Published on: 02 March 2018
Last Updated on: 12 September 2024
Almost all the parents face the problem of getting some vegetables down the system of their little ones. Children are quite adaptive and they change easily if it is introduced in a healthy manner. All you need to do is understand the psychology of your little ones and make it exciting for them. Kids love to do anything when it is fun.
Here are a few amazing tricks using which you can turn the intake of veggies into a fun activity and get your kids to eat them without any force. So, read through and thank me later!
Ignore Sometimes
Kids tend to repeat those actions on which they get the most attention. When they do not want to eat vegetables, the parents immediately shift all their focus towards the kid. That’s when they start to repel even further. In order to let your child figure out the taste themselves and feel that it is normal to eat veggies on the dinner table like everybody else, just ignore them sometimes.
Be the Role-Model
Children look up to their parents and imitate their actions. In order to develop healthy habits like eating vegetables or the like, make sure you follow them too. If you are going to eat vegetables at the dinner table, they will not have an excuse to say ‘no’ to the veggies. In fact, they might even be more interested to give the veggies a try after seeing you eat. Make sure you discuss the health benefits of vegetables and give more awareness to kids while being on the table or an hour or two beforehand.
Ask for Help
If you ask for a hand in the kitchen while you prepare the meal, the kids will be much more interested to eat that dish. Make them believe that they are cooking it. Make them add a few spices or cut a few veggies so that they get excited to try the dish. This way you will not have to force them to take a bite or two as they will definitely take one by themselves.
However, they may need some motivation to finish the plate. Do not force them to finish it and let them eat as much as they can. Note that, forcing things on to kids only makes them repel even further.
Decorate the Plate
Kids get attracted to food that looks very colorful and tempting. Therefore, make sure you garnish their plate and make shapes like a smiley or a tree using the veggies. Then, play with your child by asking them to eat the tree like a giant dinosaur. You can also make a story for them in order to help them finish their plate. This way their attention would be divided and they will continue eating without much fuss.
Make the Dips
We all know how kids love ketchup, cheese, and other sauces. In order to make the vegetables exciting for kids, prepare different delicious dips made of cheese, cream, butter or whatever your kids love. Tell them that the dish is called vegetable nachos and it may help them eat the clean solid veggies while imagining nachos. Smart, isn’t it?
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The fact that there are at least 650 types of cheeses means that there are types that even cheese lovers have not heard of before. These cheeses can be found in different parts of the globe from the cold, temperate regions of Canada to the snow-capped mountainous rural areas of Switzerland to the warm, tropical fields in South Asia.
For those who want to know more about the lesser-known types of cheese, these are seven that you should try out soon:
Cotija :
You may not have heard of cotija cheese before but you may have already tasted it as it is a mainstay on taco and salad recipes. It is derived from cow’s milk, which is aged for three months.
Originally from Mexico, it has been compared to feta though it acquires a tangier taste and drier texture as it ages. It is used in its home country as an addition to the soup. Other cooks also mix it in with guacamole and use it to top beans and casseroles.
Emmental :
A lot of people call it “Swiss cheese” but its name is actually “Emmental.” Emmental is the type of cheese typically featured in cartoons with holes in them. Emmental is especially perfect for fondue and grilled cheese.
What is most interesting about Emmental is the process by which it is made. Cows are made to graze in the mountains of the Alps in the southern regions of Switzerland so that they can produce milk later on. The milk curds are the ones used to make Emmental by pressing them firmly together. What is the reason for the bubbles you say? These are actually bubbles of carbon dioxide that were made by bacteria that are consuming the lactic acid.
Camembert :
The camembert may be one of the most widely produced cheeses in France but it is barely known outside Europe. This is due to the fact that the aging period is only at over three weeks, making it difficult to mass transport in batches to other parts of the world.
Camembert is characterized for its mild, almost mushroom-like aroma. It is sometimes eaten as is or deep-fried. A few even do breaded camembert snacks.
