Tired of resorting to McDonald’s for a quick lunch? Here are a couple of healthier, equally cheap Meituan waimai options.

You can put in 健康 (jiankang) in the search bar for all the restaurants on the app that offer healthy options, but we’ve taken the time to short list a few favorites to get you started.

When I think of ordering take-out, my mind automatically crosses to McDonald’s. Is it because we generally think of take-out as fast food, hence the association with the American Junk food company? I totally understand that not everyone has the time to cook, and sometimes we just feel like ordering food and watching TV. So how about instead of ordering McDonald’s (again!), we could try something more nutritious and balanced? If you are lost on what to order, I recommend these yummy alternatives on Meituan!

Avocado Tree （鳄梨树）

Avocado Tree first opened in Beijing in 2010. This dine-in salad bar also has a Wai-Mai option. They serve delicious Mexican-inspired salads and burritos, as well as a nice selection of juices and smoothies to compliment your order. It also serves as my go-to “healthy” Wai-Mai store, not only because of the cute packaging, but also because of the convenience and price. Their original salad bowls can be served as one meal and they come in four different types of flavors: chicken at 32 RMB, barbacoa (beef) at 40 RMB, tofu at 30 RMB and Carnitas (pork) at RMB 32.

You can find them on Meituan. Just type in “Avocado Tree”.

(Menu from their website: https://www.avocadotreechina.com )

Foodbowl (超级碗餐厅)

This casual restaurant serves yummy salad bowls that come in different flavors such as tofu, chicken, beef, salmon, and shrimp. You first order a basic bowl and then include add-ins! Prices range from RMB 37-50. I love their vegetables because they are cooked and marinated to perfection. It is a delicious comfort food salad and can also be eaten during the colder months as well.

You can find them on Meituan. Just type in “Foodbowl”.

Green Option

This healthy restaurant also serves delectable salad bowls. However, the portions are slightly smaller so it might be better to order them as sides to the main meal. My personal favorite is their chicken salad, served with feta cheese, sweet pumpkin, crunchy onions, and creamy avocado. Their flavor combinations are top-tier and provide a delicious variety of flavor.

You can find them on Meituan. Just type in “Green Option”.

Annie’s （安妮意大利餐厅）

Hear me out! My opinion might be controversial, but Annie’s salads are great! It’s also a great solution if your family wants to eat pizza, but you want something healthier! I personally love their Greek salad!  

You can find them on Meituan. Just type in “Annie’s”.

So now you have four alternatives healthier than McDonald’s!

Of course, these aren’t the only options, as there are many local restaurants and cafes on Meituan that also serve healthy and delicious food! I strongly encourage you to explore and find your own personal favorite. Have fun ordering!

Images: Anne E, Unsplash

I never knew what the word “gluten-free” meant until the summer of 2017. My mother took my sisters and me to the hospital for an allergy test, which concluded that I was in fact gluten intolerant. After the doctor explained that I couldn’t eat anything made with flour – i.e. bread, noodles, and pizza – my world just about collapsed in on itself. As a child, I ate everything, especially food made with flour. I was known as a “面肚子 miàn dǔ zi” by my family, which means a “noddle stomach.” That summer, we went to Canada, where grocery stores and restaurants had gluten-free sections and menus. There were gluten-free labels on various snacks, and I had gluten-free pizza. And it was at this point that I thought to myself, “Hey, maybe a gluten-free diet won’t be so bad!”

But when I came back to China, my world turned upside-down once again. No stores had gluten-free foods, waiters looked at me in utter confusion when I asked them for a gluten-free menu, largely because most of them didn’t even know what the word meant! I suffered terrible allergic reactions a few times due to hidden gluten in processed foods, or because restaurants claimed that the dish was gluten-free when it clearly wasn’t. Needless to say, it wasn’t pleasant, as my face turned into a red tomato and my swollen eyes and throat were itchier than a deadly mosquito bite. Thus, I began to research what a gluten-free diet entailed, such as the foods I could and couldn’t eat. I realized it’s not just wheat that I couldn’t eat, but also rye and spelt. All of which led me to discover not only the power of research but also Taobao. Unfortunately, however, gluten-free things aren’t cheap.

