1. Angry Birds lunch

That’s one way to get your kid to eat healthy. Here’s the recipe if you want to test the strategy for yourself.

Photo credit: Ellena Guan, Food.insing.com

2. Cauliflower/broccoli poodle

Too doggone cute.

3. Eggs on death row

Gotta love the one in the pan.

4. Yin & yang eggs

5. Sweet potato guinea pig

It’s almost too cute to eat.

6. Ladybug apples

Another great way to get your kids to eat the good stuff! Here’s the recipe.

7. Orange Cheshire cat

Because a list that includes food animals needs a cat.

8. Orange peel man

It’s aliiiiivvveee!

9. Piano sandwich

This one was made by a dad who created cartoon-themed “funky lunches” to get his kids to eat fruits and vegetables. He now has his own party recipe book.

10. Scared pigs in a blanket

Not entirely sure what these are supposed to be …

11. Soup with rice people

We’re never putting rice in the bottom of the bowl again.

12. Strawberry snake

13. Fruit & veggie dog

14. Veggie dinosaur

Can someone please create a food dinosaur Tumblr?

15. Food face

Sorry for the nightmares!

To be fair, when you get the No. 24 at your local Chinese food joint, the tofu pieces do seem rather large and unwieldy. Chances are that if you’re on the fence about tofu or have already decided it’s gross, you’re not exactly going to be won over by a takeout joint — especially if it’s not exactly the best Chinese restaurant you’ve ever frequented.

A study in tofu

All tofu is not created equal, so to better tofu’s odds of winning you over and being seen as more than just this rubbery ingredient that makes you pinch up your face, be sure to buy the right kind for the particular dish you want to prepare.

For example, if you want to substitute dairy with it in some dip or a decadent creamy soup — which means you still enjoy the soup without all the extra calories from the heavy cream — buy some silken tofu. It purees easy, and you can even scramble it like fluffy eggs and have it with some toast.

Firm tofu is the stuff you want to get when you want to try your hand at making that No. 24 special at home, since it’s easy to season and pan-fry. This tofu absorbs marinades very well, and you can chop, slice and dice it, fry it or grill it. Firm tofu is crispy on the outside but has a soft, creamy interior. Don’t chop it up in those large cubes you get from the takeout place either. Cut narrow strips so you can still enjoy the flavors it absorbs without getting all worked up about how rubbery you think it is.

Last, but not least, is extra firm tofu, which really is the one you want to use when you are substituting meat in your dishes. Extra firm tofu can be grilled or fried. You can chop it up and fry it, or even treat it as a slab of steak that you coat in crushed peanuts or some breadcrumbs and grill up as a main dish. You can also freeze it and then crumble it over pasta to replace that ground beef that is full of fat and makes you think about all those horse meat articles. This is the tofu you want to try your hand at some Thai coconut curry, pan-crisped tofu, tofu steaks or even tofu tempura.

But the point of tofu, one might argue, is that it’s easy. So here is a recipe that will give you protein and greens in a dish that is filling and healthy and quick to prepare.

Lazy ‘stir-fry’

No wok? No problem. Get your pan. Don’t fret about the vegetables you have or don’t have. The beauty of lazy stir fry — also fondly called “everything but the kitchen sink” stir-fry or “use the veggies that are about to go bad” stir-fry — is that you can throw pretty much anything green in there.

Wash and separate your baby bok choy. Have some kale? Chop it up. Preparing this dish for a fussy eater who claims to hate kale? Chop up that kale as finely as you can and claim it is spinach. This is your kitchen. Don’t have a can of whole baby corn? You can use some frozen corn — just pan-fry it with the garlic first. Throw some broccoli florets in there. Add some carrots for color, some snow peas because they are awesome and don’t forget the onions. Don’t fret about the oil. Yeah, sesame oil is ideal, but if you’re in a hurry and vegetable oil is all you have, it will do. And of course, the pièce de résistance: firm or extra firm tofu, sliced into narrow strips.

