasty (and easy) this is.

This is great finger food at parties, or as a quick supper with a big salad of rainbow veggies (greens, tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, carrots).  It is definitely a keeper.

Healthy Sausage Bread

(Adapted from Pairings with Andrea, Turkey Sausage Bread)

8 oz. Italian-style turkey sausage, casing removed
2 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or oregano
12 oz. pizza dough*, at room temperature
egg wash: 1 egg, beaten with 2 tablespoons water

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Preheat skillet to medium and brown the sausage with the garlic and seasoning.
3. Cook meat fully, drain on paper towels and let cool.
4. Roll or press dough into 8 x 12-inch rectangle.
5. Place the sausage mixture and cheeses along the middle of the dough.
6. Fold long sides of dough over the sausage and cheeses, overlapping. Enclose ends and pinch all seams to seal. Invert the roll seam-side down onto parchment paper and brush entire loaf with egg wash.
7. Place on baking sheet (use cooking spray if you don’t have parchment paper) and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
8. Cool slightly on a rack then cut into one-inch slices.

Serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as an entree.

* The original recipe calls for a 10 oz. can refrigerated pizza crust dough, but I use fresh dough for a lot more flavor. Look for fresh pizza dough at your market…our local Trader Joe’s has a selection of white, whole wheat, low carb and herb dough in 1 lb. bags for only $1.29.

More by Dr. Pat…

Photo courtesy of fineliving.com

Get more game ideas from PreschoolRock.com. Here is a fruit and vegetable color guide to get you started:

Red: Strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, tomato sauce, watermelon

Orange: Sweet potatoes, carrots, oranges, orange juice, mangoes, cantaloupe, peaches, pumpkin and other orange squash

Yellow:Pineapples, yellow peppers, lemons, yellow grapefruit

Green: Spinach and leafy greens, beans, peas, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, avocado

Blue and Purple: Blueberries, blackberries, dark beans, purple grapes, eggplant

White: Don’t forget white! Think bananas, potatoes, onions, white beans, apples and cauliflower.

The kids won’t be the only ones having fun… this is an imaginative way for all of us to include more nutrients in our diet. The pigments that make fruits and vegetables so colorful are actually phytochemicals that contain vital nutrients, says  James A. Joseph in The Colour Code.

A recent review of his book summarizes the benefits of the colors: lycopene, the red in tomatoes, is linked to lower rates of cancer and heart disease; lutein, which gives spinach its dark-green tint, helps fight certain types of eye disease; anthocyanins, contained in blueberries and other dark-purple and red fruit, aids memory and improves other cognitive problems of ageing, and there are immune-boosters found in white root vegetables like in garlic and onions. (Of course, don’t tell the kids all that!)

Turn some of your favorites into “rainbow recipes”, like fish (colorful fish fillets), veggie stew (ratatouille), or dessert.

And last but not least, don’t miss the song, I Can Eat a Rainbow. It’s a kick! 

More Dr. Pat…

I often find myself sharing food ideas with parents. This recipe is delicious, and so simple I have often written it down for parents as a great way to increase the milk and protein intake of finicky toddlers.

Dutch Baby (or German Baby) is a large oven pancake. I clipped the recipe below many years ago from a Williams-Sonoma catalog. Their current website has only the Dutch Apple Pancake recipe shown in the photo. The apple version has less milk and more eggs, but try the plain one first; I love the less “eggy” version so much more.

So here it is…

Dutch Baby

This recipe for Dutch Baby has been a long-time favorite in my family and when my son’s friends come for a sleepover, it is always the most requested breakfast. Enjoy!

To view other articles by Dr. Pat…click here.

Eating is a hot topic at doctor visits for children of all ages. Even more than adults, kids go through phases with eating…a food they loved one week is taboo the next.

I tell parents that many toddlers average one good meal every other day… it may simply not happen that your little one eats green vegetables every day. You keep offering them, but more often than not, they aren’t being eaten.

