Food

Are you planning a trip to Jeddah? Well, you are in for an unforgettable experience in the Saudi Arabian port city on the Red Sea. After all, the modern city is a gateway for the Islamic holy cities Mecca and Medina for hundreds and thousands of pilgrims.

Apart from those touristic sites, beaches, and outdoor locations, Jeddah will serve you almost every kind of cuisine based on the Saudi Arabian diet. Embark on a gastronomic journey with a variety of dishes and local ethnic foods made from some core ingredients and based on Islamic dietary laws.

The options are unlimited as you will also come across some great Italian, Japanese, Persian, Lebanese restaurants available in the city. Stay at one of the Almosafer Jeddah Hotels to get a completely relaxing experience and explore the city and go on a food tour.

Here are some of the must-try dishes to enjoy in Jeddah:

• Qursan – The tasty dish is often served as a side dish and is prepared from wheat flour and saturated with gravy.
• Jarish- The popular traditional dish is made from ground wheat, which is served with chicken, rice, and onions.
• Saleeg – The white rice dish is considered the national dish of the Hijaz region and is prepared with broth and milk.
• Kabsa- The national dish of Saudi Arabia is made with rice, meat, and vegetables and is similar to other traditional Saudi Arabian dishes.
• Matazeez – The traditional Arabic dish is cooked in a spiced sauce and is made of lamb and vegetables.
• Madfoon – Another meat and rice dish, it is cooked in a pit under fire, but the cooking styles can vary by region.
• Mofatah al-dajaj – The delicious dish is made from boiled pieces of chicken or lamb and seasoned with spices, raisins, and almonds.

Eating out in Jeddah means enjoying not just some great dishes but also imbibing the long and colorful history of the city.

You could try out the Hijazi-inspired cuisine or eat at chili-scented ramen in a fusion restaurant or explore one of those new dining spots, whatever your budget or taste. Some of the popular spots include names like Meez, Baco, Qamreya. Shrimp Zone, The Yemeni Village, and some more.

It is a good idea to plan a food tour in Jeddah so that you can get the real taste of Saudi Arabian food and discover some of the off-the-beaten-path spots that serve only the most authentic Saudi Arabian food. Your tour leader will give you interesting details of each good and take you to some of the best places.

You will not only visit the traditional old food markets but also get to see how the locals shop and what they buy for their kitchens. You will enjoy the most popular Saudi dishes, drink their special drinks, and try out their delicious desserts. It is indeed one of life’s great pleasures to taste the real and authentic Saudi Arabian food in Jeddah.

Convinced that you need to visit Jeddah? Well then, Book intercontinental hotel in Jeddah for a welcoming and comfortable stay in Jeddah.

 

2020 isn’t a good year for many business owners. Some companies even decided to close instead of bleeding money. The good thing is that the end is near, and hope is on the horizon. With vaccines now made available in some places, we can see this pandemic finally coming to an end. It also means that some businesses can recover – such as bakeries. Next year will probably be an exciting year if you own this type of business or plan to open one. These are some of the reasons.

Online deliveries are now popular

Due to the pandemic, more people rely on delivery services. They fear going out because of the possibility of catching the virus. It means that regardless of what happens in 2021, the food industry will continue to blossom. If businesses can reopen, a bakery with dine-in services will prosper. Otherwise, delivery services will still make the business profitable.

You’re probably more creative now

Due to the lockdown, you ran out of activities to do. You tried things you didn’t have time to do before. If you’re passionate about baking, you probably tried a lot of new things. You also mixed and matched different ingredients to come up with an amazing outcome. Even the overall design is way better than expected. You can use what you practised as you launch or continue your bakery business. It will most likely go a long way.

You can do the business from home

If you worry about the capital or initial costs, you don’t have to. With a bakery, you can start the business from home. It lessens the overall expenses. You can even continue the business even when there is another lockdown order from the government. The best part is that you can continue doing your job as a parent since you’re working from home. You don’t sacrifice anything in the process.

You will find lots of affordable suppliers

Due to this pandemic, some businesses decided to change their pricing strategies to entice more buyers. As such, you might find wholesale bakery suppliers that offer items at an affordable price. You can reduce the cost of running the business while maximizing potential profits. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice the quality of what you’re selling because you decided to work with a different supplier.