Thankfully, I live right next to Jenny Wang Grocery, and the owner – Jenny Wang herself – lives in my compound. I approached her with a plan, which was to import gluten-free products into her store. I mentioned that gluten-free products would attract more international customers as we live in a pretty international city. A month later, she approached me saying that the gluten-free products were a hit!

Now, as I mark nearly four years of a gluten-free life, I would like to share something special that has made my gluten-free time sweet and enjoyable. Of course, there is still a lot more to share about my gluten-free journey and healthy approach to life, but enough about that, because here is the moment you’ve all been waiting for: The recipe for a healthy version of brownies! It’s one of my favorite healthy recipes that I’ve experimented with – sweet potato brownies! I’ve made it so many times that it’s basically my go-to healthy baked good! My whole family loves it, as the sweetness from the sweet potato harmonizes perfectly with the bitterness of the cocoa powder. It is also full of fiber and perfect for chocolate lovers who want something healthy.

SWEET POTATO BROWNIES
Start to finish: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings:

300 – 400 grams sweet potatoes
1 egg
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup milk

1. Steam the sweet potatoes for 20-30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius when your sweet potatoes are done steaming.
3. Mash the sweet potatoes with a fork or mashing utensil while hot.
4. Add the egg, the cocoa powder, and the milk. Mix it well until everything is the same color and you get a nice, smooth consistency.
5. If your batter is too dry, add more milk. If your batter is too wet, add more sweet potatoes or bananas.
6. Please see my previous note under the ingredients list!
7. Add the baking powder and mix it very well. You don’t want lumps of baking powder chunked together, as that won’t taste good, and it won’t function properly. You have to act fast here!
8. Grease your baking mold with some oil and pour in your batter. Let the air out by lightly dropping your mold/tin on the kitchen counter a few times.
9. Bake immediately!
10. Bake for 40 minutes at the same temperature. Since each oven is slightly different, you may have to bake for a slightly shorter or longer time.
11. Take your brownies out of the oven and let them cool for 30 minutes. For a better taste, I would recommend you put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to a few hours. It is best if you leave them overnight in the fridge!

Enjoy your healthy sweet potato brownies!

Pro tip: you can decorate your brownies however you like! My younger sister loves to add whipped cream, whereas my mother loves to add yogurt. I like them just the way they are, without any toppings.

Notes: Use 300 if your sweet potatoes are the white, glutinous kind or 400 if your sweet potatoes are the red, watery type. For people with a sweet tooth, if you find that the sweet potatoes aren’t sweet enough, you can add a brown banana or any other sugar substitute. But if you do this, you will need to add more milk or cocoa powder, to taste. Every time I bake, the ingredients tend to change, and I always trust myself. Even if it doesn’t work, I try again as failure is the mother of success! Don’t give up! Additionally, for people with dietary restrictions, you can use flaxseed eggs or any other egg substitute. And if you are lactose intolerant, you can use plant-based milk.

I hope you enjoy this healthy alternative to brownies, and remember, a healthy life is a happy life!

Photos of the steps:

Ingredients

Mash the sweet potatoes and add the egg

Mix well!

Baking time

Yum, yum, yum!

Don’t forget to refrigerate your brownies for a better taste and consistency!!!

Keep Reading: Camel, Cow, and Oat: What Do These Things Have in Common?

Images: Helena Zhao

Cutting-edge cafeteria facilities are often touted as a selling point for schools but as well as making sure bellies are full, cafeterias can also play a key role in a school’s sustainability commitments. The types of accessible, community-led initiatives that can be put in place in cafeterias are a great way to get kids engaged with sustainability and foster positive habits for life. We talked to a couple of Beijing schools about how they are making their school dining more sustainable.

Changing Habits, One Meal at a Time

Long recognized as a healthy diet choice, reducing our consumption of animal products is now known to have a positive environmental impact. Many schools in Beijing are getting in on the action, whether by adding plant-based options to the menu or through specific events such as Meat-Free Monday. Matthew Yamatin, sustainability manager at the International School of Beijing (ISB), told Jingkids that in 2019, their students and staff worked with Sodexo food services to dedicate one of their four main serving lines to a vegetarian option. With more and more people switching to plant-based ways of eating — in a survey of students and staff, ISB found that around 10% follow a vegetarian or vegan diet — schools can’t afford to ignore this trend.

