The 6 Foods That Will Disease-Proof You and Your Kids

According to American nutrition expert Joel Fuhrman
MD, his six super foods (which he calls his G-BOMBS)
can literally build a protective health armour around
your kids. And if you focus your efforts on getting
these six items into your children on a regular basis,
you can watch them grow up safe in the knowledge
you’ve done all you can to disease-proof their future.
The Big Six
The great news is, these super six aren’t expensive,
faddy foods – they’re all things you’ve probably
already got in your fridge, even if they’re not usually
on the kids’ menu. But with a few clever recipes and a
bit of craftiness, your children will be wolfing them
down in no time, whether they realise it or not!
G is for Green Leafy Vegetables.
Bursting with more anti-cancer nutrients than any
other food and a great source of protein, kale, bok
choy and romaine lettuce must be on the menu. But
how do we make them kid friendly?
Serving idea:
Hide them! If green leaves are a no-go in your
household, blitz them into a smoothie. Add a large
handful of any green leafy vegetable to a blender with
a banana, a cup of almond milk and some frozen
berries and watch the kids gulp it down.
B is for Beans: These little legumes can keep diabetes
at bay, cholesterol low and even slash colon cancer
risk by half, if they’re eaten twice a week!
Serving idea:
Yummy bean burgers: Served up in a wholemeal bun
with a splodge of ketchup, bean burgers are a perfect
way to get legumes into your kids – they can even
help you make them!
Mash a tin of beans, then add half a grated carrot,
half an onion and half a clove of garlic (whizzed in a
food processor first), a glug of olive oil, crumbs from
a slice of wholemeal bread (or ground oats) and a
pinch of cumin and coriander to taste. Shape into
burgers and bake for about 20 minutes.
Black bean brownies: A cunning way to get beans into
children without them noticing: Put two cups of
tinned black beans, 2 tablespoons of almond butter,
a teaspoon of vanilla in a blender and blend.
Add ½ cup of natural cocoa powder, 1 ¼ cups of
pitted dates and a tablespoon of ground chia seeds
and blend again adding a drop of water if necessary.
Pour into a lightly oiled baking tray and cook for 90
minutes in a very low oven (90C).
O is for Onions: Onions, leeks and garlic are
immune-enhancing miracles, which also slash the
risk of cancer and diabetes.
Serving idea:
If your kids pick the bits of onion out of a spaghetti
bolognese, then blitz them in a food processor
before you add them to the meat.
Garlic pitta bread is another way to get these
immune-boosting gems into little tums. Mix a clove
of garlic into a tablespoon of butter and heat on the
hob for a few minutes. Chop a wholemeal pitta bread
into wedges, pour the melted garlic butter over and
grill until golden brown.
M is for Mushrooms: The humble fungus is jammed
with anti-cancer phytochemicals, and the great news
is you don’t need to eat that much. One small
mushroom a day can reduce breast cancer risk by
64%!
Serving idea:
Homemade pizza is a wonderful way to get
mushrooms into your kids. Chop an onion, a garlic
clove and a few mushrooms and cook them in a
saucepan with a splash of water for five minutes.
Add in half a tin of chopped tomatoes and cook until
the sauce starts reducing. Blitz with a hand blender
and use on top of a wholewheat pizza base, before
adding your kids' favourite toppings.
B is for Berries: True superfoods, blueberries,
strawberries and blackberries are dripping with
antioxidants and protect you from heart disease in
later life. They’re also great for the brain and help
improve memory and motor coordination.
Serving idea:
Berry blend ice cream: Nutritional eating doesn’t
mean saying goodbye to puddings! Give your kids
their daily dose of disease fighting berries in a scoop
of homemade ice cream.
Add ½ cup of pomegranate juice, ½ cup soy milk, 1
frozen banana, 1 cup frozen mixed berries, 1 cup
frozen peaches. Mix together in a powerful blender
or food processor and eat!
S is for Seeds: Sesame, pumpkin, flax, chia – all seeds
contain lignans (flax has the most) which literally
make you live longer if you eat them when you’re
young, protecting you from cancer and heart disease.
Serving idea:
If children turn their nose up at seeds, turn them into
sweetie balls: mix ground walnuts, ground almonds,
flax seeds and chia seeds in a blender with
cinnamon, dates and some cashew nut butter. Roll
the resulting paste into balls and keep them in the
fridge.
Seed-milk banana milkshakes are another great way
to get the goodness into kids without a battle. Just
whizz a banana and a drop of honey in the blender
with some seed milk. Hemp milk is available in most
supermarkets, or you can make your own.
Just soak a cup of seeds overnight, rinse them in the
morning, add 3 cups of water and blend. Run the
remaining liquid through some muslin or a fine sieve
and serve.