You understand the value of money

2020 was a year of uncertainty. We didn’t know what was going to happen. We also have no idea if this pandemic is ever going to end. People lost their jobs, and the economy started to crash. The good thing is that more people understood the value of their money. You probably feel the same way. It’s a good thing since you will get wiser in spending money when running your business.

Hopefully, this endeavour will turn out well. You can make money from your bakery business and satisfy lots of customers. Give it a shot and see where it goes.

Everyone in the world wants to enjoy a model-like physique that makes weight management becomes so important.

Rigorous exercising, careful diet planning, and refraining to eat those oh-so-delicious, extra cheesy pizzas and burgers soon become a common part of our daily routine. However, the problem arises when we make our will to reduce weight an obsession.

Don’t get us wrong, maintaining a healthy weight is extremely important but, resorting to drastic measures that may have a negative impact on your body isn’t.

Hence, it is worth noting right away: do not go on a crash diet!

Crash dieting has several downsides that you would want to avoid. Many people are under the impression that crash dieting can help reduce a lot of weight within a significantly short period of time. The fact of the matter is that this is too good to be true.

Read on as we discuss why crash dieting is not a good option for your health and body.

It will make your blood sugar levels unstable

For proper functioning, a body needs its steady supply of fat, carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. Due to any circumstances, when this supply is disturbed, your blood sugar levels and insulin can become unstable. All those detox diets that you hear about? Well, it just makes you more prone to developing type II diabetes.

The fact that carbohydrates, insulin, and fat storage are interdependent can increase your hunger pangs while simultaneously dropping hypoglycemia or blood sugar levels. You could always opt for healthier alternatives for your breakfast instead of something that has too many calories. For example, buy a blender for smoothies to get your daily dose of nutrients without packing on extra calories.

It will make you very dehydrated, very quickly

The fact that our body is made out of 70% water might already be known by some of you. There is also no doubt that this is quite a huge percentage.

But, in going on a crash diet, you may feel like you’ve lost weight. However, in reality, this is not excess fat that you are losing – it’s water. Restricting your calorie intake forces your body to start burning glycogen to create energy. This glycogen is a carbohydrate form that is stored in our liver and muscles and has water molecules attached to it. Thus, crash dieting not only burns this glycogen but also lowers your water levels.

Dehydration is, again, really bad for your skin and body functioning. All in all, this is yet another reason for you to skip crash dieting.

It may cause a lot of random stretch marks to appear

The process of losing weight should be gentle and properly planned. If you lose too much weight in a relatively short span of time, you may develop side effects such as cardiac issues, sodium depletion, lower immunity, hair loss, lower blood pressure, and of course, stretch marks.

While there is nothing wrong with developing stretch marks, you most certainly wouldn’t want it to be because of your weight loss regime. If you decide to crash diet, you are basically putting the well-being of your skin at greater risk.

Your skin, for sure, faces the brunt of it all. It will lose its lustrous appeal and instead have a dull appearance.

While using a stretch mark cream might be an effective way to curb these markings, why not be a bit more cautious and opt for a realistic weight loss program? This would be a much safer alternative than the crash diet.

It will lower your fat and essential nutrient content

Your body needs foods that have high nutrient profiles to carry out the everyday functioning in the best possible manner. Crash diets strip your body supply of essential minerals, vitamins, and fats that may alter your metabolism. By starving yourself, you are depriving yourself of good nutrients, which can make you lethargic and gloomy. Yes, even mental health can suffer a lot.

Once you are on a crash diet, your body wants to start to restore its food supply. This, in turn, will make you eat an improper amount of food – good and bad – that will defeat the entire purpose of going on a diet.

It will lead to mental anguish

We’ve already mentioned how mental health can deteriorate when you crash diet. When you feel full by eating nutritious food, you automatically feel better and content. However, starving yourself for hours at a stretch will only make you more irritable.

Not only will your work productivity decrease, but even your home life will get hampered. Your body is a temple that needs to be worshipped. And eating the right thing at the right time is a part of this worship.

It will crash your metabolism

Crash dieting is equivalent to starving.