Manchego :
This Spanish cheese is made from milk produced from the Manchega sheep. It has a varied color, depending on the aging period it has, which can range from ivory to yellow. Young manchego cheese can be characterized as creamy and rich though it becomes salty as it ages. It is usually served as is though it is popularly paired with the Spanish membrillo for snacks.
Feta :
Feta is unusual as cheese as it is among the few that is a combination of two types of cheese. Seventy percent of feta is made from sheep’s milk, with the remaining parts coming from goat’s milk. It mainly comes from Greece and is moist and brined. It tastes great when it is used as a spread on bread.
Monterey Jack :
This cheese is one of the few kinds of cheese that originated from the United States. It is unique in the sense that it has one of the shortest aging times – only one month. Made from cow milk, it has a mild but buttery flavor. Due to the high level of butterfat in it, it melts right away, which makes it a great way to make cheese dip. It is also sometimes used over chili and casseroles.
A thing that you may not realize about Monterey Jack is that it is usually the cheese that is mixed with hot pickled peppers to come up with Pepper Jack cheese.
Chèvre :
In France, the word “chèvre” mainly refers to any type of goat milk. In fact, the word is literally translated as “goat.”
The use of “chèvre,” however, has evolved through time as it moved to other places. Now, the aging time of chèvre has become so varied. For example, in America, chèvre is what people call fresh goat’s milk that is not aged and is served and eaten right away after it is done. French variants of chèvre, on the other hand, are described as lemony and slightly acidic.
When you see chèvre sold in markets, you will see that it comes in vacuum-sealed logs, with a few spices and herbs added.
Conclusion :
If you want to make these popular cheeses, you should have one of the best cheesemakers available in the market. In addition to having a cheesemaker, you may also need a yogurt strainer bag. So, go ahead and have all you need to make these popular cheeses and enjoy the amazing tastes and flavors of cheeses you like.
Read Also :
Foods To Eat On A Low-Carb Ketogenic Diet
The Mouthwatering Foodie Tour To Mumbai
If you want a guide to healthy eating habits, the USDA Food Pyramid 2024 is one of the best sources you must refer to. To stay healthy, you need different types of nutrients in your body.
Hence, you must consume a variety of foods from each of the major food groups. Basically, the food pyramid makes healthy eating easier.
In this article, you will learn about the food pyramid and how it works. Here, the article will contain a brief explanation of each shelf in the pyramid. Moreover, you will learn about the major changes in Food Pyramid 2024.
Finally, you will get essential tips to follow the pyramid for a healthy lifestyle. Hence, to learn more, read on to the end of the article.
Food Pyramid 2024: What Is It?
With the help of a food pyramid, healthy eating will be easier for you. Basically, it shows different groups of food and how much food in these food groups you need to have a healthy diet. For instance, if you eat the right amount from each food group, you will have a balanced diet.
It is important to eat well. This has both short-term and long-term benefits. By eating well, you can feel good, look your best, and maintain a healthy weight.
Moreover, in the long term, with the help of a healthy and balanced diet, you can reduce heart risks. Apart from that, eating healthy will also help you deal with diabetes, osteoporosis, and some types of cancers.
The recent food pyramid has equal parts of healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at the base. However, almost three decades ago, the base had carbohydrates.
Currently, the food pyramid is an improved version and caters to the actual needs and demands of an actual person.
Basically, when you are looking at the food pyramid, use it as a guideline for your diet. Do not use it to follow a strict diet.
Hence, if you want a diet chart as your starting point to lead a healthy lifestyle, the pyramid is a good option. However, you must modify it as per your diet, lifestyle, and eating habits.
Explaining Each Shelf of the Food Pyramid 2024
The food pyramid consists of five main shelves. Basically, there is a shelf for every food group. Here, the most important shelf is at the bottom of the pyramid, while the least important is at the top of the pyramid.
The following are some basic details of each of the shelves on the food pyramid:
Level 1
This level consists of vegetables, fruit, and salad. Basically, you can eat plenty of these food items every day.
Level 2
Here, you have starchy foods. These consist of whole-meal cereals like bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, etc., which you can have with every meal. In fact, having a wholegrain diet is one of the best options to consider for a healthy diet.
