My 500-Calorie Lunch

Koshari with a side of Sugar Snap Peas 

It started as dinner a couple of nights ago. I made a recipe of Koshari, Egyptian lentils and rice, from my new vegan cookbook, The Best of Bloodroot, Volume Two. It was a simple recipe to make. Dinner was ready in less than an hour. The flavor was delicious and my 13 year old daughter took second helpings, a rare event in my house!

Fortunately, the recipe made enough servings to eat as leftovers for lunch! I love eating leftovers for lunch! This particular recipe fares well served as a leftover. The flavor is enhanced with time and the texture stands up well to "fridge time." I describe the flavor and method of making this recipe similar to a healthy version of Rice a Roni. Recipes like this prove that we don't need to rely on convenience items for a quick (and much more delicious) meal or side dish.

Koshari
Egyptian lentils and rice

1 1/4 c. basmati rice
1 1/4 c. French (green) lentils
2 large Spanish onions, thinly sliced
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, sliced
2 c. very fine vermicelli noodles, crumbled
Kosher salt to taste
1 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes, diced

1. Rinse rice. Cover with water in a bowl and let soak while preparing other ingredients.
2. Pick over and wash lentils. Cover with 2 1/2 c. water and cook until tender (I added additional water as they cooked. I didn't use a lid and some of the water evaporated. I suggest using a lid).
3. Heat olive oil in a pan being careful not to overheat it to avoid smoking. Add onions (I chopped my onions. I don't enjoy eating long strings of onions). When onions are transparent, add red pepper flakes (you may use less depending on your tolerance to spicy foods) and garlic. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onions just begin to caramelize. Remove onions to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
4. Add crumbled noodles to the frying pan (I used very thin Japanese wheat noodles, but the recipe calls for fides or shehriah available in Greek or Arabic stores). Saute noodles in remaining oil until brown and crisp, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Turn off heat and set aside.
5. When lentils are soft, add drained rice to the pot and continue cooking until rice is fluffy (make sure to cover with a lid). Add onions and noodles and turn off heat. Add salt to taste (I didn't add any salt as I used a 28 oz. can of organic diced tomatoes which were plenty salty).
6. Add tomatoes to the lentil/rice mixture. Serve hot or at room temperature.

For lunch, I microwaved a cup of sugar snap peas in a tablespoon of water for a minute and sprinkled them with a teaspoon of low sodium tamari (my new wonder seasoning--I use it instead of salt in many recipes).

I'm not positive that this is a 500-calorie lunch. I call it this in the title to show that it is OK and appropriate to eat this much for lunch. Base your lunch on healthy foods that are nutritious and satisfying. Of course, everyone's calorie needs are different. Don't short change yourself by eating too little and then overindulging on junk food later.

Bon Appetit!

Why You Should Pack Vegetables in Your Kid's Lunch



Don't forget the vegetables!

 Many parents tell me that they do not pack vegetables in their children's lunches. My mother never packed vegetables in my lunch. I can't say that I would have eaten them had she packed them, but I enjoyed snacking on vegetables at home as a kid. When you think about what is served for lunch in restaurants, typically vegetables are absent. It is common to see sandwiches and fries or chips with a small fruit or kale garnish. When I eat lunch with my daughter at school, I notice that children who bring their lunches often have sandwiches, juice pouches, pretzels or some sort of crunchy snack food, and maybe some fruit or a cookie. Vegetables are MIA. Perhaps we're not used to eating vegetables at lunch daily so we don't put them in our kid's lunches. Perhaps we're concerned that our kids won't eat them.

As parents, we teach our kids many things. One very important thing that we teach them is what they should eat to gain the energy and vitality to become contributing members of society. Kids push back against our recommendations. That is the nature of being a kid. Does that mean that we stop making recommendations?

When it comes to packing vegetables in our kid's lunches, why do we hesitate? Is it so bad if our kids throw away a snack bag of vegetables? The lesson that you teach by offering vegetables at lunch is that they should eat them. I think this lesson is more important than a little bit of food waste (believe me, kids throw away more than their vegetables). This is part of the learning process. What is the worst thing that could happen by not offering your children vegetables at lunch? They could grow up not eating vegetables regularly, choosing instead a diet filled with processed foods which can cause them to suffer from one or more of the many chronic diseases associated with diet.

Here's how you can encourage your kids to eat more vegetables by packing them in their lunches:

1. Discuss with your children the types of vegetables that they enjoy eating. Choose those vegetables to pack in their lunches.

2. Offer variety. Even a favorite vegetable can get old if eaten every day. Try cauliflower, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, baby-cut carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, zucchini, radishes or sugar snap peas. All of these vegetables are good raw. Many kids seem to prefer raw vegetables over cooked vegetables.

3. Offer a little bit of dip to make eating vegetables more enjoyable. Use a mini container and fill it with a small amount of ranch dressing, hummus, tzatziki, or other dip.

4. Start young. By the time your kids are ready to go to school, they are old enough to be eating vegetables daily at lunch.

5. Start small. Begin by offering a small snack bag of vegetables. Hopefully by the time your kids reach high school, they'll be eating a larger sandwich bag filled with vegetables.

6. Talk with your kids at home about what they ate for lunch. Ask them if they ate their vegetables. If they say no, gently encourage them to eat their vegetables (there are lots of good reasons for your kids to eat vegetables, an important reason is that you love them and want them to thrive).

7. Never give up. By offering vegetables to your children at lunch you are setting an example about what they are supposed to eat.

I have my own challenges in getting my children to eat their vegetables. My 13 year old daughter has been sick too much already this school year and I point out to her that she skimps on much of the healthy foods that I serve her. I'll keep trying because it is that important.