Avocado Dip

Brain Foods for Kids : Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence
by Nicola Graimes

After writing several award-winning health and nutrition titles that have had great success in the UK, Nicola Graimes makes her debut in the US market with the first book to focus on children and brain power and the foods that truly can improve intelligence and those that can hinder it. With her exciting positive twist on the link between the food that children eat and their mental development, Graimes offers parents new ways and reasons to give their children (from pregnancy through primary school) and the essential foods and nutrients they require.

BRAIN FOODS FOR KIDS includes:

- A clear and easy-to-follow introduction to the principles of good childhood nutrition and information on all the latest science on brain-boosting foods

- Practical, kid-tested advice on incorporating the essential foods into a child-friendly diet

- Special "brain-box" features to explain the health-giving, mind-boosting properties of each of the featured dishes

- Teaches how to recognize foods containing additives and pesticides, and how to choose healthy, nutritious ingredients

- Advice on using diet to control and avoid behavioral problems such as ADHD

Graimes divides the book into two sections. The first is full of advice, bursting with color photographs and helpful scientific facts as palatable for adult readers as the recipes are for their children. The second part covers more than 100 recipes for every meal of the day, parties, picnics, and plenty of delicious snacks. And the perforated at-a-glance weekly menu planner can be torn out for posting on the fridge.

Here is a sample recipe from over 100 that are included in Brain Food For Kids. These recipes have been created with children in mind, but can also be enjoyed by adults. They contain the foods that are said to be the most beneficial for the brain, and in some instances have been shown to improve IQ, memory, attention span, and concentration.

AVOCADO DIP

Crunchy raw vegetables seem to be more acceptable to many children, and dipping them into this nutritious garlicky guacamole adds to the appeal.

Serves 24
1 ripe medium-size avocado
1 small garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp mayonnaise
various raw vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, cucumber, celery, baby corn, carrots, snow peas

1 Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh out of the skin. Transfer the flesh to a blender or processor and add the garlic, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Process until the dip is the consistency you prefer. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a bowl and mash together.

2 Prepare the vegetables to dip into the avocado mixture: cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets; de-seed the peppers and cut into strips; cut celery, cucumber, and carrots into sticks, and leave snow peas and baby corn whole. You may wish to blanche the snow peas or corn slightly first. Serve with the dip.

Brain Box

Although avocados are fairly high in fat, it is the beneficial monounsaturated type. Avocados are best eaten when just ripe to get the full benefit of their antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, which protect brain cells against destructive free radicals. They also contain B-complex vitamins for memory and clarity of thought.

Copyright © 2005 by Nicola Graimes

About the Author

Born in London in 1962, Nicola Graimes has been an editor, journalist and author for the past 20 years and has written numerous books based on health, nutrition, organic food and children's diets. She was editor of The Vegetarian, Vegetarian Living and Good Food Retailing. Her book, Great Healthy Food for Vegetarian Kids was awarded Best Vegetarian Cookbook 2002 in the UK. She is married with two young children and lives in Brighton, Sussex, England.