To hide or not to hide… veggies, that is. And a tasty intolerance-friendly chicken dinner

hidden green leafy veggies = happy parents, heathy kids

Are there any kids out there who just love veggies more than pasta or fruit or biccies? I mean, veggies can be yummy, the way we adults do them, with lots of added flavour and spices, but kids don’t always like them like that (or might be intolerant to the sauces and spices). So, do we hide them so they don’t know what they’re eating? Or do we serve them up plain and make the kids sit there until their plate is clean?

Well personally, I believe a little bit of both works, and here’s why. Firstly, it’s good to get to know your veggies – what you know, you don’t fear, right? So having some on the plate, straight up and unashamed is a good strategy for familiarity. Secondly, some stuff just isn’t going to get eaten (eg. bok choy in my house), so hiding it is a really effective way to get it in with less arguments (see recipe below!).

So, whatever your kids like and will gobble up no problems – give it to them straight and let them have it every day. Variety is not as important as reaching your daily veggie targets, which will provide nutrients to help our little ones’ immune systems stay strong to fight off the infections they come in contact with every day! (Having said that, the more different colours you eat, the more nutrients you’ll get.) We want them to be eating almost as many vegetables as us by the time they’re 4 – the Australian government guidelines state 4 1/2 serves compared to our 5 – and as many veggies as us from age 9. Well, as many as we SHOULD be having, which is 2 1/2 cups cooked or 5 cups of salad.

easy to pimp for the adults or intolerance-free, with extra spices like paprika, tumeric, pepper and ginger, big chunks of bok choy and a little tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)

If you’re not quite there yet, just make small improvements over time. The little change you make now will make it easier to make the next one. Show your kids that you enjoy veggies too – eat with them or snack on veggie sticks with hummus while they’re having their dinner (the more veggies you can squeeze in throughout the day, the easy it is to meet your target and the less pressure you’ll feel at dinner time).

It is so not about guilt – I want you to feel good about what you’re feeding your little ones, and yourself. Eat what makes you happy, enjoy it, prepare it well so it’s nutritious and tasty, and hide some veggies in it to keep your kids and you as healthy as you can be.

It’s taken years to change how our family eats – we always loved cooking but definitely didn’t eat enough veggies (like most people). The benefits of eating lots of plant-based foods are so numerous – they help your digestion, are anti-inflammatory (great if you’ve got any pain), prevent every chronic disease you can name (from type 2 diabetes to cancer) and help manage auto-immune conditions (like Chron’s and coeliac disease).

And don’t forget, legumes or beans are veggies too, and have excellent protein, fibre and iron so work as a meat replacement or easy dinner addition – think chickpeas, red kidney beans, white beans etc.

So, in the interests of getting more veggies in, here’s a delicious and easy dish that has some veggies on display, and hides some too. It’s low-moderate salicylates/glutamate, and low amines (with chicken skin removed), so intolerance-friendly, but as always, substitute if anything isn’t right for you. And there’s a spicy adult version too!

hidden veggies bok choy and spring onion make this a healthier meal, and still intolerance-friendly

Sticky chicken legs with green veggie fried rice (serves 4)

Ingredients for the legs

4 – 6 chicken legs (remove skin if amines a problem)

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp sea salt

mixed spices for adults (good shake of a few of these – paprika, ginger, Chinese 5 spice, turmeric, black pepper…)

…and the rice

1 cup brown rice

1 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup frozen corn (NB. high salicylates, omit if you’re super sensitive, or replace with 2 egg omelette, roughly chopped)

2-3 small bunches bok choy

1 spring onion

1 clove garlic

2 tbsp. oil (refined olive oil or rice bran for high heat)

1/2 – 1 tsp sea salt

Method

all veggies are low-moderate salicylates/glutamates, but corn is high, so you can leave it out. remove the chicken skin if amines a problem.

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, place chicken legs in 2 separate dishes (one for kids/intolerances and one for spicy adults) and drizzle them all with maple syrup and salt. Sprinkle spices over adult version and rub them all so they’re fully coated. Bake in oven for 50 mins – 1 hour until just starting to pull away from the bone (if unsure, skewer near the bone and make sure juices are clear not pink).

Rinse brown rice and bring to boil in plenty of water – reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes; rinse well and leave to dry. (Works even better with day-old rice that’s been kept in the fridge.)

Pulse bok choy, spring onion and garlic in food processor until very fine. Defrost peas and corn in boiling water and drain. Heat wok or large pan (either non-stick or seasoned, or your rice might stick) with oil of choice and fry rice (stirring constantly) until warmed through, add veggies and season with salt to taste. (remember if you avoid processed foods which are high in salt, you can season your meals and make your fresh food taste even better, without overdoing your salt intake.)

Serve rice as is, or add extra chunks of bok choy and a splash of tamari for adults, with piping hot chicken legs.