In fact, for many schools, reducing the quantity of animal products served in the cafeteria often comes as part of a suite of food sustainability goals. “Eat local and ‘eat seasonal’ has been our food program’s philosophy [for many]years,” Jennifer Yeh, operations manager overseeing food service at Daystar Academy‘s Beigao campus, tells us. They source much of their fresh produce direct from farmers, many of whom are vendors at the popular Beijing Farmers’ Market events, and where they offer plant-based options, they stick to making dishes from scratch rather than using processed meat substitutes.

Say “No” to Single-Use Plastics

We all know that we should reduce our consumption of single-use plastics, and schools are no exception. For example, in 2019, ISB eliminated single-use plastic bottles, straws, stirrers, and utensils from the food service operations — they now use paper straws and metal utensils. They also replaced single-use coffee cups with durable ceramic mugs. There is an RMB 2 fee for parents needing a coffee to go, the proceeds of which go to student-centered environmental projects. Daystar’s plastic reduction efforts also extend to parents. When the school holds public events that involve food, parents are encouraged to bring their own utensils or can purchase biodegradable utensils if they forget.

Clean Plates Mean Reduced Waste

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, almost a third of all food produced for human consumption. A 2015 report by the Chinese Academy of Sciences suggested that in China alone, the amount of food wasted every year could feed 30-50 million people. Since then, Chinese president Xi Jinping has made food waste the target of an ongoing national campaign, doubling down in 2020 after describing the amount of food wasted in the country as “shocking and distressing.” Many schools have joined in with “clean plate” campaigns that encourage responsible eating habits.

Jennifer notes that food waste has always been a focus of Daystar’s food program. “We offer two main dishes, one Chinese, one Western,… every day. Students are welcome to refill their plates as many times as they want; however, each time, only one main dish will be served,” she explains. “We want students to have the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the food on its own. By doing so, students tend to ask for smaller quantities as they often go back for a second or third serving with a different entrée choice.”

The cafeteria environment itself can contribute to reducing food waste; by making the cafeteria a pleasant space to eat and giving kids sufficient time to enjoy their food, they are less likely to waste it. At ISB, for example, they recently added sound-dampening panels to the ceiling in the cafeteria to make it easier for students to hear one another and redesigned the south-facing wall to allow more natural light into the space.

Sustainability Starts at Home

Not every child eats school lunches, but that doesn’t necessarily mean missing out on making sustainable contributions — you can do your bit even if you are bringing lunches from home.

• Start with small changes such as sending kids to school with a refillable water bottle instead of bottled or boxed drinks (most Beijing schools encourage this anyway).

• Swap out plastic wrap or sandwich bags for reusable beeswax food wraps, which can be bought from The Bulk House or from Taobao – search for “蜂蜡保鲜布(fēng là bǎo xiān bù).”

• Buy fruit and vegetables loose from local markets rather than pre-wrapped from the supermarket.

• Try your hand at making homemade versions of popular packaged treats.

• Get kids involved in shopping for ingredients and making lunches.

• Explain what you are doing and why, which will foster good habits from an early age.

What Can Kids Do?

Keystone Academy Year 4 class looked at their school life and found a few different ways that students can help, which students Amy and Jeffrey described in detail to a live audience at the Global Climate Change webinar on November 5, 2020

• Meatless Monday in the cafeteria because factory farming counts for 1/3 of carbon emissions annually.

• Check that all classrooms have paper recycling bins next to printers and trash receptacles.

• Their school has a greenhouse and gardens, where students are able to see how the cycle of life works in real-time: plants feed fish, fish feed plants, they can create compost to help feed their gardens, which in turn cultivates worms in compost to feed the fish.

• Many teachers switched to using Seesaw, Padlet, and Microsoft Teams to reduce paper consumption.

• They are in the process of researching the viability of installing solar panels on school roofs, working with administrations across the departments to see how feasible it is.

• Students also shared how they felt about food wastage, and are still working to find solutions to this problem.

