How to Cook Healthy Juicy Chicken Zucchini Burger Patties For Kids

Kobe steak burger with duck fat fries. Maine lobster mac and cheese with truffle salt. If I were to open a fine dining restaurant, even before I selected a top rate chef, I would make sure to hire a clever linguist. In The language of food : a linguist reads the menu, Dan Jurafsky talks about the linguistics of restaurant menus.

For instance, fine dining restaurants are able to charge a premium for their food simply by highlighting exotic ingredients and citing where their food comes from. Kobe steak from Japan? $100 please. Lobster caught off the shores of Maine? Get ready to open your wallet. On the other hand, menus from budget diners don't tell you where their food comes from. They also don't include strange ingredients you've never heard of. Instead, if they describe their food at all, budget diners might emphasize "real" ingredients, like "real" cheese and "real" eggs.

We should be served food that can easily and honestly be described. We should know where our food comes from. We should eat real food. And, we shouldn't have to pay $100 a plate for good food. You don't need to cook with fancy ingredients to eat good tasting food that is good for you. You can create a gastronomically sensational experience simply by relying on unprocessed, whole food like plants and protein.

For instance, instead of buying an expensive cut of Kobe steak, you can create tender, juicy chicken zucchini poppers. Adding grated zucchini to ground up chicken takes advantage of the high water content of zucchini to make these poppers succulent. I recommend microwaving the zucchini and squeezing out some of the water so the poppers don't get soggy. Also, I used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts because they are juicier but still lean. Try putting chicken zucchini poppers on the next menu you serve your kids!

https://youtu.be/SybF1YDfiQs

References:

Jurafsky, Dan. 2014. The language of food: a linguist reads the menu.

How to Make a Healthy Sweet Snack For Kids

I try to cook something new at least once a week. And yet, I give my kids the same breakfast nearly every day of the week--plain yogurt. However, their yogurt breakfasts vary in one crucial way--the toppings. Plain yogurt is like a blank canvas. You can accessorize your yogurt with nuts, granola, peanut butter, or dried fruit, to name just a few suggestions.

Why do kids enjoy pouring themselves a glass of juice after school? Why do they like dolling out their ketchup from a squeeze bottle? Kids, like adults, want to have some say over their food. They want to feel empowered by the autonomy of decision making. My kids love to demand different toppings on their yogurt based on the whims of their morning tastes. When kids feel vested in the decisions they make over their food choices, they are more likely to eat their food.

One powerful way you can empower your kids and make life a little easier for yourself is to teach your kids how to prepare their own healthy snack. Take something easy like a piece of fruit and teach your kids to accessorize their snack with protein such as cheese, nuts, and peanut butter. Adding protein to their fruit lowers the overall glycemic index of their snack. The contrast of these toppings actually brings out the natural sweetness in the fruit as well. Plus, they will be proud of the creations they make themselves!

https://youtu.be/zB0oDRjbYP4

How Charlie Brown Cooks Healthy Pan Seared Whole Branzino Fish For Kids

We recently took the kids to watch The Peanuts Movie. It was one of the first times both kids were able to sit through an entire movie in a theater. What an amazing experience! This opens up a whole world of cinematic possibilities. No longer do I need to wait for new releases to come out on Redbox.

The Peanuts Movie is a surprisingly well-crafted piece of work. Appealing to both young and old, quick-witted quips are interspersed throughout the flick, yet the overall pacing of the story is suitable for the young toddler mind. Having grown up reading comics by Charles Schultz, I particularly appreciated the authenticity of the characters, which stayed true to the original endearing strip.

Growing up, I used to get frustrated by Charlie Brown. The perpetual blockhead never seemed to learn from his mistakes, and he never seemed to get anything right. As an adult, I have a newfound appreciation for what a wonderfully complex and poignant character Charlie Brown is. This sentimental favorite is one of the few comic characters that is really spot on. Insecure, anxious, and forever struggling to find his place in life, Charlie Brown is one of the few truly relatable characters in life. Far from perfect, he reminds us all about the imperfection of our reality.

But despite his countless failures, Charlie Brown keeps on stepping up to to the plate, running towards that football, and optimistically chasing after that elusive kite. He reminds us that life is not about always getting things right, but in the rewarding struggle of trying to get things right.

Attempting a new dish, cooking for others, or starting a new diet can all be anxiety provoking events. I used to be terrified over the prospect of trying a completely new dish out on family and friends. Just as Charlie Brown struggles to get his kite off the ground, I have always struggled to get a whole fish cleanly off a pan.

