How can a moment that is awaited with such happiness and enthusiasm become a traumatic experience? That is what happened with my daughter Manuela, who aged three and a half has started school in a new school.
I held back the tears on four occasions. I explained to her that I felt the same; that I was crying on her first day of school too. It seemed that tackling that moment through empathy consoled her, and she calmed down when I told her what a great time she would have and how much she would play while also learning, but it was fleeting; in no time she was crying again and hanging onto my legs like a baby monkey. But it’s normal; sometimes we are afraid of new things and change. There are new children to meet, new teachers, a new environment… The good news is that it seems that my little Manuela is going to class a little bit happier every day.
With the return to school, I have also changed my daughters’ weekly menu. This year is more complicated because Manuela takes her lunch to school with her and I have to come up with meals that travel well and stay fresh in a Tupperware or a Thermos lunchbox. If you read the post about the first weekly menu for my daughters that I shared, you will know that my menus are flexible and that I update them depending on the season and on how tastes change. Once again you will find meals and foods from other gastronomic cultures that are somewhat distant from the Mediterranean diet, since my gastronomic culture has been influenced by having lived and coexisted with different cultures for many years. One of the new food items is ghee, an Indian butter made with cow’s milk that has great properties and is an excellent alternative to other butters or sauces such as mayonnaise.
On the weekend, times and dishes may vary.
(Sorry this is only in Spanish)
Going over the questions that popped up the last time, here is a small Q&A:
You have fish on Monday, a very bad day to buy fresh fish. Do you buy frozen fish?
I buy fresh fish, wild if possible, and freeze it in portions.
Is there a particular reason why you don’t give your daughters a dessert after their lunch? And why do they have 2 afternoon snacks (3.30pm and 4.30pm)?
I prepare generous portions to avoid having to add desserts such as fruit (in this post I tell you why), but I add yogurt or kefir if I think I need to bulk up the size of the meal or if I want to include the nutrients from this food.
How do you cook your vegetables so that they don’t lose their nutrients?
I tend to cook on a low heat both for boiled and steamed dishes.
What yogurts do your daughters eat? All the commercial brands have added sugar, artificial flavourings and colourings. Can you suggest a healthy option?
The organic yogurts by Las 2 Vacas are an excellent alternative. It is great that there are brands that sell a quality organic product at a really reasonable price in both traditional and organic supermarkets. Those are two of the reasons why I am proud to be an ambassador of Las 2 Vacas. Soon I will tell you more about these products and their origin.
Please feel free to ask more questions. I will do my best to answer as many as possible in the next round of Q&A. I hope this new menu gives you refreshing ideas to organise your meals at home and helps you to optimise your shopping and your time. Soon I will also share the adult’s weekly menu.
V.
