Instead of scanning labels, give the kids some authentic home cooking.

Elbrich Fennema | April/May 2010 issue

It’s really not fair to label kids as finicky eaters if lactose makes them break out or preservatives make them itch. We should, instead, focus on finicky food. All things considered, it’s a minor miracle that more people—particularly children—don’t suffer from allergies to food that is meant for calves or comes from a laboratory. It may be that we all suffer, but not until much later and without clear proof of why.
Either way, amid the abundance of finicky food, it can be tough for parents to find healthy and tasty meals to give their allergic children. It’s challenging to examine every supermarket label for allergenic ingredients, not least because the lists are often long and allergens can be masked behind a code or Latin alias.
It’s much easier to make your own dish. Cut a few yummy organic apples in quarters, remove the cores and slice the quarters to the desired thickness. Heat oil in a frying pan and sauté the apple slices with a little salt, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft. Place them in a dish and, if you’d like, decorate them with a few shaved almonds or a pinch of cinnamon. And if you want to make your offering extra special, drizzle a little maple syrup on top. Ready in just eight minutes!