KEEP READING: Waste Not, Want Not: One Student Looks Back at Her Journey to Sustainability

Images: Unsplash

This article appeared in the jingkids 2021 January issue

There’s only so much time in the day for the whole family to sit down together and enjoy a wholesome, home-cooked meal. Unfortunately for us, this means we’ll likely often be struck with some of those dreaded hunger pangs as we go about our jam-packed everyday lives. Enter snacking. Though it’s a heavily debated topic, let’s face it: snacking will oftentimes be our savior in the midst of a long day. But the real question remains: is this snacking really good for us? And for that matter, is it really good for the children?

To be fair, there is a simple reason for why this topic is so controversial. “Snacking” itself does not actually possess a concrete scientific definition. Likewise, an answer as to whether this snacking is really beneficial (or detrimental) to a child’s health remains just as ambiguous. And because of this, the best we can do is to try and better understand it—and its implications—and take the time to analyze it from a few different perspectives.

Statistically, children today are snacking more than ever before. According to Dr. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutritional health at the University of North Carolina, children aged between 2 and 8 around the world, on average, currently consume anywhere from three to seven snacks (which he designates as “[any]food consumed superfluously between the day’s primary meals”) every day. Compare that to not that long ago; the mean number of snacks consumed, per day, by children of the same demographic in 1970 was a mere one to two.

So what does this mean, exactly? Are children today becoming intoxicated by the addictive nature of calorie-laden snack foods? Of high concentrations of sodium, sugar, and dietary fats? Well, not exactly. Or, rather, it depends. And this is exactly where the multiple perspectives angle comes in.

Children are growing, and this in itself means that they have substantially higher energy needs than adults. Simply put, they burn a lot of calories every day just being them. And to support growth in early years, it is beneficial for them to consume at least as many calories as they expend. The problem is that, oftentimes, even with three meals a day, it can be difficult to satisfy those caloric requirements, especially for children who are active in their day-to-day lives (think after-school soccer or basketball or tennis practices multiple days a week). This is where snacking is especially helpful—providing some growth-stimulating fuel throughout a child’s daily schedule.

But again, multiple perspectives. Snacking carries with it a barrage of caveats that must be addressed. Despite the advantages that come with implementing snacks into your child’s diet, it must be done with care and strategy. This means paying close attention to not only the content of the snacks themselves, but also the ways in which they are being consumed. After all, packing pre-portioned organic nut butter with fresh celery sticks for your child’s morning recess is really not the same thing as allowing him or her to pop open a bag of deep-fried potato chips and plop down in front of the television.

In summary, the takeaway should be as follows. First, monitor (if possible) and consider the quality of the foods your child is used to snacking on. If you find that their choices tend to lean towards the unhealthy, remember that small changes can really go a long way. For instance, 100 grams of watermelon yields a respectable volume of fruit, and boasts a mere 30 calories, while 100 grams of, say, M&M’s barely give you a measly handful, and pack on a whopping 480 calories.

Second, consider constructing your own approach to snacking which you’d like to see your child adopt. If a kid is left to their own devices, it wouldn’t be surprising that they’d give in to their cravings and pick the cupcake over the apple. But few children would refuse the apple if it were given to them to begin with. Not to mention, introducing structure into the way your child snacks can provide a sense of comfort—for both you and them. If you know that your child tends to get hungry coming home in the afternoon, have some healthy snack options ready. You will be comforted to know what’s going into their bellies, and they, in turn, will know to expect a wholesome treat after a long day at school. Over time, a structure like this can adapt a child’s mindset—building, early on, a healthy and balanced relationship with food.

Photos: alarmy.com, longroom.com.uk, The Food Network

Elvira’s Nuts – it’s not a comment on the sanity of Elvira Zaera Tamargo, though the Spanish momtrepreneur is certainly a big personality. Rather it’s the brand name under which she sells her popular homemade breakfast cereals and sauces.

“When I arrived here,” she told us, “I noticed that cereals were of high price and low quality and, at the same time, I noticed that I could get the ingredients from the local supermarkets to make my own. So I started producing for my family. Some friends were complaining too of the same problem, and they wanted to try mine. When they did, they thought that it was fantastic, and encouraged me to sell it.

