Kids From Around the World Share Their Favorite Healthy Meals

Living in poverty can complicate healthy eating for families around the world. When money is tight, caregivers often buy cheap staple foods, like rice, corn and potatoes, so they can afford to feed their children. But fresh fruits and vegetables — an important part of a nutritious diet — can be harder to get.

That’s why Compassion helps caregivers ensure children get the nutrients they need. Whether delivering food baskets in Brazil or offering cooking lessons in Colombia, centers around the world work hard to make healthy eating attainable for families in poverty.

Let’s take a quick trip around the globe and meet Madai, Patricia, Luciana and Sumitra. Being part of Compassion’s Child Sponsorship Program has helped these girls and their families choose food wisely. Their good eating habits will help them grow up with strong and healthy bodies.

Today, they share their favorite meals with you!

Madai’s Mouthwatering Mole Amarillo (Mexico)

Nine-year-old Madai lives in a colorful and cozy house in Oaxaca, Mexico. She’s been a participant at the center for six years.

Her mother, Rosalinda, is glad that Madai can eat well. “Through the program, we have access to nutritious meals, and they have also taught her good personal hygiene habits. I’m very grateful,” says Rosalinda.

Families from this region often lack education about the importance of eating vegetables. So the staff at Madai’s center have implemented workshops with a health specialist where parents and children learn to eat healthier and exercise more through sports activities set up by the church.

Madai loves her time at her center. She’s learning the importance of being physically active and eating healthy. Her favorite dish is mole amarillo (a Mexican stew).

Rosalinda and Madai bring the dish together with a vibrant yellow blend of serrano peppers, red and green tomatoes, herbs, veggies and salted beef. The result is a bright and smoky bowl of flavor!

“I like this dish because it’s delicious, spicy, nutritious and typical of my region,” says Madai. “Eating healthy can make me stronger and healthier, and I can also live longer.”

Patricia’s Savory Nsangowa Omelet (Malawi)

Like Madai’s Compassion center, those in the beautiful country of Malawi also teach about healthy eating. But some centers do more than inform — they also offer cooking lessons to help caregivers and children put healthy habits into practice.

The lessons have made a difference in the home of 4-year-old Patricia. Her mother, Alice, has learned to make Patricia’s favorite dish: a nsangowa omelet, made with eggs and the highly nutritious nsangowa plant leaves. They typically eat the omelet with a Malawian staple food called nsima (a firm corn flour porridge).

“My daughter has loved it since I tried it at home,” Alice says. “We learned it at the center, and it’s the best dish she’s ever eaten. We eat it when we can afford it.”

The staff members teach the importance of nutritious meals for children’s brain development and immunity to illness. The lessons also highlight the importance of incorporating diverse food groups into a child’s diet: vegetables, fruits, fats, grains, dairy and meat. They show caregivers how to be creative with local produce.

“I’m grateful for everything I’m learning at the center. To us, meals only meant a means to relieve hunger rather than putting in the creative effort to provide nutrients for our kids. As a mom, I feel equipped and empowered to care for my daughter. May God bless the center,” Alice says.

Luciana's Flavorful Fish with Plantains (Peru)

Luciana has lived in the lush and vibrant environment of the Peruvian rainforest all 10 years of her life. Her mother, Neldith, has been teaching her to eat vegetables since she was little.

At the Compassion center Luciana has attended for the last five years, the staff members reinforce these good habits.

“When our children are healthy, they learn faster and do better at school,” says Armando, the center director. “We bring awareness, do talks on nutrition, rule out anemia and parasites through medical checkups and give out nutritious food baskets."

Luciana has learned a lot about how to care for her body. “I like vegetables. They taught me at the center to wash them well before eating. We also need to eat fruits and beans to be strong and healthy,” she says.

Luciana’s favorite meal is fried fish with patacones (fried plantain) and salad. She enjoys helping her mom in the kitchen and teaching her three sisters what she’s learned.

Neldith is grateful for all the support she and her family are receiving from the center. “I know many families would like to have their children registered here. It’s a good place."

Sumitra’s Succulent Curry Fish (Bangladesh)

Six-year-old Sumitra lives with her parents, Monica and Philip, in southern Bangladesh. Sumitra likes to study, play and hang out with her friends at their local Compassion center.

Sumitra is also learning how to stay healthy at her center. “We must eat eggs, bananas and green vegetables. If we have them, we will stay healthy,” she says.

One of her favorite days at home is when her mom makes curry fish. “This is one of my favorite dishes. It has lots of vegetables, and it’s so yummy,” she says.

The small area right outside their house fills with colors and fragrances as Monica cooks the onions, garlic, cumin and vegetables needed for the dish.

When the meal is ready, Sumitra and her family thank God for his provision in their home.

Though poverty places children at risk of long-term health issues by limiting access to nutritious food, there is hope when Compassion centers can step in with nutrition assistance. Their work helps children grow up with the ingredients they need for a full and flavorful life.