Level 3
The next level of diet belongs to dairy. Here, you must focus on consuming milk, yogurt, and cheese. Moreover, to choose the level of fat, you can go with reduced fat or low fat.
Level 4
This level consists of meat, chicken, poultry, eggs, fish, and nuts. Here, you must ensure that you choose lean meat options. Also, make sure to have fish at least twice a week, especially if it is oil. This will help you consume essential fatty acids and protein.
Level 5
The fifth level consists of fats, spreads, and oils. Basically, these are not fully essential, and you must consume them in small amounts. Moreover, choose unsaturated or reduced-fat oils only.
Level 6
These are non-essential foods and have high amounts of salt, sugar, and fat. Hence, this shelf is of the least importance. You must have these foods at least once or twice a week.
Major Changes in the Food Pyramid 2024 from Earlier Ones
The following are some of the major changes you can find in the Food Pyramid 2024 from earlier food pyramids:
1. Plant-Based Proteins
Modern science and nutrition understand the importance of plant protein such as legumes, tofu, and tempeh. These protein sources are not only beneficial for your health, but they also have a lower environmental impact.
2. More Refined Sugars
Sweets, sugary beverages, processed snacks, and desserts are on the top shelf of the pyramid. Hence, it is better to avoid them. However, if you have a sweet tooth, look for natural options like fruits.
3. Less Dairy Products
A few years ago, people considered a glass of milk as a healthy option. However, the Food Pyramid 2024 suggests you cut full-fat dairy products. Rather, it suggests you stick to low-fat dairy products or plant-based dairy alternatives.
4. More Whole Grains
The old days of refined grains are over. Now, the food pyramid suggests you include whole grains as the base of your diet.
For instance, you can include quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, and whole wheat bread. Basically, these items are rich in fiber and nutrients. Hence, these should be an important part of your diet.
5. A Higher Number of Fruits and Vegetables
The importance of green vegetables and fruits is increasing with time. Hence, you must include veggies that are rich in nutrients. Apart from that, you must also include fruits in your daily diet for better health.
6. More Healthy Oils
Earlier, oil was present on the top shelf of the food pyramid. However, experts now encourage the use of healthy oils. For instance, to include healthy oils in your diet, you must consider virgin oils, nuts, seeds, olive oil, etc. However, you must not overuse them.
7. Inclusion of Supplements
The world of health and nutrition is understanding the importance of food supplements like multivitamins and multi-minerals.
In fact, these supplements help fill up the shortage of nutrients in your body. Moreover, you also need Vitamin D in your body, which you can only get from certain food options.
8. The Importance of Exercise
No matter how much healthy you eat, you must exercise your body. Actually, exercise and diet go hand in hand. Hence, always exercise when you are following the Food Pyramid 2024.
Related: Great Health Benefits You Get From A Protein Coconut Bar
Tips To Follow Food Pyramid 2024
One of the first things you must understand regarding the USDA Food Pyramid 2024 is that you do not need to strictly follow it. Here, all you need to do is integrate it with what your diet already is.
The following are some simple tips you must consider in this case if you want to have a healthier lifestyle:
1. Cook Meals At Home
Of course, you might not have enough time to cook your meals at home. However, to start with, you can cook one meal per day. Moreover, if you cook at home, you can use fresh products and will also have control over portion sizes.
2. Plan Your Meals Beforehand
By planning your meals, you can save a lot of time and money. However, if you consider planning for the week too much, you can start by planning what you need to buy from the grocery store. Here, you can refer to the pyramid. Also, by sticking to the pyramid, you can save yourself from impulsive purchases.
3. Try New Recipes
By trying new recipes, you can include food that you have not tried before. As a result, you can expand your food pyramid. Also, this will give you a chance to include healthy options in your meals. Moreover, you might end up discovering a recipe that you really enjoy.
4. Hydration
Apart from a healthy diet, you also need to drink enough water. Make sure to drink plenty during the day. This will help your body stay hydrated. Moreover, it will support your overall health as well.