Elvira Zaera Tamargo with her products

“At the same time someone asked me to do some onion chutney. I tried and it worked, they loved it, so i started producing the chutney, beetroot relish and tomato sauce, and they became a success too. Now due to time restrictions in my schedule I can only produce one of the sauces, the beetroot relish.”

We sampled the relish with a mature cheddar and some crackers. It was noticeably fresher than shop-bought sauce, with a subtle chili tang. The sweetness worked well with the bite of the cheddar; so much so that the tasting session turned into an unseemly scramble to scoff down as much as possible before it all disappeared.

Note the anxiety at the idea that we might snatch a cracker under the pretext of taking a picture…

Breakfast cereal is the bane of many a parent’s life. On the one hand, it’s quick, convenient, and kids love it. When you’re struggling to get them ready for school and out of the door in the morning, it can be a godsend. On the other hand, though the packaging boasts of vitamins and minerals, cereal is loaded with sugar. A bowlful of even an apparently plain cereal like cornflakes provides half of a child’s recommended daily sugar intake, and Frosties contain four times as much.

Zaera’s “Rocket Fuel” range includes not only healthy granola and muesli, but also homemade Cocoa Pops. These use natural maple syrup and stevia instead of processed sugar, and are noticeably less tooth-rottingly sweet. Without the sugar attack, the delicate flavor of the puffed rice comes through, giving the cereal an appealingly nutty feel.

Granola with added strawberries

We also tried the granola, which is deliciously munchable, the oat clusters mixed with a copious selection of nuts, seeds and berries. We added a few strawberries, just to top it off with a sweet treat. If you need something quick to feed the tribe in the morning, but don’t want to fill them up with additives, preservatives, and sugar, then Elvira’s Nuts Rocket Fuel offers a tasty and nutritious alternative.

Photos: Karen Killeen, Andrew Killeen

The fact that good nutrition is tied to good performance in sports is well understood. Food gives us the energy that fuels our body. Like a car, if we use the best quality of fuel, we will run better and more efficiently. Here are some suggestions on how to prepare for the big game in the time leading up to the event, the night before, and the morning of. If you follow these suggestions, you can be sure you’ll be giving your body the support it needs to do it’s very best!

Eating well is something that all of us should be doing on a regular basis. Yes, there are days when we have more “treats” than we should, but in general, all of us, young and old should be aiming to have a relatively clean diet. Elements of a healthy diet include choosing whole, unprocessed natural foods more often, staying well hydrated and getting a good balance of healthy carbs, good fats and high-quality protein. The body is constantly rebuilding itself. Cells are breaking down and being replaced by new ones daily. The nutrients we take in are the building blocks for new cells, so eating well must happen on the regular.

Drinking lots of fluids should be priority in the days before the event. There are various studies that demonstrate the negative effect of poor hydration on sports performance. Ideally start hydrating a few days before the event, if that’s not possible, be sure to do it the day before. Drink extra water, making sure your urine is a very pale yellow colour by days end. Avoid drinking large amounts the evening before. You’ll wake up often to use the washroom, and this will affect the quality of your sleep. You need good sleep for optimal performance!

The day before your event, be sure to have plenty of complex carbohydrates for dinner. These will be fueling your muscles, and giving you the energy you need to go the distance. They are also more nutritious than simple carbohydrates. Complex carbs include whole grains, like brown rice, oats and rye. Fruits high in fiber, like apples, pears and berries. Beans, peas and lentils are also wonderful examples of complex carbohydrates. Sweet potatoes are a tasty source of energy as well. Simple carbs are things like white bread, refined cereals, candy, soda or anything made with a high amount of sugar. These will promptly cause a spike in your blood sugar, giving you a quick burst of energy, and then make you crash. When your blood sugar drops so quickly, you feel weak, tired and have difficulty focusing. Not something you want to do on the day of a serious sporting event.

Therefore, I suggest more complex carbs the morning of, things like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, steamed corn or pumpkin. These foods paired with eggs, avocado, yogurt or a handful of almonds will provide balanced blood sugar and a steady supply of energy. In general, you want to eat about 2 hours before the event, so you have time to digest. Again, continue to hydrate throughout the day and during your event. If you need a snack before you play, choose easily digestible foods like a granola bar and a piece of fruit. Jia you!