Fire up your broiler. Place your sliced tofu on a foil-lined cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil the tofu for about 15 minutes or until it is golden brown. Why the broiler? Because if you’re one of the people who disdainfully dismisses tofu’s soft and crumbly texture as “rubbery,” then you’re more likely to enjoy it if it is as extra firm as it can be. When you broil tofu, you pull out the excess moisture and toughen it up.

While the tofu is broiling, finely mince three to nine cloves of garlic, depending on how fond you are of garlic. Drizzle some oil in your pan, place it on high heat and add the garlic straight away, stirring it so it doesn’t burn. If you are using frozen corn, throw that in there once the garlic has softened. Add the baby boy choy and sauté it. As it begins to wilt, add your chopped kale or “spinach” (wink), broccoli, carrots, snow peas, onions and baby corn. Keep stirring. When you can stab a fork easily through a carrot, whole baby corn or broccoli floret, you’re done. Sprinkle a bit of salt to taste. Instead of adding salt, splash in some soy sauce, if you have some on hand. Turn off that fire.

When your broiled tofu is ready, throw it in your veggie medley and stir. Serve over some white rice or enjoy on its own. Tastes like chicken, right?

And that’s the whole concept behind Buycott, a new app for the iPhone and Android that lets users scan product bar codes and find out if the companies behind that product conflict with, or support, the user’s beliefs.

One of the first steps in signing up for the free app is choosing campaigns. The user selects from a list of various initiatives ranging from “Avoid Sweatshop & Child Labor” to “Support Local Craft Beer.” When a product’s bar code is scanned, the app reveals the company, or companies, involved in its manufacture and whether or not they have actively supported or opposed any of the user’s campaigns.

We downloaded the app and selected the following campaigns just to test it out:

• Avoid Sweatshop & Child Labor
• Clean and Renewable Energy
• Dietitians for Corporate Change
• Support Local Craft Beer
• Local & Sustainable Food Initiative
• Equality for LGBTQ
• Demand GMO Labeling
• Colbert Nation (Since we know you’re curious, it’s a not-so-serious campaign strictly promoting brands “that have been pre-approved by Dr. Stephen T. Colbert.”)

We scanned some Aveeno lotion, Progresso red kidney beans, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner, Quaker Oats oatmeal, Bounty paper towels, a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew, Farmland Dairies half & half, Chobani yogurt, Coors Light and Brooklyn Brewery lager.

The only campaign that popped up was “Demand GMO Labeling.” (However, the app was just launched this month, so you can expect the campaigns to become more comprehensive and the number of campaigns to increase.) When we scanned Progresso, a red bar appeared at the top telling us we’re “avoiding this company,” and explained that it had donated $1,135,300 to “No on Prop 37,” the California proposition for mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. Kraft, Quaker Oats and PepsiCo all produced similar messages with hefty donations against Prop 37.

Part of Kraft’s “Family Tree”

You can also view the “Family Tree” for each company, which shows what brand the product is affiliated with, what company, what parent company, etc. Or view the entire list of campaigns the company is associated with — green means the company supports the initiative, while red means they’ve opposed it in some way.

The app definitely still has its glitches. It had to be temporarily removed from the Google Play store on Wednesday so developers could address issues, and it’s working to expand its product directory; but overall, it’s a helpful tool for shoppers who want their spending to reflect their principles.

This recipe from healthy chef Anthony Stewart at the Pritikin Longevity Center combines broccoli stems, lemon juice, tomato and herbs and spices for a surprisingly creamy, flavorful dip.

 Ingredients

• 1 ½  cups cooked broccoli stems, tough outer layers peeled off
• 1 ½  tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• ¼  teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8  teaspoon garlic powder
• ½  tomato, diced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 canned green chili, chopped

Directions

1. In a food processor, blend the broccoli stems with the lemon juice, cumin, and garlic powder until completely smooth.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well by hand, but do not blend.
3. Chill before serving for best flavor.