The problem with starving is that your metabolism will not be able to sustain itself in the absence of energy. Lower energy levels are exactly what will occur when you drastically reduce your calorie intake for a long period. In the end, your hunger will simply increase, which will end up sabotaging your weight loss regime.

Lethargy, weakness, and more lethargy

Without giving your body the required nutrition and food, you are bound to feel exhausted and tired all the time. At times, you may feel nauseated as well due to chronic fatigue syndrome which is a common side effect of crash dieting. Hence, please do not abuse your body and stick to eating healthy and reducing weight in the right manner.

Veggie lovers, mark your calendars for April 19, 2020! The Fairfax Veg Fest, the only sustainability festival of Fairfax county, kicks-off and it’s sure to be a hit. It is all about living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle that is absolutely plant-based.

Hosted in Herndon, Virginia from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the event brings together expert speakers who are passionate about educating people on healthy living. There will also be cooking demos, restaurant booths, and a lot of games and fun-filled activities for kids.

Join the Cause: “For People, Animals & Our Planet”

If the world needs to be saved from water shortages, starvation, and the adverse effects of climate change, it is high time people start adopting a plant-based diet.

Although over 60 percent of the U.S. population believes that a plant-based diet is beneficial for health, only 6 percent has adopted veganism as their lifestyle.

However, 39 percent of people are trying their best to choose a healthy plant-based lifestyle. This event might be the best place for these, and many more, to get all their queries answered and find the support they need to achieve their goal.

The primary purpose of the event is to celebrate and showcase a healthy lifestyle for people, animals, and the rest of the planet. The products sold at the event are all cruelty-free and eco-friendly. The best part is that you don’t have to buy any tickets since the admission is free.

If you are part of Virginia’s vegetarian and vegan community, you won’t want to miss showing your support at this year’s Veg Fest.

Explore the Area After the Festival

The festival is not the only thing worth seeing in Fairfax. There are a lot of places you can explore to make your vacation memorable. A few of the local attractions include:

• National Museum of African American History and Culture: Located on the National Mall, this museum could be a treat to your eyes, if you are into history and culture.
• Eagle Bank Arena: Whether you want to enjoy your favorite band or cheer the Mason Patriots at a home game, Eagle Bank Arena is the place to be.
• Jefferson District Golf Course: If you are into golf, you will love this 9-hole executive course with four ponds, a gently rolling playing surface, a par five hole, as well as a few demanding par fours that will make your game all the more challenging.

Check These Out If You’re Looking for a Meal Outside of the Festival

Fairfax Veg Fest 2020 provides a lot of Vegan meal options, but if you want to try out some of the local vegan options, here are a few places to explore:

• Nazret Ethiopia Restaurant: Try this spot out for a sumptuous Ethiopian breakfast or brunch. They have some tasty and spicy Vegan dishes that are a must-try.
• True Food Kitchen: A health-driven restaurant and bar, this place serves great tasting vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dishes made from wholesome, seasonal ingredients that offer natural health benefits.
• Dulce Crepes: Visit this restaurant for some amazing vegan, gluten-free, gourmet crepes, made out of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.

Rest Up Before Heading Home

A vacation is really a vacation only if you feel well-rested. If you are not a resident of the Fairfax county, why not make a weekend out of the trip? Here are a few hotels that offer a comfortable stay with incredible amenities and facilities:

• Hyatt House Falls Church, Merrifield, VA: It’s easy to find hotels near Merrifield, VA with places like the Hyatt. It offers a variety of accommodations, including suites with kitchens. Complete with a seasonal pool, 24-hour gym, a cocktail bar, and a 24-hour market for food, the hotel offers complimentary breakfast with made-to-order omelets, free parking, and free local shuttle.
• Courtyard by Marriott: Located close to Fairfax Court Shopping Center, this hotel has a beautiful outdoor patio, a living room-style lobby, and an American restaurant that serves Starbucks coffee. With amenities like an indoor pool, an exercise room, and free parking, the hotel also has two meeting rooms and a business center equipped with workstations and printers.