Start Following Food Pyramid 2024 Now
The Food Pyramid 2024 offers a nutritious, balanced, and environment-friendly diet. Hence, if you incorporate each level of food into your diet, you can benefit a lot in the long run.
However, you do not need to strictly follow the diet. All you need is to align your current diet with the Food Pyramid and change slowly.
Do you have more suggestions on how to follow the Food Pyramid 2024? Please share your ideas and opinions in the comments section below.
Read Also:
7 Benefits Of Eating Protein Rich Snacks
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It always feels good to see a hummingbird in your garden. To see more of them in your garden, you can keep hummingbird nectar/food in a jar in your garden.
In fact, with a simple hummingbird food recipe, you can make their lives easier. All you need is a few simple ingredients.
In this article, you will learn how to make hummingbird food with simple ingredients. Apart from that, this article also discusses hummingbird nutrition and the steps you can take to set up your bird feeder.
Finally, you will learn how to attract more hummingbirds to your garden. Hence, to learn more, read on to the end of the article.
Understanding Hummingbird Nutrition
There are a variety of food options a hummingbird needs to meet its nutrition. Although they are one of the smallest birds in the world, they burn a lot of their calories by fluttering their tiny wings. Generally, a hummingbird flutters its wings 90 beats per second to maintain its momentum.
Hence, you can see that hummingbirds need to eat a lot. In fact, to satisfy their daily calorie requirements, these birds even consume half of their body weight. Basically, they feed on bugs and nectar every 10-15 minutes. Also, they visit 1000-2000 flowers per day.
The following are the things that hummingbirds feed on:
1. Nectar: This is the primary food source of hummingbirds. Basically, it consists of 20% sugar and 80% water. Generally, hummingbirds get their nectar from cardinal flowers, bee balm, salvia, and petunias.
2. Insects: For their protein needs, hummingbirds feed on insects. This is also a source of fat and salt for hummingbirds. In fact, nectar does not provide those nutrients. Basically, hummingbirds hunt insects by finding them from flowers, leaves, or tree bark. Sometimes, they also attack insects midair or pluck them from sticky saps.
3. Spiders: Generally, hummingbirds also feed on spiders for protein. However, they are generally small spiders.
4. Tree Sap: When the amount of nectar is low, hummingbirds drink tree sap from tree bark. Generally, woodpeckers drill wells on tree barks to get tree saps.
Hummingbird Food Recipe
Basically, by offering hummingbird nectar, you can help them with their post-workout meal.
Hence, follow the below hummingbird food recipe to make nectar:
Ingredients
The following are the ingredients you need to make hummingbird nectar:
Filtered Water: 4 Cups
Regular White Sugar: 1 Cup (If possible, use organic sugar for the recipe)
Procedure
Here are the steps you must follow to make hummingbird nectar:
1. Get four cups of water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil.
2. Once the water reaches the boiling point, take the water off the heat. Add sugar to the boiling water.
3. Stir the mixture until the sugar completely dissolves in the water.
4. The nectar is ready. Now, you must let the nectar cool completely.
5. Get a hummingbird feeder and place the mixture inside the feeder. Make sure to hang the hummingbird feeder outside (in your garden) to attract hummingbirds.
Essential Factors To Consider
The following are some of the major factors you must consider before you start making nectar with the hummingbird food recipe:
Make sure to change the nectar every four days with a new nectar. This will ensure that the nectar is fresh. Also, remember not to use food coloring in the nectar. Let it be as natural as you can.
Regularly check the bird feeder every time you change the nectar inside it. Look whether there is a gray mold inside the feeder base or not. Also, check whether any ant has crawled inside the feeder to consume sugar water.
If you check any dirt or ants inside the hummingbird feeder, throw the bird food away. Basically, it is not good for the birds to drink dirty nectar. In fact, there is a high chance that the birds will not feed on the nectar anyway.
To clean the feeder, rinse it with warm water. Then, put some bleach into the water inside. This will allow you to clean the feeder with a brush easily.
Once you clean the feeder, rinse it thoroughly with fresh water. Moreover, allow the water to dry.
After that, please fill up the feeder with food and place it outside.