I figured the best way to force myself to successfully pan sear a whole fish was to invite my family over and cook for them. Despite my initial trepidation, I got out my kite and started running. I made sure to dry off the fish well and get the cast iron skillet piping hot. Unfortunately, as I always seem to do, flipped my fish too early and some of the skin tore off. Nonetheless, I untangled my kite from the tree and went to work on the other side. This time I stayed patient and the fish turned out beautifully. In the end, my pan-seared branzino with herb-garlic marinade got the Ko family seal of approval.

https://youtu.be/Zw6lO7bX1lY

Healthy Tips For Weight Loss in the New Year

It's that time of year again. The decorations are up, Santa is out, and holiday parties are in full swing. Unfortunately, holiday parties ultimately put us at risk to put on holiday pounds. You might be resolving to go on a diet pretty soon. If so, here are five essential principals that you can follow so you can get the most out of your New Years Resolution: 

1. Optimize

Before you start any diet, make sure that you optimize your nutrition. Ensure that you get all your essential vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fats. One way you can optimize your nutrition is to pay attention to Dr. Joel Furhman's Aggregate Nutrition Density Index (ANDI) score, which grades foods based on their nutrient density. Another simple way to optimize your nutrition is to avoid processed foods and eat exclusively non-starchy plants and protein, as I advise in The Ping Pong Diet approach to sustainable weight loss.   

2. Volumize 

Another sound principal for weight loss and healthy living is to purposefully eat satiating amounts of foods that are low in energy density, such as non-starchy vegetables. Dr. Barbara Rolls demonstrated that fullness is a function of food volume, not caloric density. In one study, women instructed to incorporate satisfying amounts of low energy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and soups, reported less hunger and lost 33% more weight at six months compared to women who were counseled only to reduce their fat intake. A large salad is a great way to fill up without filling out!

3. Harmonize

No diet will work in the long run if it makes you hungry. Starving yourself and skipping meals is a surefire way to get yourself into trouble. Instead of eating out of balance, harmonize your eating so it controls your hunger. A good strategy is to eat frequently enough to stay ahead of hunger rather than eating in response to hunger. Eating approximately five times per day was a successful strategy employed by weight loss maintainers in the National Weight Control Registry.

4. Liberalize

Your body weight is made up of both fat and lean body mass. Healthy weight loss gets rid of excess fat, while preserving lean body mass. Liberalizing protein intake is an important means of getting in essential amino acids and maintaining healthy muscle. In order to maintain weight, you need to eat 0.7-1 milligrams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day. In order to promote weight loss and maintain muscle during the process of weight loss, you need to eat approximately 1.5-2 times that amount. Animal meat is a complete source of protein and a great source of essential vitamins and minerals, which is why I recommend five servings per day in The Ping Pong Diet. 

5. Minimize

While you can lose weight by reducing calories alone, most successful dietary strategies also minimize intake of high glycemic carbohydrates. Restricting carbohydrate intake to 100 grams and less has been shown to enhance weight loss, reduce hunger, improve adherence, and improve metabolic derangements. In The Ping Pong Diet, I recommend cutting out all sources of carbohydrates except non-starchy vegetables that contain five grams or less of carbohydrates per one cup serving.  

Try this recipe for cauliflower crust pizza. It will help you to optimize, volumize, harmonize, liberalize, and minimize, all in one tasty bite. Happy New Year!

https://youtu.be/HqARZcF0OsA

References

https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article17.aspx

Bell EA et al. Energy density of foods affects energy intake in normal-weight women. Am J Clin Nutr 1998;67:412-20.

Ello-Martin JA et al. Dietary energy density in the treatment of obesity: a year-long trial comparing 2 weight-loss diets. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:1465-77.

Klem ML, Wing RR, McGuire MT, Seagle HM, Hill JO. A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance of substantial weight loss. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997;66:239–246

Steelman GM, Westman EC. Obesity: Evaluation and Treatment Essentials. 2010.

Hession M et al. Systematic review of randomized controlled trials of low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat/low-calorie diets in the management of obesity and its comorbidities. 2008. Obesity reviews 10:36-50.

Volek JS & Feinman RD. Carbohydrate restriction improves the features of metabolic syndrome. Nutr & Metab. 2005;2(31):1-17.

Christmas Wrap Rap : How to Make a Healthy Seaweed Hand Roll For Kids

My dad is one of the hardest guys to shop for. It isn't because he is picky or hard to please. He's simply much too practical to appreciate a gift for its sentimental value. Even when I try to get him very practical gifts, he doesn't seem to find a use for them. One year, we bought him a classic white tennis polo and matching shorts because he was such a tennis enthusiast. He failed to see the utility as he already owned several pairs of shirts and shorts. Another year, I bought him an electric telescoping chainsaw so he could electrically prune to his heart's content. He decided he already had a manual tree trimming device, so he suggested I keep the chainsaw for myself.

I've learned that it doesn't pay to try to surprise my dad with a gift. Rather than surprise my dad with an object, it is better to surprise him with experiences. For instance, I took my dad to his first Major League Baseball game when we watched the Washington Nationals play. Another great memory was going to watch the U.S. Open and Citi Open tennis tournament together.

This Christmas, I decided to treat my dad (and myself) to his first Redskins game. After living in DC for twenty-eight years, I figured it was about time he saw them in action. We went to their final home game of the regular season, where they matched up against the Buffalo Bills. Despite struggling with consistency all yearlong, I was really impressed with their performance against the Bills. Kirk cousins threw for four touchdowns and rushed for another. Each time they scored, I cheered along with my dad, slapped fives with the strangers seated next to us, and joined in singing their fight song. I was thrilled that the Skins one and kept their playoff hopes alive, but I was really happy that I could share a novel experience with my dad.

