A Fairy Tale?

These may seem like two topics that have nothing to do with each other. Sure, you want your children to eat healthy. But sometimes it feels like an epic battle with the only peace-making solution being a trip through the drive-through.

All this month, we’ll take a look at tips and strategies for making it easier for you and your kids to eat healthy food as a family. For those of you without kids, I’ll be sure to show you how this information relates to you too.

They’re Watching You . . .

Does it feel like you’re being watched? Well, you are. Your kids are looking to you as their primary example of how to behave. This especially includes how to eat. If you say you hate a certain food, guess what? Your young child will think she should hate it too.

Let me tell you a story: Once upon a time, there was a little girl who hated eating fish. Her cries of “I hate fish!” could be heard throughout the land. One day, her fairy godmother asked her “Why do you hate fish?” The little girl replied: “I don’t know why. But I know that I don’t like it.” “That’s interesting” said the fairy godmother “Because I know for a stone-cold fact that your mother doesn’t like fish either!”

So the fairy godmother gave the little girl’s mother this recipe for Asian-Glazed Salmon. The mother bravely cooked the fish that she so earnestly said she hated, and served it to her family. Everyone loved it so much they asked for seconds. And they all lived happily ever after.

The moral of the story: if you don’t give kids a chance at liking a certain healthy food, chances are they never will.

What healthy foods have you “hated” since childhood that deserve a second chance?
Maybe trying them in a different way will make all the difference.

I have yet to meet a kid or grown-up who doesn’t love this salmon. The sweetness of the marinade is enticing, and it’s a great way to eat healthy fish.
[download the printable pdf]

Asian Glazed Salmon

Serves 4

Marinade
¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 wild salmon fillets, 4 ounces each once skin is removed

1 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 450º. Mix marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (glass or Pyrex). Add salmon, turn to coat and marinate for 10 minutes. Place salmon on large cookie sheet. Brush salmon with any remaining marinade.

Roast salmon until cooked through, about 5 – 8 minutes depending upon thickness of the fillets. Sprinkle salmon with toasted sesame seeds.

Tags: kids, Recipes, salmon

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 11:11 am and is filed under Healthy Eating For Kids . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.