These phases are normal…yes, picky eaters are normal! And since the rate of your child’s growth slows down dramatically in the second and third years, appetites are smaller too.

Is there hope for healthy nutrition at these tender ages? Yes, but you must lay the groundwork.

• Be upbeat and positive about healthy food choices. You should decide what is offered and when the meals and snacks are given. Your youngster must choose from what you have served, but be sure to include some favorites.
• Set regular times for meals and snacks, more frequently for younger children. Eating should be at the table (or for the younger set, the high chair), not on the floor while playing or watching TV.
• Allow your child to decide how much he eats and even whether he eats or not. If your child wants to leave the table without eating at all, it is a mistake to try to force him to eat. He will eat when he is hungry, and that’s OK. At the next meal or snack your child may be more willing.
• Eat together. You set an example when eating healthy foods.
• Involve older kids in planning and preparing meals.

Children who control their own intake eat better and ultimately choose more variety than children who are forced or pushed to eat. Nutrition Explorations by The National Dairy Council has many ideas for fostering healthy eating with your child. Try their fun facts and games with your kids.

So how to get a picky eater to eat? Put him in charge, sit back and…be patient!

Many parents worry that their infant is eating too little (or too much) and don’t realize that baby usually knows best…

I recently watched a video of a very loving Dad spoon feeding his infant. The baby fed readily for a time, but once he stopped opening his mouth for the spoon, the dad would get him to laugh so he could sneak in another spoonful. Only by crying and squirming did the baby finally get the dad to quit. This dad was teaching the baby to keep eating after he was full…a set up for overeating and later obesity.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind for healthy infant feeding:

• Breastfeed as long as you can. Studies have shown that breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of obesity in later life compared to formula feeding.

• Delay solids until 6 months. Many pediatricians are now recommending solids at 6 months old, when babies’ digestions are better able to handle solid foods. Early feeding has been linked to excessive weight gain as well as increased risk of food allergies.

• Transition quickly to finger foods. As soon as your baby can sit in a high chair, offer small soft foods he can scoop up, even if it is just for play at first. Pea-sized pieces of banana, steamed carrot or sweet potato are easy for a baby to pick up and eat. Self-feeding is an important way for your baby to control his intake.

• Look for signals that your baby is full. Breast fed babies will stop feeding when they are satisfied, so give your bottle-fed infant the same control and don’t push him to finish a specific amount. Spoon feeding should end when your baby loses interest, not when the bowl is empty.

• Keep feedings pleasant. Never let the baby fuss in the high chair. If he doesn’t want to eat now, try again later.

Offer extra meals for a small eater, but trust your baby to decide how much to eat…you will both be happier! Next week…the picky eater.

“Hey, where is an Ultimate Cleansing Cloth when I need one…?”

My niece asked me if she should consider using DHA-fortified milk when her daughter turns a year old in a few months. It seems this was a popular topic at a one year old friend’s birthday party recently.

DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is an Omega-3 fatty acid (a good thing). DHA occurs in large amounts in breast milk and now all infant formulas are supplemented with DHA, recognizing the critical role of DHA in infant nutrition. DHA is an important nutrient for developing brain and nerve tissue in infants and children and contributes to brain, eye and heart health in adults as well.

Unfortunately, your child loses his or her main source of DHA once breast milk or formula is replaced with cow’s milk, which is low in DHA. DHA is found primarily in fatty fish, but the typical toddler just doesn’t eat much salmon and tuna. Ditto the vegetarian sources like spinach and soybeans-not exactly hot items on a kid’s menu.

The good news? Now you can find milk fortified with DHA. In 2007 Horizon Organic Dairy became the first U.S. company to supplement milk with DHA. Check out Horizon’s interactive site for a fun and easy way to learn more about kids and DHA.

So what did I tell my niece? I told her I thought DHA-fortified milk would be a good idea when she introduces cow’s milk. See if your pediatrician agrees…