Khok: C-food

PEOPLE have no reason for missing out on vitamin C. Natural sources abound. We are on the last leg of our trip, traveling the well-known road called Nutrition Month. After all, nutrition leads us to a full and healthy life.

Natural sources of this delicious vitamin can be found in papaya, tomato, guava, citrus fruit, cabbage, melon, broccoli, squash and other vegetables (although in lower levels such as in eggplants at only 2.2mg).

Websites like WebMD and medicalnewstoday list some benefits of imbibing this vitamin: healthy bones, protection against heart disease and scurvy, prevention of joint pain and skin wrinkling. Of all vitamin sources, C is the most amiable to young and old alike. Serving fresh fruits always pleases young people. Sliced guava or semi-ripe mango served with a bit of salt can be easy to take compared to popping a pill.

I have seen students from various schools mix their sliced fruits with spicy vinegar and salt. It can be said the addition of vinegar and salt might be a little off tangent with good nutrition. But at least, they are taking their daily dose of C through cubed papayas, mangoes or pineapples.

It is easy to plan meals around vitamin C. Here is a sample:

BREAKFAST. Add pineapple cubes to fried rice. Pair this with scrambled egg mixed with very finely shredded cabbage. Make fresh orange or lemonsito juice.

Another way is to serve ripe mango with rice, fried egg and sliced hot dog in tomato sauce (saute minced garlic and sliced onions, add sliced hot dog, then add tomato sauce; simmer and season to taste). Make milkshake mixed with any fruit the family wants.

Cubed fruits can also be served at breakfast. Make syrup using honey and lemon to taste to drizzle over the fruits. The meal can consist of pineapple fried rice, sliced fried pork chop in barbecue sauce and sauteed vegetables. Choose veggies that the family likes.

LUNCH. Make it a practice to expose your children to vegetables while they are still very young. The younger they learn to eat vegetables, the better they will appreciate it when they get older. Most vegetable dishes can provide vitamin C. Sauteed squash with okra, sliced cabbage and string beans contain fiber and vitamins C, B and K. Offer oranges or sliced mango for dessert.

Make homemade pork and beans (it contains 18.8mg of vitamin C). Add minced carrot so finicky eaters do not spot it.

DINNER. Pair red rice with fried fish steak (fry fish, then make sauce by sauteing minced garlic and onion rings; turn off heat, then immediately add oyster sauce, light soy sauce and a dash of natural vinegar) and cabbage sauteed with canned tuna.

There are many more ways to enjoy your C-food, of course.