With the arrival of the spring equinox, we finally welcome longer days and shorter nights. The gentle spring rain nourishes the earth, and the spring breeze caresses our faces. New buds sprout, flowers bloom, and all things grow as yang energy rises. This environment is most conducive to transforming fluids and blood into vital energy. Therefore, we should harness the rising energy of spring to help children cultivate their qi and blood, harmonize their internal organs, pay attention to dietary combinations, and enhance physical exercise, ensuring that children eat well, sleep well, and grow stronger.
During this time, parents may have seen a lot of information about promoting children’s growth and searched for various nutritious meals to boost their development. However, no matter how many good foods you want to provide for your child, the first priority is to ensure the health of the spleen and stomach, as the absorption of nutrients relies entirely on them.
The renowned physician Sun Simiao wrote in his work, “Essential Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold for Emergencies”: “In the seventy-two days of spring, reduce sour and increase sweet to nourish the spleen’s qi.”
We know that in spring, the liver’s energy tends to be excessive. When the liver’s energy is overly vigorous, it can restrain the spleen’s energy, affecting the digestive and absorptive functions of the spleen and stomach. In TCM, this is referred to as “liver wood counteracting spleen earth.”
The sour flavor enters the liver and can assist its function, so it should be consumed less, while the sweet flavor enters the spleen, and a strong spleen can restrain the liver’s energy. Therefore, increasing sweet foods nourishes the spleen and softens the liver, which is the principle behind consuming sweet foods in spring.
In TCM, the term “sweet” does not refer to artificially added sweetness but to the natural sweetness inherent in foods, such as the sweetness felt when chewing rice, or the sweetness of pumpkin and sweet potatoes, which develops after chewing for a while. This is the flavor that the spleen and stomach prefer.
When preparing meals for children, there is no need to add too many seasonings. A plain and harmonious flavor, the original taste of the food, and a mild sweetness are what children need for their growth.
Today, let’s focus on sweet and mild foods that nourish the spleen and see what ingredients Qianmeng has used and how to prepare healthy meals.
Xiaomi Yam Red Date Rolls
Ingredients:
50g millet, 200g iron stick yam, 1 packet of three bean eight treasure powder, 250g flour, 3g yeast, appropriate amount of crushed red dates, appropriate amount of white sugar.
Method:
1. Soak the millet for 2 hours, then steam it with the iron stick yam for 25 minutes.
2. Add a little white sugar to the yam and mash it into a paste, set aside.
3. In the flour, add the three bean eight treasure powder, white sugar, yeast, and an appropriate amount of water, mix slightly, then add the steamed millet and knead into a smooth dough.
4. Let the dough rise until it doubles in size, then knead to release air and roll it flat.
5. Spread the yam paste on top, then sprinkle with crushed red dates, roll it up and shape it.
6. Cut the dough into equal-sized rolls, steam in a pot for 15 minutes after the water boils.
Millet is sweet and salty, which can strengthen the spleen, clear heat, benefit kidney qi, replenish deficiencies, and promote diuresis; yam is sweet and neutral, which can benefit kidney qi, strengthen the spleen and stomach, stop diarrhea, transform phlegm, and moisten the skin; red dates are sweet and warm, which can tonify the middle, benefit qi, nourish blood, and calm the spirit; flour, which is wheat flour, also nourishes the spleen.
These ingredients all have inherent sweetness, and even without added sugar, one can taste the fragrant sweetness when savored carefully. Therefore, using them to make rolls layers the nourishing power for the spleen.
In this recipe, Qianmeng also used the three bean eight treasure powder, which consists of huai yam, lotus seeds, roasted barley sprouts, roasted coix seeds, water chestnuts, coconut powder, red dates, rice, dandelion, black beans, yellow soybeans, green bean skins, and glutinous rice. These are all food and medicine that can harmonize and nourish children’s spleen and stomach. Interested friends can learn more through the WeChat public account “Yun Gu Shan Fang.”
Those who have followed the three bean eight treasure powder should know that the product has recently been upgraded, especially with an increased proportion of huai yam, enhancing its ability to tonify the earth and support righteous qi, which is beneficial for children. However, due to the adjustment in the formula, the taste is different from before, so children may need to gradually adapt to it. Everyone should not rush, but slowly increase the amount consumed, trusting in the child’s ability to accept it.
In addition to directly mixing it with warm water, you can also incorporate it into dough like Qianmeng does, which makes it more palatable and enjoyable, helping to correct children’s taste preferences and encouraging them to love the pure flavors of food.
“Spring eating sweet, the spleen is safe,” the grains naturally possess sweetness. Children’s spleen and stomach should embrace the clean and mild flavors. This spring, let the taste buds return to simplicity and give the spleen and stomach a chance to rest and recuperate.
Text, editing, and animations | Qianmeng
Image materials | Baotu Network, authorized