Never buy taco seasoning again — you already have everything you need in your spice cabinet! Two tablespoons of this spice mix will season 1 pound of meat. This recipe yields almost 3 tablespoons, so double, triple or quadruple it if you want to store some for future taco nights.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

While we like the idea of eating fruit when we travel, the actual execution leaves something to be desired. Fragile fruits like apples, pears and bananas easily end up covered in brown spots due to the hustle and bustle of airport security.

Instead, get your fix by stocking up on dried fruits — most grocery stores carry the classics like raisins and apricots, but stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods offer a host of additional options, such as mangos, blueberries and strawberries. Or you can make your own dried fruit at home.

When it comes to snacks that pack a protein punch, you can’t go wrong with trail mix. Gone are the days with just one or two options — now there’s a mix no matter what you crave. We’re loving the flavor-packed Wasabi Wow! trail mix from Trader Joe’s, which includes peanuts, almonds, cranberries and wasabi peas. For convenience, leave the big bag at home and just take what you need in a resealable sandwich bag.

Individually wrapped granola bars are just about as easy as travel snacking can get. But be careful — although a lot of granola bars taste great, they’re often packed with sugar. Try one of the many varieties offered by Nature Valley or Fiber One — you’ll get the energy you need but without a sugar overload.

For years, I wouldn’t even let myself think about heavy, high-calorie dishes like pasta alfredo — too dangerous if I wanted to keep off the pounds I lost. And then I realized you don’t need cream to make this Italian favorite.

Just 1/2 cup of heavy cream contains 207 calories, 22 grams of fat and 14 grams of saturated fat. So simply cutting out that one ingredient can do wonders on a recipe’s overall nutrition profile.

This skinny alfredo recipe is perfect for Meatless Mondays or any day you’re craving some serious comfort food without the huge serving of saturated fat. Add chicken or shrimp if you really want the protein.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of whole-wheat tagliatelle (or other long, thin pasta)
• 5-6 ounces of frozen spring peas
• 6 ounces of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 tablespoon of marjoram
• 2 1/4 tablespoons of flour
• 1 cup of fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup of 2% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan

Directions

1. Boil a pot of water for the pasta and a small saucepan half full of water for the peas. Cook both according to directions, drain and set aside.
2. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Throw in the onions and mushrooms, and cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are brown. Turn off the heat, throw in the drained pasta and peas, and set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and marjoram and cook for approximately 3 minutes.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and cook, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken broth. Once all chicken broth is added, add last 1/4 tablespoon of flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk and pepper. Simmer, stirring gently, for about 5 minutes.
5. Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables. Stir in the Parmesan, and serve.

“The diet places an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes that are typically found in the Mediterranean region,” Dr. Pierce said. “Limiting red meat and dairy consumption, as well as cutting back on salt and sugar intake, is proven to thwart chronic diseases associated with poor diet choices.”

Below are Dr. Pierce’s five reasons to fill your plate with Mediterranean food:

1. Heart healthy

Filled with fats like those in olive oil and dishes that include poultry and omega-3 laden fishes, the inclusion of heart-healthy fats (while limiting saturated and other unhealthy fats) helps lower the risk of heart disease, as well as moderate blood pressure.

2. Cancer prevention

Known cancer-fighting foods, such as cruciferous vegetables (think broccoli and spinach) and legumes (lentils, chickpeas and beans, to name a few), are packed with antioxidants and are classic options on the Mediterranean menu. Opting for produce-rich meals has plenty of preventive properties while packing a healthful punch.

3. Boosts testosterone

Healthy fats in the diet do more than just help your heart. Dr. Pierce cited new research showing that men who consume more omega-3s have increased testosterone, while foods like leafy greens positively impact the prostate. “Low testosterone levels are usually just one piece of the healthy living puzzle,” Dr. Pierce added. “Eating clean and making healthy diet choices will naturally improve the body’s level of functioning.”

4. Weight loss

The Mediterranean diet isn’t so much a “diet” as it is a lifestyle. Simply choosing the foods that are consistent with the Mediterranean food pyramid are bound to be beneficial for your waistline. “Typical Mediterranean diet meals have inherently healthy ingredients, such as vegetables and whole grains,” Dr. Pierce said. “Part of the obesity epidemic stems from consuming processed meals over fresh foods.”

