How to Cook Healthy Food For Kids : The Art of Fermentation

 

I never developed much of an appreciation for alcoholic beverages.  This may be due to the fact that anytime I ordered a fancy mixed drink, it would disappointingly taste just like alcohol.  Or it may be due to the fact that I am too cheap to buy expensive alcohol.  Or maybe it is simply due to a disdain for being carded despite being a thirty-five year-old man with two children.

Moderate alcohol consumption has been found to be associated with improvements in blood cholesterol levels and has been inversely associated with blood sugar levels and belly fat.  Although an explanation for these associations is not yet fully known, one explanation may simply be due to the fact that people who drink alcohol as their beverage of choice are less likely to drink unhealthy sugary beverages.  To read more about the harms of sugary beverages see my previous post:
http://doctorchrisko.blogspot.com/2013/06/cooking-for-your-kids-simply-infused.html

Moderate alcohol consumption may actually be less toxic than sugary beverage consumption!  But of course, I don't advocate giving your kids alcohol!  However, alcohol is an example of sugar that has undergone fermentation.  Fermentation improves digestibility, lowers glycemic index, and serves as a source of healthy bacteria.  To read more about the health benefits of live cultures, see my previous post: http://doctorchrisko.blogspot.com/2013/06/cooking-for-your-kids-yogurt-with.html

Although I don't advocate giving your kids alcohol, I do recommend introducing them to fermented foods like kimchi.  Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made of napa cabbage and spices.  I show you a simple recipe for kimchi and discuss the art of fermentation further in the following video:

The link to the kimchi recipe featured in the above video can be found at:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/29505-basic-napa-cabbage-kimchi-kimchee

As a word of caution, I followed this recipe literally and the kimchi turned out quite spicy, so you may need to adjust the amount of red pepper powder.

References

Churilla JR.  Association between alcohol consumption patterns and metabolic syndrome.  Diabetes Metab Syndr.  2014.

Higgins JA. Whole Grains, Legumes, and the subsequent meal effect: Implications for blood glucose control and the role of fermentation. J Nutr Metab. 2012.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimchi