"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?" "What's for breakfast?" said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?" "I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet. Pooh nodded thoughtfully. "It's the same thing," he said.
--A.A. Milne
Tacos are
the perfect food. They are easy to
prepare. They make a fun breakfast (or lunch or dinner). Kids love to make them and eat them. You can eat them with your hands. Fill them with beans or lentils, your
favorite vegan cheese, fresh tomatoes, diced avocados, crisp romaine lettuce,
homemade pico de gallo or taco sauce and you have a food fiesta.
Beans and
lentils belong to the Legume food group, one of the four basic food groups (legumes,
whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) for plant-based eating. Legumes are nutritionally dense and one of
the best sources of dietary fiber, found only in food from plants. One-half cup of cooked green lentils (the
garden variety kind of lentil, usually costs less than $1.50 for a bag) has about 9
grams of dietary fiber, which is about 1/3 of our daily fiber needs for good health.
Having enough dietary fiber and drinking enough water are two of the best predictors of bowel health. There is nothing worse than a child with no access to dietary fiber who eats mainly processed foods, meat, and dairy, has a bowel movement only once a week and stomach aches every day.
Lentils are easy to cook. Put ½ cup of lentils in a small pot with
about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to simmer
for about 20 minutes. Drain excess
water.
Include lentils or beans in your daily meal planning for an easy way to get the dietary
fiber that we need, help prevent overeating, and keep blood sugars levels under
control. Dan
Buettner documented in The Blue Zones that beans and lentils are eaten by the longest-living
people around the world.
Here is my
favorite recipe for easy, delicious, and healthy breakfast tacos.
GROWING
HEALTHY KIDS: Our Recipe Collection
Breakfast
Tacos
1. Take leftover lentils out of the
fridge.
2. Heat up 2 corn tortillas.*
3. Fill tortillas with a spoon of
lentils, cubed avocado, fresh cilantro, and vegan cheese*.
4. Add taco sauce, a squeeze of fresh
lime, roll up, and enjoy.
5. Repeat.
*My favorite corn tortillas are from Trader Joe’s. If you are not lucky enough to have a Trader
Joe’s store near you, then choose a brand without preservatives or make your
own tortillas. My favorite vegan cheese
is Daiya cheddar.
With love,
Nancy
Heinrich, MPH
Founder and
Wellness Architect
Growing
Healthy Kids, Inc.