Got a question?
Dr. Melissa Rodriguez is a naturopathic doctor and mother of two, who works at Beijing United Family Hospital. To find out more, check out her website at www.drmelissarodriguez.com.

Photos: ilyseschapironutrition.com

This article appeared in beijingkids’ November 2017 issue.
Download your copy here.

“Bye mom!” He took his sister’s hand and got on the bus.
It was me gulping back the tears. I had just bundled my son off for his first year of kindergarten and he just smiled and waved. I waved back but I felt a hollowness in my gut. To be honest, it’s not the separation that had me choked up. Frankly, I’ve been looking forward to having both kids in school. My gulp was mostly about food:
The canteen.
Canteens are notoriously terrible. That doesn’t mean my kids eat terrible food at their school—The French International School of Beijing—and nor is the stereotype of “terrible cafeteria food” fair to apply to every school.
“Mommy, they put chicken on my plate today.”
This was the first sentence from my son’s lips when he returned from the second day. I gulped again.
“What did you do, honey? Did you eat it?” (Breath held.)
“No, I didn’t!” he said. (Sigh of relief.)
My kids have been vegetarian since birth. I chose this lifestyle as a youth myself and have been vegetarian for almost thirty years. It’s a big part of my ethics around environmentalism and health and wellness. And, like every parent, I will impose my ethics on my children until they’re old enough to develop their own and make an informed choice.
The menu at my kids’ school is diverse and creative but just lacks one thing: vegetarian mains, even as one of two options. The school argues that they have enough in the way of accompanying non-meat options like salads, fruit, dairy, and cooked vegetable portions, but I still worry about my kids’ lunchtime protein intake. And, what’s more, I’m not permitted to supplement plant-based protein snacks for my kids.
Another layer worries me: both kids (but particularly my son) are still too young to express their dietary needs clearly—especially in French. Even though I’ve taught my daughter how to say “je ne mange pas la viande,” (I don’t eat meat) I worry she’ll be too shy to say it. And my son’s French is nil.
For these reasons, I taped signs to their shirts for the first few days of school that read, in French: I am vegetarian. I wanted to give them another way to communicate.
So, when I got a call from the school asking me to stop taping signs to my daughter’s shirt, I was surprised. The school nurse explained that her file lacked this information and I was flabbergasted. Based on everything you’ve read in this article so far, can you imagine that I wouldn’t have specified it a million ways already, including in her (their) formal registration(s)? I very calmly responded that, not only had I specified it for both children in multiple ways, but that the signs had been meant as reinforcement, particularly for my 3-year old son. (Thank goodness for the signs!)
What she said next surprised me:
“We worry this will stigmatize her.”
I paused. Will a different diet stigmatize a child? And which is more important: protecting a child against stigmatization or preserving both a child’s health and the health of our planet? [Kids who have never digested meat will have trouble digesting it, and in fact could become quite ill. And in 2016, the government of China committed to reducing meat consumption nationally by 50 percent. Why? To reduce global warming.]
The nurse was sympathetic and assured me they’d received the message. I agreed to stop taping the signs to their shirts. Now I’m just back to holding my breath.
“What did you eat at school today?” I ask regularly.
“Noodles!” said my son this week.
I can only hope there was no beef in the pasta sauce.

Photo: Courtesy of Ember Swift

This article originally appeared in beijingkids’ October 2017 issue.
Download the digital copy here.

This past weekend beijingkids helped organize an event with Element Fresh at their Sanlitun location. By help, we mainly just did what we do best and brought the people, but due to it being a free cooking class, where they were explaining the TLC that goes into making their Cobb Salad, this event took little convincing. All we had to do is throw out the news that this was happening to two, maybe three WeChat groups and wait. Element Fresh provided all of the ingredients for a fun kid-friendly event that also promoted healthy nutritional habits.

It started with the kids gearing up in cute pink or blue aprons and cooking hats, so as not to make a mess on their weekend attire and then continued with a bilingual explanation of all of the components that make a perfect Cobb Salad. The laughter and playfulness of the children quickly took its course and very soon after there was a table of little people diligently preparing their meal.

