Dr. K’s Prescription for Happy Healthy Children:
One Week Menu for a Family of Four
Breakfast again provides some protein for long lasting energy in the morning. Depending on the time of the year, the fruit can be an orange or a nectarine. A glass of milk will provide calcium and minerals.
The afternoon snack introduces a fruit without a lot of taste and low sugar content. Adding a small amount of sugar, and mixing the raspberry with cottage cheese will make the fruit more palatable to children and will encourage them to continue trying new fruits.
Salmon provides omega-3 fatty acids and additional calcium to the diet. Fish is always easy to prepare, especially salmon. You cannot go wrong while cooking salmon in this very easy way. When the fish starts turning white on the sides and the oil browns slightly, the salmon is ready. Overcooking it may dry the salmon and take away flavor. It is better to undercook salmon than to cook it too long. Be generous with the fresh ground pepper you are going to use to cover the fish before introducing it in the oven.
This time we are going to use the rest of the bag of spinach we had from before. The combination of garlic and spinach makes for a special aroma in the kitchen; together with the smell of the salmon in the oven your kitchen will have a restaurant smell that will open your appetite.
Children get used to different foods by being exposed to them at home. Kids who grow up smelling the aromas of food preparation at home are more likely to consume better quality meals during their whole life. Do you ever wonder why small children from Mexican families are able to eat very spicy food at an early age? It is because they have been introduced to this kind of spices from early on; they grew up smelling the hot chili sauce and its ingredients as they were used by their parents at home.
By introducing your children to fish after the first year of life, you will teach them to enjoy one of the best sources of low fat protein available. As adults they will continue to enjoy different seafood and they will be less apprehensive to new ingredients.
This menu is for families with school age children who will be eating lunch at school. Please consider packing your child’s lunch to provide healthier food choices.
BREAKFAST:
1 whole wheat toast with ham and cheese
1 orange or nectarine
1 glass of milk
AFTERNOON SNACK: Raspberries and Cheese
Two handfuls of raspberries
4 oz. of cottage cheese
1 tablespoon of sugar
whole-wheat crackers
Cut the raspberries in half and add one tablespoon of sugar, mixing well. Add the cottage cheese and spread all over whole-wheat crackers.
DINNER: Pepper Salmon & Spinach with garlic
Ingredients:
1 large salmon filet (1 lb.)
olive oil
fresh ground pepper
¾ bag of spinach
3 garlic cloves
Preparation:
Defrost the salmon in the refrigerator. Next, marinate it in olive oil: place the whole salmon fillet in an oven safe dish and spread olive oil over both sides, pouring more olive oil on top to impregnate the whole filet. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours. You can prepare it in the morning to have it ready to cook for dinner. Add salt to both sides of the salmon filet and cover the top with fresh ground pepper. Place in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to a saucepan and heat. Mince the garlic and add it to the hot olive oil. After 1 minute, add the fresh spinach, turning and stirring them until they are soft and covered by oil. It takes about 3 minutes to cook.
