Healthy Menu
People need food for energy. By eating, we process the food which is converted
into energy. In their early years, children need food that is high in calcium and
protein, which aid in growth & overall development. We should choose foods that
are suitable for our age and health level. A healthy diet contains all the
essential nutrients.
Preparation of healthy menu
To prepare a healthy meal, we must plan the kind of food we want to eat
ensure that they are healthy choices. Does the food contain the essential
minerals and vitamins that is need a healthy, balanced diet? Do we need more carbohydrate and less protein or more protein and less fat? Besides planning, we should also consider the way we prepare the food. There are a few cooking methods which are better than others; for example, deep frying is not as healthy as grilling,
steaming or boiling.
Other than that, we as parents can modify the foods we chose to give our children, in order to make them more attractive and appetizing to children. For example, we can use tomatoes and carrot to make the food more colorful and even make funny faces out of the foods.
Practice of healthy menu
Some practices that could be applied are:
• Boil, or steam food instead of deep frying.
• Use kitchen towel to absorb excess oil after deep frying.
• Avoid refrying fried foods.
• Remove excessive oil from dishes (Example soup)
• To add more vegetables in dishes
• Reduce the amount of salt.
• Use less fat and more lean meat
Simple Menu for children
Breakfast: ½ cup of fruit (For example Banana) + 1 glass of milk
Lunch: 1 bowl of chicken soup + ½ - 1 cup of rice + 1 glass of water
Dinner: ½ - 1 cup of rice + 1 omelet + 1 glass of water
We all love pizza. But do our hearts love it??
From: American Heart Association
Fresh Tomato Pizza
Preparation time: 10 minutes; Cooking time: 15 to 20 minutes
Serves 4; 1 round per serving
Ingredients 2 whole wheat pitas 3 or 4 medium Italian plum tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/4 cup snipped fresh
basil or parsley Freshly ground black pepper 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cut pita bread around the edges to create 4 round circles..
3.. Put the pitas in the oven for about 5 minutes.
4. While the pitas are in the oven, slice the tomatoes and the basil.
5. Remove the pitas from the oven. Arrange tomato slices on top. Sprinkle with basil and
season with pepper. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are brown.
7. Cut each round into 4 pieces and enjoy.
Nutrition Analysis (per serving) Calories 175; Protein 9 g; Carbohydrate 30 g; Cholesterol 16 mg;
Sodium 500 mg; Total Fat 3 g; Saturated Fat 1 g.
In today’s busy world, making sure the whole family eats a healthy meal every day is not always easy. With so many conflicting schedules and every member of the family being so busy, it is easy to see how mealtimes get overlooked. However, healthy menu is important to ensure that your family has the quality mealtimes together, eating healthy and tasty food, which it should have.
References: American Heart Association and Ministry of Health, Malaysia.
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