How often do you hear about children refusing onions and garlic? Very often, practically through one, children refuse these useful products for health and prevention of colds, even if just a week ago there were no problems.
Parents are trying to find a solution to this problem in different ways, some are waiting for the age when such dislike will pass and be forgotten, some are looking for recipes for salads, snacks, soups and second courses in which you can “hide” garlic and onions.
What are the health benefits of garlic and onions for children?
Talk about the useful properties of garlic and onions, it is an excellent prevention of colds and respiratory infections in the season of increased morbidity. The unique composition draws attention – a large number of vitamins B, A, C and PP, essential amino acids.
Onions contain iron, which is necessary for the prevention of iron deficiency anemia, and potassium, which regulates the heart muscle. In addition, garlic will promote the production of bile, and it is especially desirable to add it to fatty dishes that are difficult to digest, and give it to all children with digestive problems.
But in order for these products to retain their useful properties, they must reach the table with children fresh, without heat treatment. The best way to feed your child with garlic and onions are salads, recipes which are within the power of even the busiest mom.
Why don’t kids like onions and garlic?
Onions and garlic are very different from many other foods in terms of their taste and aroma. Often children talk about these products – “burns the tongue”, “stings the nose and eyes”. Such a reaction is justified by the special volatile substances that irritate the delicate mucous membranes, and nature is genetically designed that the bitter is equal to the poisons.
That is why children perceive onions and garlic as something inedible, dangerous and sometimes appropriate reactions can form – urges to vomit, lack of appetite, etc.
The smell, sight, and presence of garlic and onions in dishes even some adults find inappropriate, but still more often than not this dislike is simply outgrown and remains in childhood.
An aversion to onions is a quite normal reaction of children, and there is no need to panic and look for underlying problems. Some psychologists and specialists do not even recommend forcibly giving a child dishes with these products, waiting for the time when children voluntarily want to try them.
By the way, not all onions and garlic turn out to be “evil.” There are many varieties of onions, such as salad onions, red onions, which have a pleasant, sweet taste, garlic can also be substituted for the green shoots of sprouted garlic.
Because of the variety of products and the digestive peculiarities of children, the following salad recipes are adapted for children aged 3 – 5 years. Salad recipes for older children will differ in ingredients, because their diet is as close to an adult’s as possible.
Simple salad recipes for children under 3 years old
Simple recipes for any meal for children 3 years should not only be safe, but the dish should turn out beautiful, brightly decorated and arouse appetite. Even the simplest semolina, thanks to the fruits and jams can shine with bright colors and a desire to eat it. What to say about salads, because their recipes encourage parents to combine bright vegetables and fruits, to experiment and play with colors.
The simplest salad recipe in which you can easily “hide” onions can be called a vinaigrette. The classic vinaigrette recipe, can be recommended for the diet of children after 1.5 years. What is the advantage of vinaigrette? The fact that the bright colors of vegetables, their coloring properties will simply hide the onions, and even the smallest picky child just can’t find them.
For the vinaigrette you will need:
- Boiled beets – 1 medium;
- Boiled potatoes – 2 medium sized;
- Boiled carrots – 1 medium size;
- Pickles – 2 pcs;
- Sauerkraut – 200g;
- Canned peas – 2 tbsp;
- Onion – half of a medium onion;
- Vegetable oil;
- Herbs.
In these simple recipes, known since childhood, each family makes variations and twists. But still, the main thing in the preparation of the salad – to observe the technology of cooking. The first thing to start with is shredding the beets into small cubes.
Onions, which according to the recipe is added to the salad immediately after the beets, should be very finely chopped. If it is decided to grind the onions into a puree, the amount should be halved.
Next, the sliced beets and onions should be dressed with vegetable oil, it can be the usual sunflower oil, olive oil, or mustard oil, to which you should take a closer look.
In terms of its properties, it is not inferior to olive oil, and even better than it – it stimulates digestion, contains a large number of useful substances – vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and has a pleasant taste.
Subsequently, the rest of the ingredients are added to the vinaigrette – in the form of small cubes, and the resulting mixture is given to infuse for about an hour. The coloring properties of the beets will hide all signs of “crime,” and the riot of flavor of the vegetables will help in this case.
Other simple recipes include salads with garlic. For example, the salad “Tenderness” – a combination of the neutral taste of chicken breast, sweet prunes, tinged with garlic and onions, will not leave anyone indifferent.
The recipe for the salad is very simple, requiring a minimum of preparation and skill. Its preparation requires:
- Half of a boiled chicken breast;
- 2 hard-boiled eggs;
- Prunes – 20 g;
- Garlic – 2 cloves (medium size, or one large);
- ¼ onion;
- Yogurt dressing.
Cut the boiled breast into cubes or break it into fibers, finely chop or grate the boiled eggs, add the finely chopped onion and the garlic, skipped through a press. Cut the prunes into julienne strips or cubes and scald them with boiling water.
The dressing can be sour cream, yogurt (natural without fruit or any other additives). If you use homemade mayonnaise as dressing, then the salad can be given to children closer to 3 years old, if the mayonnaise is bought in the store, then only after 3 years.
Garlic and onion salad recipes for children ages 3 and up to 5
Children ages 3 and up have more advanced digestive systems and can be offered a greater variety of foods in their diet. A variety of fish, including salted fish such as herring, can appear in the diet.
The simplest recipe for herring salads can be called “herring under a fur coat”. Recipes for herring under a fur coat differ in every family, sometimes boiled carrots and pickles appear in it, but the classic recipe involves a layer-by-layer structure of the salad:
- herring;
- finely chopped onions;
- boiled potatoes;
- egg;
- A mixed layer of egg and potato;
- Beets.
Each layer is smeared with mayonnaise, which can be made at home, and the recipes for its preparation are simple, or you can buy it in the store. To stimulate more interest in children, you can wrap herring under the fur coat in a roll, or make it in the form of baskets in half boiled eggs.
Before you search for simple salad recipes in a cookbook, get your imagination on. Virtually any salad base, can be modernized. The simplest example would be a “Greek salad. To make it, you will need:
- Lettuce leaf – bundle;
- Fresh tomatoes (cherry tomatoes are better) – 200 g;
- Fresh cucumbers – 200 g;
- Cauliflower pepper – 1 pc;
- Fetax/brynza/fetaki cheese
- Salad onions (or red onions) – ½ onion;
- Garlic – 1-2 cloves;
- Vegetable oils.
Recipes for making this salad for children do not involve the use of vinegar, since it is only allowed after 5 years of age. The first thing to start preparing the salad is to make the dressing. Passing through a garlic press and finely chopped onion, you need to mix it with vegetable oil and salt and grind in a mortar. This dressing should “rest” and soak juices for 10-15 minutes.
The lettuce leaves should be cut into small pieces, the peppers should be cut into strips, and the rest – into cubes, and everything should be mixed. There is still a lot of debate about which cheese to choose, for children, it is best to choose fetaki/fetaxa – less salty cheese, with a pleasant taste and consistency. The resulting salad should be dressed with dressing.
The articles on this site are for information purposes only. The site administrators are not responsible for attempting to apply any recipe, advice or diet, nor do they guarantee that the information provided will help or harm you personally. Be cautious and always consult a doctor or nutritionist!
*All products recommended by thefirstdoc.com are selected by our editorial team. Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you help us earn a small commission from the seller and thus support the writing of useful and quality articles.
