Archive for the ‘Kids: Diet’ Category

Schools nowadays offer interesting field trips for students which are in line with the topics of study in school. Though parents often have to pay a subsidised fee for the trip, I will usually let the boys participate in these trips because I believe that it is important that we expose the boys to new environments, actual hands-on instead of picking up knowledge mainly in class and from books.

Since Darren’s project work is on “Cake”, the School organised a trip to Baking Industry Training Centre (BITC) in Singapore today.  BITC is one of Asia’s premier baking academy.

The trip was a fulfilling one as the students were introduced to the followings:

1) the types and function of the ingredients used for making different cakes

2) weighing  the ingredients needed with the guidance of the instructor

3) hands-on demo on the mixing processes

4) moulding and shaping of the dough by the students

5) baking of cookies

6) uses and functions of the baking equipment and utensils

7) a peep at the “big refrigerator”

packing of the cookies

Darren came home very excited and with his bag of chocolate chips, baked during the 2-hour workshop on Baking of Chocolate Chips Cookies.

Here’s the recipe on baking  of chocolate chip cookies with courtesy from BITC.

Ingredients

1. brown sugar - 270 g

2. butter - 230 g

3. vanilla essence - +/-

4. eggs (2 nos) - 105 g

5. plain flour - 395 g

6. cocoa powder - 22 g

7. baking soda - 5 g

8. baking powder - 5 g

9. salt - 4 g

10. chocolate chips - 300 g

11. walnuts - 150 g

Preparation

1. Cream the butter, brown sugar and vanilla essence together.

2. Add in the egg.

3. Add in the sifted dry ingredients

4. Add in the chocolate and nuts last.

5. Shape the cookies by hands.

6. Place on a tray and bake at 170 deg celsius for about 20-25 minutes.

It has become a routine to pack brunch box for Brendan. Actually, I would have preferred that he gets independant and buys his own food in school during morning recess.

For a long period of two years, Brendan has the fear of consuming the food purchased from the school canteen. All because two years ago, he has swallowed a small little bone while eating the chicken rice from the school canteen. That incident had caused him to end up in the accident and emergency ward of the hospital. It was really a scary experience for mother and child then as Papa Ed was overseas then and it was actually awful feeling to have the metal equipment in the throat. Fortunately, everything was fine but the phobia remains for Brendan. In fact, for a period of time after the incident, he avoided all meat types!

I have been encouraging him constantly to purchase food on his own. In fact, have even tried not packing the brunch box so that he will be “forced” to buy food. However, he ended up not eating. I think it is natural for mummy to feel bad when her child eventually goes hungry especially with minimal intake for breakfast. I am running out of idea what to pack for him besides the usual cakes, bread, biscuits and fruits. What should I do to make him walk out of his phobia or is he just lazy?

It never occurs to me before that I need to master my culinary skills or at least learn some basic skills for survival. My dad has been a GREAT Cook and we are so lucky to have readily cooked and delicious home cooked food. He has imparted some of his skills to my domestic helpers.

I have been pretty particular over my boys’ diet and prefer healthy home cooked food for them except to have a change of taste over the weekends to savour other delicacies.

Lately, I have been enthusiastic over trying out new cooking menu so that we could have new varieties for the family. Darren has been choosy over food and this is another reason that urges me to squeeze a little time out to explore cooking menu. Although sad to say that my domestic helper is the one wokking up all these dishes for a busy mummy who has to rush home from work everyday, I am the one who hardworkingly plan every meal for the family. It has become part of my routine in life to prepare the weekly “food to cook list” one week ahead, with cooking and ingredient instruction for my domestic helper.

This is one of the new menu that we have savoured.

chicken cubes in black bean sauce

A satay style for kids except that it is topped up with green capsicum

Ingredients

1 piece boneless chicken breast meat

1/2 tbsp sliced garlic, 5 slices ginger

2 tbsp fermented black bean, soaked, chopped

1 green capsicum, sliced

1 onion, sliced, 1 red chilli, sliced

Marinade

1 egg white, 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsb light soya sauce, 1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp corn flour

Seasoning

1/2 tsbp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soya sauce

1 tsp dark, soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp shaoxing wine, 2 tbsp water

1 tsp corn flour, mixed with 2 tbsp water, for thickening

Method

1) Combine chicken breast with marinade and season for 30 minutes. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish and drain.

2) Heat up 1 tbsp oil, saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic.

3) Add in green capsicum, onion, red chilli and stir well. Addd in seasoning, chicken cubes and mix well. Thicken with corn flour water and dish up.

Source: Hawkers’ Fair Simplified

Encourage healthy food habits to protect your child from harmful health conditions

Photo: © JIU

 We’ve all heard that because more kids are overweight now than ever before, they’re developing “adult” conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Research shows that the simple steps below matter most when it comes to keeping kids at a healthy weight, says Y. Claire Wang, MD, assistant professor of health policy at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City.

More water, fewer sweet drinks
“Many sugary beverages, including sports and juice drinks, are being marketed as healthy,” says Dr. Wang. Avoid ones with added sugar, and keep 100% fruit juice to two 4- to 6-oz servings daily.

Limit screen time to less than 2 hours a day
Less than an hour for kids younger than 6. TV is particularly bad partly because kids snack while watching—and also because they’re exposed to food advertising.

Make sure they play actively for at least an hour most days of the week
This can be as simple as running around outside, and it doesn’t have to be all at once (playing tag, throwing a ball around and riding a bike all count). Don’t use being active as an excuse to let your kids have a “treat.” To burn off one can of soda, a child would need to do about 60 minutes of brisk walking!

Source: WomansDay

Denesa