Start Preparing for an “Eventful” Holiday

If you are passionate about adopting a vegan lifestyle, you will find all a helpful, positive community to support you at the Fairfax Veg Fest 2020. Book your tickets and your hotel room right away to grab the best deals available.

 

Whether you enjoy eating or cooking, fans of the culinary arts will want to be at the 5th Annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend, November 7–9, 2019, in Washington, DC. The weekend kicks off with the Smithsonian Food History Gala. This is a black-tie event that features presentation of the Julia Child Award, food critic Andres Zimmern as master of ceremonies, several guest speakers and a three-course menu created by the Julia Child Award recipient. This event will be an evening to remember and a great way to start this special weekend.

Friday and Saturday will be filled with two days of live demonstrations, hands-on learning, talks and stories of women who are empowering communities through food. It will feature talented local chefs, organizations, experts on food history and local entrepreneurs. Programs include activities for people of all ages. It will include a kids’ table and exploration of “food in a pocket” across many cultures. Experts will lead these activities in their regional food culture. Several rarely seen objects will also be on display.

Several special presentations are included in the programming. “Eritrean Food En Route” will explore a local food delivery service that supports refugees and upcoming migrant chefs. “In the Kitchen with Chef Jacques Pepin” will present demonstrations in his spirited and masterful style with creations that will delight everyone.

Other presentations throughout the weekend will feature experts in various cuisines, including Persian cuisine, eating healthy for kids, selections from the Baltimore Farmer’s Market, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Salvadorian cuisines. There is something for every taste and age group. It is an excellent opportunity to try something new and taste world cuisines.

The weekend will also feature Deep-Dish Dialogues, which presents live interviews and conversations with people who are innovating world change through the culinary arts. One of the discussions is a panel with past recipients of the Julia Child Award. Another will feature ways to empower communities through food. This discussion will go into how culinary knowledge and skills can be used to help refugees and migrant women. The third discussion on Saturday will feature the topic of food activism in American history. It will provide a fascinating look into how African American women have sustained communities through innovative production and food distribution systems.

Area Attractions

As you can see, a lot is going on at the Smithsonian Food History weekend, but there are also many other reasons to visit the area. It is located near the National Mall right in the heart of Washington, DC. Of course, you could visit the other buildings in the Smithsonian complex, such as the Natural History Museum or the Arts and Industries Building. You could also visit the White House, Lincoln Memorial, and Jefferson Memorial at the National Mall while you are there.

Washington Accommodations

Washington, DC. is a popular area for tourism, and there are many excellent hotels near the National Mall. Popular accommodations include the Hilton and the Hotel Harrington. Our recommendation is the Grand Hyatt Washington. It has an elegant interior, spacious rooms that are modern and comfortable, and it is close to the most popular sites near the National Mall.

 

Caviar has always been one of the symbols of luxury cuisine for the nobles. Its rarity, its unique taste, its appearance … all of that is a strong reason why we must respect these fish eggs. Because of its reputation, caviar cannot be eaten carelessly. This article will explain you, the best way to eat caviar. Interested? Just keep reading!

As a rare and exceptional product, the caviar must be tasted respecting certain constraints so that all the flavor and subtleties of the caviar can be expressed during its tasting. When buying caviar, it is important to know what gastronomic sensations you are looking for. In this context, the price of caviar remains a secondary factor compared to the effervescence of flavors that you will enjoy tasting the rare and refined product.

Choice when buying caviar and storage:

Caviar must be chosen with great care before any tasting. It is important to take into account your tastes before buying caviar. As with any exceptional product, the price of caviar remains a secondary factor compared to the effervescence of flavors that you will enjoy. After having made your caviar purchase, it is essential to keep it cold. Extremely sensitive, the caviar must absolutely be stored in a refrigerated space between -2 ° C / + 2 ° C. At least you should prepare an accurate cooling machine if you really want to store your precious caviar at home.

Caviar tasting: some tips

For optimal tasting conditions of your caviar, it is important to observe certain rules:

– Take your caviar out of the chilled space about half an hour before the tasting, so that all the flavors of caviar can wake up and reveal themselves.

– Keep the caviar chilled on a bed of crushed ice or in a suitable service.

