Diet for Our Kids’ Health 2

In my contribution dated April 19, 2009, I mentioned the green leafy vegetable called “kangkong” in the Tagalog dialect (considered as our national language here in the Philippines).   I promised to research for its English equivalent.   I went to the Philippine’s Wikipedia and found out that the English word for “kangkong” is “water spinach” or “swamp cabbage” or “water convolvulus” or “water morning glory”.

My brief research also led me to the link which states that “kangkong”, particularly the one with a purple tone, can be used as a cure for diabetes melitus.   If you are in Asia and have some diabetes problems, you can possibly further explore on this and include it among the food in your diet.

I do not know if there is “kangkong” in the United States.   However, since one of its English word equivalents is “water spinach”, I wish to presume that the American spinach has the same food values and nutritional contents that our “kangkong” here has.

At home, I cook “kangkong” this way.  Heat your frying pan.   Pour two tablespoon of cooking oil.   After fifteen seconds, put one tomato (minched) and two cloves of garlic (also minched).   Then, mix with about a teaspoon of shrimp paste.   If your have no shrimp paste, minched boiled pork (two teaspoons) or minched boiled chicken liver (two teaspoons also) will do.   Add one half cup of water and wait until it simmers.   Soak around 100 “kangkong” leaves into the simmering mixture.  Cover and wait for three minutes to soften the leaves.   Add a pinch of salt and brown sugar according to your taste.   This serving is good for two.  Eat with steamed rice or toasted sliced French bread.   (Please note:  This means that if you are in the USA, you may use spinach leaves.)

We always have to include greens in our kids’ diet and in our own.   There is no use talking about greening the environment while we eat all the express meal stuff from those fastfood counters.   We protect the earth but we enhance cancer in our body; so, we still live short.

If you want to ask some questions or for anything, please feel free to reach me at pepitopresquito@yahoo.com or at pcpisces12@yahoo.com.sg.