Saturday, August 21, 2010

White Lies, part One (aka Falafel pretends to be chicken nuggets)

Parents know that trying to feed kids can be trying.  Sometimes trying to feed ourselves is trying!  We have dreams of our little people eating mountains of vegetables so we can be "that mom (or dad)" who gets to brag about our little asparagus-loving geniuses smiling for all the world to see.  Then those children morph into creatures who decide that the only foods on the planet are grilled cheese sandwiches and marshmallows.  Or beige food.  Or that vegetables are the equivalent of Anthrax.  Kids are great that way, aren't they?

There are books and shows and blogs and such popping up everywhere, all telling us how to sneak what our kids need to eat into the things that they WANT to eat.  When I first noticed this phenomenon, I thought "well, I'm never going to do that...I'm just going to teach my kids to eat right".  Nice theory.  I think what has been decided on in my house is that teaching and talking about healthy eating is important, but often enough, desperate times call for desperate measures. 

One of the things I really try to be sure is present in our foods is dietary fiber.  It helps you feel full (and can help with weight loss), is important for gastrointestinal health, helps regulate blood sugar...it's just a really good thing.  And most of us don't get enough of it.  So, here is a "recipe" in which I get fiber into my and my little family's diet and trick my kids.  All at the same time.

All you need to do is this--go buy a box of falafel mix.  Blend ingredients as directed.  Then, coat your hands in olive oil and make little chicken-nugget-shaped patties.  Arrange them on a greased baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes per side.  Fool your kids and giggle that you've just fed them ground chickpeas!  Eat them yourself because they're good for you, too!