After buying caviar or leaving the refrigerated space, you can taste your caviar, but be careful. Being a rare and fragile product, it is essential to observe some constraints for the tasting of the caviar:

– The tasting of the caviar should always take place at the beginning of the meal, as the other foods alter the flavor of the caviar.

– Never use metal cutlery with caviar. This would damage the flavors of caviar. We therefore advise you to use porcelain cutlery or nacre, which you can buy during your purchase caviar.

After all this, you can taste your caviar by letting it melt under the tongue to appreciate all the flavors and all the refinement. Nevertheless, it is advisable to consume a reasonable amount of caviar per meal

Accompaniment of caviar:

You can also accompany your caviar with condiments such as a toast with cream or white bread with sweet butter. Finally, be sure to bring out all the aromas and flavors of caviar with refreshments such as champagne, dry white wine or vodka.

Hopefully our advice can be useful to save all tastes when you eat a delicious portion of caviar.

To read more on topics like this, check out the food category.

When choosing chef coats for your kitchen staff, functionality and presentability is key. Work smart and look stunning while doing it with the perfect chef coat

The feel and look of a crisp, newly washed chef coat is a universal sign of fine dining and exclusivity, whether the chef coat is bright white, elegant black or a modern grey. But providing your chefs with the right chef coat is not only a matter of looking presentable to the guests – it is first and foremost about comfort and efficiency for the chefs. There are several factors to take into account when you’re looking for the right chef coats.

Breathability and lightness

Most kitchens can become unbearably hot, especially in summer and in the peak of opening hours, your chefs might be standing directly over the stove for hours, performing physically demanding tasks in a fast pace. With this in mind, heavy coats made from heavy fabrics are not a desirable choice for most chefs. Instead, choose chef coats that are light, so your chefs can move freely and let the body perspire and keep a comfortable temperature for the entire shift.

Comfort and preference

People are different – and chefs are people too. The preference of one may be the aversion of another. When choosing style and look og chef coats, this should be a priority. Some chefs might be more comfortable in short sleeved coats, where the frying chef would want to have their arms covered for safety. Buy chef coats that can suit the needs of many preferences. To purchase chef coats in various styles that cater to different needs, buy chef coats here.

Style and brand of the restaurant

To have a complete style and feel of a place, everything is taken into consideration, from drapes to tablecloths, background music, natural or artificial lighting and of course the menu. Everything tiny details sets the mood for the place, to give the guests an exquisite experience. Chef coats are no exception. If you’re going for French fine dining, a classic white chef coat with ball buttons is the obvious choice. If the restaurant is Asian or Asian-inspired, a classic choice would be to opt for grey or black chef coats and waiter jackets.

Your choice of chef coats should cater to the needs and preferences of the chefs, as well as be fitting to the style and brand of the restaurant.

 

Hi, I’m Abby, and my husband is James. I operate a food blog, and he has a meat distribution business. Together, we love food, ingredients, kitchen equipment, and every cooking method there is.

I have always loved cooking, but in my teenage years, I did not really know if I wanted to make a career out of it. I loved to experiment with different methods of cooking but without hi-tech equipment.

I remember being fascinated by sous vide and using an ice cooler as improvised pot. I also didn’t have a vacuum-sealer and used instead of the water displacement trick as an alternative. This is my sous vide story.

I saw sous vide on TV, and mostly, it is a cooking method where food is placed in food bags, dunked under water with perfectly controlled temperature and time, and when it’s done, the food is beautifully cooked and flavored.

Different foods, same benefits

Food is cooked so tender

Steaks and ribs are my favorite. I like to prepare short ribs braised for about 70 hours, at 136 degrees Fahrenheit. Another favorite is the beef sirloin steak tips, cooked for an hour at 130 degrees Fahrenheit. They literally just melt in your mouth.

Food is not directly placed under or over a fire but is cooked by the temperature of the water. Since the whole bag of food is submerged under water, it is cooked to be so tender, but not dry or flavorless.

Food is cooked evenly

All sides of the food is thoroughly cooked, with no side undercooked or the other side overcooked, which is a more common mistake when each side gets a turn on the grill or in the frying pan.

I like to put in shrimps or lobster tails inside a bag, add butter to it, and dip it into the sous vide bath. They will come out beautiful, moist, firm and very flavorful.