Do you have someone who is hard to surprise? Instead of gifting a gift, consider gifting an experience. Try making them a spicy shrimp nori hand roll. I'm sure they'll find it a surprisingly tasty experience!

https://youtu.be/4irGEbhHRU8

 



How to Cook Healthy Cocoa Rubbed Sous Vide Pork Loin For Kids

One of my earliest movie memories is watching Star Wars with my family. The basic theme of good versus evil is an easy theme to get behind whether you are an adult or a child. I remember cheering along with my dad when the rebels blew up the death star and saved the day. 

I really liked the hidden surprises within the Star Wars series as well. Despite his diminutive stature, Yoda exhibited impressive command of the force. I was in complete shock when I learned that Leia was Luke's twin sister. And of course, the biggest surprise was learning that Darth Vader was Luke's father. 

One of the fun things about cooking is discovering surprising ways to use old ingredients. For instance, in American cooking, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg are commonly served up in sweet dishes like chocolate cake or pumpkin pie. However, some ethnic cuisines make use of these flavor profiles in savory dishes like Moroccan Carrot sticks. 

Recently, my friend Julian, introduced me to a novel way to use cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a dry rub to make cocoa rubbed sous vide pork loin. If you don't have a sous vide machine, you could rub the spices onto the pork loin, pan-sear it, then roast it instead. Give it a try. And may the force be with you!

https://youtu.be/zKZcihMb8dk

How to Motivate Kids to Eat Healthy - Make Motivational Moroccan Carrot Sticks

My mother never spanked me. Not once. She did however, hit me once. Well, it was really more of a slap on the wrist. After I had misbehaved yet again, she screamed at me and told me to hold my hands out, with my palms faced downward. Sullen and confused, I obeyed. Then, with one swift strike, she slapped me on the back of my outstretched hands.

Raising kids is tough work. You have to be a parent, friend, consultant, disciplinarian, psychologist, and behaviorist all in one. No one really teaches you how to be a good parent, so you end up recalling a lot of what your own parents did. 

Certainly, you can motivate your kids through negative reinforcement. But punishing them by taking food away or using food in a punitive way can set up unhealthy associations with food. Negative reinforcement, while initially effective, also tends to be less and less effective with time.

Rather than carrying a big stick, I advocate using the power of positive reinforcement to help your kids develop healthy eating habits. Using carrots to incentivize your kids builds self esteem and healthful eating habits at the same time. A popular message for childhood obesity prevention is the 5-2-1-0 campaign, which advocates five servings of fruits and vegetables, two hours or less of screen time, one hour or more of physical activity, and zero sugary beverages per day. 

The 5-2-1-0 campaign is a great foundation for obesity prevention. However, it doesn't go far enough to treat our existing child obesity crisis. In order to actively treat our obese kids and help them develop the kinds of behaviors that effectively induce weight loss, I created my own 5-2-1-0 rule for obesity treatment:

5 Servings of Protein

Children afflicted with obesity should strive for five servings of protein per day. In order to maintain weight, we need to eat 0.7-1 mg of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day. In order to promote weight loss and maintain muscle during the process of weight loss, we need to eat approximately 1.5-2 times that amount. Good sources of protein include animal meat, eggs, plain greek yogurt, cheese, peanut butter, and nuts. 

2 Weeks of Exposure

Helping your kids adopt healthy eating patterns takes time. It may take two weeks of exposure to a new food before a child eventually accepts it. Additionally, it may take up to one month of reinforcement to adopt a new habit altogether. For instance, one study demonstrated that repeated dietary exposure to green beans in infants ultimately resulted in greater consumption of green beans. 

1 Big Reward

Kids and adults alike need to be motivated to change their behavior. It can be helpful to set up a reward system. Create a sticker chart that helps your child keep track of their daily protein intake over the course of two weeks. At the end of the two week period, reward your child with a non-food based incentive such as a new toy or a fun activity. 

0 Added Sugar

In addition to setting up daily protein goals for your child, it is critical to teach them the harms of added sugar. Foods with added sugar, such as processed food and sugary beverages,  are particularly high in glycemic index and have a strong association with obesity. One study found that the risk of childhood obesity increases by sixty percent for each additional daily serving of sugary beverages in middle-school children. Teach your children to look for added sugar like high fructose corn syrup on nutrition labels and make your household a zero added sugar domicile.  

I never resented my mom for that slap on my wrist. Perhaps it's because I knew I deserved to be punished for being such a brat. Or perhaps it's because a slap on the wrist doesn't hurt all that much. Mainly, it's because that one incident paled in comparison to the overwhelming majority of acts of love my mom showered me with. But you don't' have to choose between a carrot and a stick. Try this recipe for motivational Moroccan Carrot Sticks. These healthful sticks are both the incentive and the reward!

https://youtu.be/rDwYfzhKdKw

References

http://www.nutritioncouncil.org/programs/healthy-kids/5-2-1-0/

Steeelman GM, Westman EC. Obesity: Evaluation and Treatment Essentials. 2010.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2268898/

Ludwig DS, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL. Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001; 357:505–08.