Parents know it’s not easy to get kids to eat their vegetables and fruits. So why not try to get them to eat sushi?
Wait a minute … sushi?
That’s right. Sushi doesn’t just mean raw fish. For kids (and parents, too!), it can mean an entertaining and nutritious treat.
“Vegetable maki and fruit maki are a lot of fun for kids and adults,” say Robert LaPata and Bing Zhou, co-owners of Koi Chinese & Sushi in downtown Evanston, Ill. Sushi can make a great appetizer or a fun snack. “Sushi can open your appetite,” says Zhou.
Not only are vegetable and fruit maki fun, but they are also healthy and a great way to get the whole family to eat a serving of vegetables or fruit. “[Fruit maki] is a very new idea that would be good for desserts,” says Zhou. “And vegetable maki is very healthy.”
Tropical Fruit Maki
Ingredients (makes one roll):
5 strawberries, thinly sliced
2 kiwis, thinly sliced
1 mango, sliced in inch-long, narrow strips
1 apple, sliced in inch-long, narrow strips
2 ounces mayonnaise
Sushi rice
Directions:
Slice the strawberries, kiwis, mango and apple. Cover the bamboo roller with a piece of plastic wrap. Then, place a layer of rice in the center of the bamboo roller in a 3 by 5 inch square about 1/3 of an inch thick. Layer on the apple and mango.
Slowly roll the bamboo roller over, making sure it is smooth and tight. When it is completely rolled, press the roll again to make sure it is tight. Remove the roller and plastic wrap.
Before slicing, dip the knife in water. This prevents the rice from sticking to it. Wet your hands –then clap to remove excess water – before handling the sushi to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands. Slice the maki roll into 8 pieces. Gently drape a slice of strawberry and kiwi onto each piece, then serve.
The rest of the kid-friendly sushi recipes are available in the current issue of Family Energy!