Food is flavorful

With the meats, I put in a dry rub or sometimes a marinade inside the bag itself, so as they slowly cook, the flavor seeps into the surfaces of the meat.

If you think sous vide is only for meats and chicken, you are so wrong. I like my carrots cooked the sous vide way, too. I put them inside the bag, stew them in their own juices at 183 degrees Fahrenheit, and they come out so tender yet crispy. I then give it a quick toss in the frying pan for the juices to be reduced to a glaze for more flavor.

Different tools, different stories

I didn’t start with my beautiful Anova, and Joule, or with my good FoodSaver sealer. I started as a teenager just grabbing anything in the kitchen.

What to do if you don’t have vacuum-sealer?

It is essential to remove the air from the bag since it affects the cooking time and the temperature. The best way to do it is using a vacuum-sealer, like the FoodSaver that I have now.

You put the bag inside a food bag with its marinade or with spices and dry rub. Vacuum-seal the bag to remove the air. With a proper vacuum sealer, this step is done fast and efficiently.

If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, like me years ago, do what I did:

• I got a zipper-lock freezer bag, put the foods inside, and then put the bag in a pot with water, making sure the open top does not get submerged.
• I used my hands under water holding the bag and pushing out the water slowly.
• I submerged the bag lower into the water, leaving only the top not overwhelmed, and when I couldn’t go any lower, and I’ve pushed out the air enough, I closed the zipper top.

This water displacement method may not be perfect but it is enough to get the sous vide done.

Use the immersion circulator

This is one equipment you really need to have. Put it inside the tub or pot.

It is the tool that heats the water, and where you set it at a specific temperature, for a precise length of time.

Options for containers

1. You can get a water oven with a tub of its own but it takes up much space compared to a wand-type circulator.
2. Or you can use any old stock pot as long as it is deep enough to hold water.
3. Use a plastic container specifically for sous vide cooking, like a Rubbermaid plastic container that can be big enough for large family cooking.

If you are using an immersion circulator, try if you can clip it on the sides of your container. Otherwise, you would have to hold on to it for a long time. The best container would be the Rubbermaid that comes in two different sizes. It has provision to hold up the immersion circulator.

My favorite sous-vide tips:

Over the years, I have discovered a few hacks and tips, and I would like to share this with you:

1. If you are using a dry rub of spices, put a little olive oil inside the bag so the meats will not eat into the plastic.
2. After sous vide cooking, you can put the meat on the grill or a frying pan very quickly to give it some color. Straight from sous vide, it will look unappetizing in its gray-brown color.
3. It is okay to use a big container, but the bigger it is, the longer time it will take the water to its desired temperature, so if you cook for just a small family of 5, you can get a small sized container instead.
4. I use hot water from the faucet instead of cold, that way I reach the desired hot temperature faster.

Conclusion

Sous vide is not complicated at all. You don’t even need to say it right as the French do to learn how to do it.

I personally like doing sous vide because it is easy – put in a bag, vacuum seal, swim, set the temperature and time, and that is it. It does not take much effort, and while it is cooking (as it can take hours), I don’t even need to be there to check if it is overcooked. I can do other tasks while cooking.

Eventually, I also discovered Joule and an efficient app that alerts me on my phone when my sous vide are done.

Now, I do sous vide in our restaurant, and I still do it at home for my family. Different equipment and tools, different types of food, but all end up being delicious and juicy, enjoyed by everyone – family and customers alike.

Making food look appealing is just as important for children as it is for adults. Looking and thinking about food is one of the first stages of digestion. If food looks attractive and fun children are far more likely to want to eat it. Giving individual portions helps make food more appetising and can make a meal appear less challenging. Mini versions of traditional meals i.e. shepherd’s pie, baked in small dishes are always popular. Allow children to assemble their own food. Lay out a variety of ingredients for your children to put together. This works very well with pizza’s and wraps. Fruit chopped into bite sizes and placed on a skewer or a straw is another helpful approach.

Offer your child food that packs lots of nutrition into small doses. This is particularly good for toddlers who are often as active as rabbits but seem to eat as little as mice.

Nutrient rich foods that are attractive to children include avocados, pasta, broccoli, peanut butter, brown rice, potatoes, cheese, chicken, eggs, fish, sweet potatoes and greek yogurt.

Menus

Chatting to your children about food is great but that alone does not provide any experience. You could tell your three year old that Spinach will give them muscles like Popeye and that carrots will help them see in the dark however you will be competing with TV ads which may tell a different story. With both sides telling different tales about what food they should choose to put in their body, who will your child believe?

Involving your child in the process of planning what you should eat is an important step in raising healthy grubbers and children that accept what is on the plate for breakfast, dinner and lunch.

Give them choice

Giving your child a choice between green beans or broccoli can make them feel good about putting that particular veg onto their plate. Children look to decide what they put in to their own body, and giving them choice over food options is a wonderful step in stopping the need for them to tell you “no” just for the sake of telling you so.

Exposure is half the battle

Giving your child food options before it lands on their plate will assist with mealtime mania. Surprises are not for everyone, and especially food surprises. As well as creating ownership over the meal and reducing disappointment from dinnertime, it also makes favourite dishes come with a level of anticipation…great for the digestive juices.

Start with a simple choice

Do they want green beans or broccoli with dinner? These small options will allow them choices between ingredients that do not change the overall meal, but will feel like a small bit of ownership over the dish.

Go shopping together

Point out the vegetables they can choose from. Do you think we should have red or green cabbage for dinner tomorrow? Moving the choice towards the shopping experience opens up the possibilities more for them and it’s a wonderful time to talk about food options.

Cooking method

Once your child gets a sense for how choosing side dishes are done, start asking how they would like it cooked. Do they want to steam the broccoli or cook it in a casserole?  This helps explore new ways that they might like food that they previously thought they didn’t and it can help them think about how food taste and texture change depending on how they are prepared.

Planning Menus

Planning with your child can be great fun and when you make it part of your weekly routine your child will look forward to doing it regularly. It helps to spark an interest in what they are eating.

Plan a colourful dinner. Children are drawn to bright colours. Luckily bright coloured fruits and vegetables are not only delicious, but nutritious. Get your child to think of meal ideas including as many brightly coloured fruits and vegetables as possible.

Pull out cookbooks with colourful pictures or go online and find recipe websites that have pictures with each recipe. Ask your child to pick a few recipes that looks good based on the picture. Children are more likely to try something new if they see a picture that look good to them. For the younger children, cut out pictures of all different type of foods and make a scrapbook of different menus.

When the meal is over, chat about what your child liked and disliked about the food so that their comments can be taken into consideration for the next meal they plan.

Get Cooking

Children are more likely to eat their own cooking/baking, so, where appropriate let your picky eater help prepare the food. It can be a fun affair, however patience in coping with the helping hands from small children will often determine how much you are able to tolerate. Cookie cutters can be used to create edible designs out of foods like cheese, bread, thin meat slices or cooked lasagne. Get your child to tear and wash lettuce, wash potatoes or stir batter. Put batter in a squeeze bottle and let your child watch as you squeeze the batter onto the pan in fun shapes, such as heart, numbers, letter or even your child’s name. They can also be involved in setting the table, whether that is laying out mats for under the plates or setting out cutlery or crockery. When children are part of the preparation they are more likely to feel part of the meal too.

Here are some tips to try out when cooking with your kids!

Dress your child up in chef’s clothes, hats and aprons and allow him to get stuck in.

Children have short attention spans so give them quick and easy jobs.  Keep the instructions simple.  Give age appropriate duties

When children get excited they may forget steps

Young children need constant supervision

Expect spills and messes and give children jobs to help clean up

Again give plenty of praise for all attempts at cooking.

Focus on hygiene and safety and lay ground rules. Teach children to tie hair back, roll sleeves up and remove jewellery.

It is never too late to start involving children in your family meals. You will be making memories and teaching lifelong healthy habits at the same time.

Mealtimes are one of the keystones of family life. Whenever possible get the whole family eating together. This can make a difference where fussy eaters are concerned.  Show your child that mealtimes can be fun and relaxing and not a source of anxiety. Take time to chat, rather than focusing on what is on the plates. Talk about the events of the day. This will help to take the pressure off children who may feel that what – and how much – they eat is being scrutinized.