Enhancing The Hummingbird Experience
Enhancing the hummingbird experience, you can attract more hummingbirds to your garden/balcony/porch.
The following are some of the steps you must follow if you want to enhance the hummingbird experience:
1. Change The Food Regularly
Make sure to change the food every 3-4 days. This is because nectar spoils quite fast, especially when the weather is hot. In fact, if the weather is above 30 degrees Celsius, make sure to change the nectar regularly. Also, make sure to keep the feeder in the shade. This will prevent the sugar from fermenting.
2. Use The Right Amount Of Ingredient
You can make hummingbird nectar with just water and sugar. However, you must ensure the water-to-sugar ratio is 4:1. Then, boil the water and add the sugar. After that, mix them until the mixture is perfect. After that, you must let the mixture cool before you add it to the feeder.
3. Avoid Honey
Generally, honey can ferment fast and becomes a great place for mold to grow quickly. Moreover, they can be sticky and get on the feathers of hummingbirds. Hence, it is better to avoid honey.
4. Add Another Feeder
Although hummingbirds are small and cute, they can be incredibly aggressive and territorial when confronting other hummingbirds. Hence, to avoid conflict among hummingbirds, it is better to add a second feeder if you want to ensure every hummingbird gets the opportunity to have the nectar.
5. Clean The Feeders
Make sure to clean the feeders every week. Moreover, if you have hot weather around, clean the feeders twice every week. While you clean, ensure the vinegar-to-water ratio is 1:4. Also, rinse the feeders well before you refill. Furthermore, while rinsing, do not use dish soap. This is because they can leave harmful residue on the feeders.
Setting Up Your Hummingbird Feeder
The following are the steps you must take to set up your hummingbird feeder:
Make the nectar by checking the hummingbird food recipe in the previous section.
Hang the feeder in your garden at the start of spring. Generally, hummingbirds migrate through your area in the spring. Also, leave the feeder up after the hummingbirds migrate in the fall.
Hang the feeder in a place where it is visible for hummingbirds to see. Also, make sure to place the feeder in an area where you can have a good look.
Clean the nectar every 3-4 days and clean the feeder thoroughly each time you change the nectar. This way, you can prevent dust and mold from getting into the feeder.
Sugar water is safe and helpful for hummingbirds. Basically, it is quite similar to the natural nectar that hummingbirds find in flowers.
If you want to make your own feeder, use an old spice container, bottle, mason jar, or wine bottle.
Attracting More Hummingbirds
Here are some of the major ways you can attract hummingbirds to your garden:
1. Offer Hummingbird Food/Nectar: If you make sugar water and keep it in a feeder in your garden, you can attract many hummingbirds in your area. To make this item, you can see the hummingbird food recipe above.
2. Keep Water: Generally, hummingbirds also like to bathe. Hence, you can keep some water in a pot/jar to allow hummingbirds to access water for bathing and drinking.
3. Perch Area: You can leave small branches and sticks on your trees and plants. This will allow hummingbirds to perch on.
4. Plant Flowers: There is no alternative to pure nectar that flowers have. Hence, this attracts hummingbirds a lot. For instance, you can use hummingbird sage, honeysuckle, bee balm, and more. Also, you can add other types of flowers to your garden.
5. Keep Other Animals Out: If you have a pet cat/dog in your home, keep them inside. This is because they can bother hummingbirds or even end up killing them.
6. Avoid Pesticides: Pesticides are repellants for hummingbirds as well as insects. Hence, make sure not to use them or use them minimally.
Make Your Hummingbird Food Now
Now, you can make hummingbird nectar with the help of the hummingbird food recipe in the article. However, make sure to change the food every 3-4 days. Also, ensure to clean the jar every time you change the food. This way, you can ensure clean food for hummingbirds.
Do you have more suggestions on how to make hummingbird food? Please share your ideas and opinions in the comments section below.
Additional Resources:
Is Indian Food Healthy? – Major Nutritional Benefits of Indian Cuisine
15 Healthy Mexican Food Items With Immense Health Benefits
The Importance Of Proper Cutting When Preparing Meals