It was interesting to check out how the recipe was slightly altered by each kid in attendance to best suit their tastes, with some of the final products essentially becoming cheese salads. Can you blame them though? Cheese is delicious!

Finally, the kids and parents were both able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and an all out salad party quickly ensued. Every parent knows that it isn’t an easy task to get your kid to eat veggies, but maybe we are going about introducing kids to their greens in the wrong way. We watched pleased as everyone in attendance were not only enjoying their salad but leaving with the ability to build one of their own at home. It’s possible that if we just allow our kids to contribute to making supper, by putting them in charge of building a salad every evening, filled with things they like, then they will be more inclined to eat it without protest. Everyone wins!

Thank you Element Fresh for the enlightening experience, and we hope that there will be more opportunities for kids in the future to learn about whipping up easy but healthy things in the kitchen, as it is essential for these dining habits to be developed early on.

Photos: Nate Ren

Our taster at Hffousa Taco is 5 year-old Blake, accompanied by dad Ryan. Ryan is a risk management consultant from north-east China, w  ho met his wife Molin in Canada. Blake was born in Toronto, Ryan says, though Blake himself begs to differ.

“I was born in a cellphone!” He announces gleefully. “I’m going into the world inside the cellphone!”
Blake amuses himself by taking pictures with his dad’s iPhone, while Ryan tells me more about the family. They returned to Molin’s native Beijing four years ago, and since had a daughter, Olivia (age 1.5). Molin is a homemaker, and Blake attends La Maison Montessori de Pékin (LMMP). I ask him what his favorite food is, and he gives me a huge grin, but can’t decide on an answer.
“Too many choices!” He says at last.

Hffousa Taco has been providing upmarket Mexican food to the shoppers of Indigo Mall since 2014. Theirs is a healthier take on the cuisine rather than the often greasy, calorie-packed version available in Beijing. Blake is sampling their new Children’s Set (RMB 38) with a fresh Orange and Apple Juice (RMB 28), while Ryan goes for the Shrimp Tacos (RMB 88) and Chicken Burrito (RMB 38).
“Big chips,” a wide-eyed Blake says in awe when the food arrives.
“Yes, that’s what tacos are,” Ryan explains.
Blake tucks straight into his smiley-face fries, and it’s hard to say which smile is bigger.
“Mmmm,” is his verdict, and Dad clarifies, “Hao chi!”
To Ryan’s surprise, Blake goes for his broccoli next.
“How about some pasta?” Ryan suggests, when the broccoli has been gobbled up, but Blake announces,“Chips time!”
Ryan is impressed with the freshness and flavors of the tacos.
“It’s so hard to find good Mexican food in Beijing,” he says. “How about some pasta now, Blake?”
“Fruit time!” Blake responds. He is fascinated by the flower-shaped dragon fruit.

The chicken burrito is as filling as it is tasty, and Ryan persuades me to try some of his shrimp taco. It’s as good as he says: firm, juicy seafood, with fresh salad, zingy lime, and a chili pepper kick, all in a crisp shell.
The rest of his plate cleared, it’s finally pasta time for Blake. Once that’s gone he reaches for a taco.
“I’m going to eat a big chip now,” he says, but Dad intervenes.
“That might be too spicy for you.”

He gives him a shrimp, and then empties out a taco shell for him, which Blake munches with tremendous satisfaction.
“Blake never eats this well at home,” Ryan says. They both loved the food at Hffousa Taco, and are already planning on returning next weekend, this time bringing Mom.

Family-friendly Notes: The restaurant supplies baby chairs. Indigo Mall has clean, modern bathrooms, and a park with playgrounds for children.

Hffousa Taco
Open every day, 10am-10pm. 2/F, Indigo Mall, 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (8451 5678) 朝阳区酒仙桥路18号颐堤港商场二层.

This article originally appeared on page 19-20 of the October 2016 Issue of beijingkids magazine. Click here for your free online copy. To find out how you can obtain a hard copy, contact distribution@truerun.com.

PHOTOS: UNI YU