When you have small children it is important to make an effort to be consistent in this respect and that structured mealtimes are in place. Ensure that they are not too close together as children may not be hungry or too far apart as children may be snacking or have low blood sugars affecting their behaviour.

Give your child an advance warning when a meal is coming up. “Supper is in ten minutes, please finish up your game and wash your hands. Do not expect them to drop what they are dong and run to the table immediately. Give them time to prepare themselves for the change in activity.

Keep food servings age appropriate. Wondering how much to offer? A young child’s stomach is approximately the size of his fist. So serve small portions at first and refill the plate if your child asks for more. The less is more meal plan is more successful with the fussy eaters.

The “bite-rule” worked with my kids. “Take one bite, two bites….” (However far you think you can force it without force feeding). The bite rule at least gets your child to taste a new food, while giving her some control over the feeding.

Rules which are good life skills also:

Children should wash their hands before they eat

They should sit at a table and not run off and eat elsewhere

No meals in front of T.V.  Turn telly off during meal times

Children should stay at the table until you tell them they can be excused.  Be realistic!!

Please and thank you are important words to learn

Mealtimes are not only about getting the right amount of food into your children at the right time, they are opportunities when families sit down together, share the day’s news and enjoy each other’s company.

Explore the Laya Healthcare site for more information on family health insurance cover options or to get a health insurance quote online today.

 

(Image Credit: Xiao Long Bao at Dim Sum USA)

While many Chinese steamed dumplings are solid inside, Xiao Long Bao (XLB) is unique in that it is filled with steaming hot broth instead. The bite-sized dumplings, introduced in China in the middle of the 19th century, are popular in their country of origin as well as numerous other countries around the world.

The broth inside contains aspic and chefs sometimes mix it with crab or ground pork. Servers at restaurants present XLB to diners in the same bamboo steamer that the chef used to prepare them.

As the popularity of XLB spreads, food industry entrepreneurs are scrambling to open new restaurants to capitalize on this trend. Below are just some of the many new or upcoming restaurants that will make XLB an integral part of their menus.

Drunken Dumplings

When it opened in September of 2016, a restaurant called Drunken Dumplings located in New York’s East Village was the first to offer the XL Xiao Long Bao. This supersized offering is like the Big Mac of American fast food. Rather than the bite-sized morsel of an appetizer that diners are accustomed to, the XL XLB is a mega dumpling served in a bowl. Although it has attracted huge interest, restaurant owner Yuan Lee has had to limit the creation and serving of this extra-large dish to just 25 per day due to the time and labor intensity it takes to create a single piece.

Paradise Dynasty to Open Restaurant in Los Angeles in Early 2019

Paradise Dynasty, a restaurant chain known for its XLB and other soup dumplings, plans to open its first restaurant in the United States early next year. The restaurant chain is famous for serving unique and colorful soup dumplings in eight different varieties.

However, its most famous dish is a dumpling featuring black truffles, foie grass, and dough with a black hue. Although it will be entering a popular restaurant market, the Los Angeles area is not yet saturated with eateries serving XLB and it many variations.

Paradise Dynasty looked to a mega restaurant chain called Din Tai Fung for its inspiration. Din Tai Fung currently operates 160 Chinese restaurants worldwide with 11 of them located in the United States. It also plans to infiltrate the West Coast of the United states with new restaurants planned for San Diego, California and Portland, Oregon.

A Restaurant Called XLB Serving Mainly XLB

In late 2017, former food blogger Jasper Shen opened the aptly-named XLB Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Unlike many of his competitors who serve an Americanized version of popular Chinese dishes, Shen personally ensures that each item served by his restaurant is authentically Chinese. He does this so his relatives from China will approve of the food and because he remembers Americanizing the dishes when he worked in the Chinese restaurants of his uncles as a boy. His restaurant also offers several other authentic Chinese dishes including stir fries and mushrooms, black bean noodles and seafood, and steamed boas with pork or cabbage.

With more new authentic Chinese restaurants that serve XLB popping up all the time, it’s clear that the real winner is the American diner looking for a non-traditional experience.