BAMBI Magazine September 2024
Hello BAMBI families!
I hope you all had a great summer holiday and now that the big kids are back in school, you finally have some time to sit back, relax, and read the magazine.
My name is Aoi. I’m the new Me-Time coordinator, and I’m very interested in this month's theme of health and nutrition as I feel kids are healthier and happier when they are eating well—and it means they can play and sleep better as well. Of course this makes parenting so much easier too!
We came to Bangkok about two years ago and due to the weather changes and going to new schools, our kids got sick very regularly. So I reconsidered what we ate and began to cook and bake more, especially that vital fourth meal: the snack.
After school, my kids come home hungry and thirsty no matter what, so I take that as a great chance for them to consume a nutritious snack. This may be something easy like fruits or smoothies—usually made with yogurt, soy milk, Japanese amazake, and fruit, or when we have time we like to make mochi and crackers together.
Of course if our kids ate nutritious dinners every day, that would be great, but sometimes both children and parents are too tired by dinner time to stress over healthy foods. So them having already had healthy snacks enables me to relax and not get too serious at the dinner table.
In Japan, we have a mnemonic for cooking: "Ma-go-wa-ya-sa-shi-i". It’s a combination of a few traditional Japanese ingredients: Ma for mame—beans, Go for goma—sesame, Wa for wakame—seaweed, Ya for yasai—vegetables, Sa for sakana—fish, Shi for shitake—mushrooms, and I for imo—potatoes. Of course we eat out and use GrabFood too, but whenever I cook, this mnemonic pops into my head to remind me of the various foods and ingredients I can use. I hope this helps you to prepare healthier meals too!
Having said all of that, I think the most important thing is that parents enjoy their healthy snacks and meals because kids notice that and try to eat whatever their parents are enjoying.
This month BAMBI is back with many playgroups and events, so why not join us and maybe enjoy a meal with friends afterwards? It might not be a big event, but it will be another fun memory in Bangkok that the kids will remember filled with laughter and delight.
Stay healthy, energized, and have fun!
Aoi
BAMBI Me-Time coordinator
View BAMBI Magazine September 2024 PDF