Kids Dish

This is an oldie, but someone linked to it today and I couldn’t help but post this list of The 11 Best Foods You Aren’t Eating from the New York Times. The list is theirs, but my comments are in italics.

1 Beets: Think of beets as red spinach, Dr. Bowden said, because they are a rich source of folate as well as natural red pigments that may be cancer fighters.

How to eat: Fresh, raw and grated to make a salad. Heating decreases the antioxidant power. I’ve never tried them raw, but cooked they are delicious. Try beet and beet greens risotto to ease your way in, or bake a chocolate cake with beets to please the kids.

2 Cabbage: Loaded with nutrients like sulforaphane, a chemical said to boost cancer-fighting enzymes.

How to eat: Asian-style slaw or as a crunchy topping on burgers and sandwiches. I throw it in soup.

3 Swiss chard: A leafy green vegetable packed with carotenoids that protect aging eyes.

How to eat it: Chop and saute in olive oil. We are chard lovers in this house, thanks to my CSA. Use it as you would spinach. I like this recipe for a leek and swiss chard tart

4 Cinnamon: May help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
How to eat it: Sprinkle on coffee or oatmeal. Toast with butter and cinnamon sugar is always a winner if you don’t have it in you to bake fresh cinnamon muffins.

5 Pomegranate juice: Appears to lower blood pressure and loaded with antioxidants.

How to eat: Just drink it. Delicious with vodka. Give it to the kids straight.

6 Dried plums: Okay, so they are really prunes, but they are packed with antioxidants.

How to eat: Wrapped in prosciutto and baked. If you’re thrown by the idea of prunes chop them and add them to your granola or bake them in muffins along with some chopped raisins and other dried fruit.

7 Pumpkin seeds: The most nutritious part of the pumpkin and packed with magnesium; high levels of the mineral are associated with lower risk for early death.

How to eat: Roasted as a snack, or sprinkled on salad. They’re great as a crunchy topping on soups too.

8 Sardines: Dr. Bowden calls them “health food in a can.” They are high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. They also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as a full complement of B vitamins.

How to eat: Choose sardines packed in olive or sardine oil. Eat plain, mixed with salad, on toast, or mashed with dijon mustard and onions as a spread. Sorry. I’ve got nothing on this one. We don’t eat sardines.

9 Turmeric: The “superstar of spices,” it may have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.

How to eat: Mix with scrambled eggs or in any vegetable dish. I use it most often in curries

10 Frozen blueberries: Even though freezing can degrade some of the nutrients in fruits and vegetables, frozen blueberries are available year-round and don’t spoil; associated with better memory in animal studies.

How to eat: Blended with yogurt or chocolate soy milk and sprinkled with crushed almonds. Sam just eats them frozen. I thaw them and add them to granola.

11 Canned pumpkin: A low-calorie vegetable that is high in fiber and immune-stimulating vitamin A; fills you up on very few calories.
How to eat: Mix with a little butter, cinnamon and nutmeg. A great base for cakes, cookies, muffins, and soups.