5. Reduces chronic diseases

Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease are just a few of the chronic conditions that decrease statistically when compared to a population that does not stick to a Mediterranean diet. The plant-based food plan — with a breakdown of 50% produce, 25% protein and 25% whole grain — offers a balanced approach that goes along with what dieticians have recommended all along.

Thankfully, we have just the thing to fill your desire to temporarily be a part of the Roaring Twenties. No, we haven’t figured out a way to party in 1920s Paris with the great artists of the decade a la “Midnight in Paris,” but we do have the next best thing: food and cocktails.

What to eat

Photo credit: Antonis Achilleos; Real Simple

A typical 1920s party would, of course, involve hors d’oeuvres. Finger foods like deviled eggs, tea sandwiches, salted nuts, shrimp cocktail and canapés were often served. We’ve got you covered on the deviled eggs with this list of top 10 deviled eggs recipes, and we recommend indulging in canapés like these smoked salmon and egg canapés and these artichoke-olive crostinis. Tea sandwiches can be as simple as PB&Js, turkey and cheese, or cream cheese.

The 1920s era also marked the shift toward processed foods and purchasing ready-to-cook products at the grocery instead of making everything from scratch. Manufactured foods introduced during this decade included Wonder Bread, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Popsicles, Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Velveeta Cheese, according to Bon Appetit.

Cakes gained popularity around this time as well, with home bakers experimenting with everything from pound cakes and spice cakes to red velvets and devil cakes — a Betty Crocker booklet dubbed the ’20s “the beginning of the real cake era,” according to “Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads.” You can actually find the original Waldorf-Astoria red velvet cake recipe from the 1920s on Food.com.

What to drink

With Prohibition in effect, partygoers took to speakeasies and home parties. Distilled spirits, especially gin, were very popular since winemakers were forced to turn their vineyards to juice grapes and breweries either shut down or switched to manufacturing soft drinks or non-alcoholic beer. Those who used to sip on wine or beer would weaken the stronger liquor drinks by mixing them or watering them down.

Want your own Gatsby-like cocktail? Try one of these seven classic drinks from the Roaring Twenties:

Champagne Punch

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons orange Curacao
• 2 cups sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 quart California champagne
• 2 cups tea infusion
• 4 tablespoons brandy
• Ice
• 2 tablespoons Medford rum
• 1 quart soda water

Make a syrup by boiling water and sugar for 10 minutes. Mix Champagne, brandy, rum, Curacao, lemon juice and tea infusion. Sweeten to taste with syrup, and pour into punch bowl over a large piece of ice. Just before serving, add soda water.

Old Fashioned

• 2 oz bourbon whiskey
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 splash water
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 maraschino cherry
• 1 orange wedge

Mix sugar, water and angostura bitters in an old-fashioned glass. Drop in a cherry and an orange wedge. Muddle into a paste using a muddler or the back end of a spoon. Pour in bourbon, fill with ice cubes, and stir.

Mint Julep

• 4 fresh mint sprigs
• 2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 2 tsp water

Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar and water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.

Sidecar

• 3/4 oz triple sec
• 1/2 oz cognac
• 3/4 oz lemon juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

The Mary Pickford cocktail was named for the silent film star and co-founder of United Artists.

Mary Pickford

• 1 1/2 oz light rum
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 tsp maraschino liqueur
• 1/2 tsp grenadine syrup
• 1 maraschino cherry

Combine the rum, pineapple juice, maraschino liqueur and grenadine in a shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Bacardi Cocktail

• 1 3/4 oz Bacardi light rum
• 1 oz lime juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar syrup
• 1 dash grenadine syrup

In a shaker half-filled with ice cubes, combine all of the ingredients. Shake well. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Photo credit: ScienceOfDrink.com

Bee’s Knees

• 2 oz gin
• 3/4 oz honey syrup
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and serve.

Photo source: Facebook.com/MC3Christine

Christine Ha lost her vision several years ago to a rare autoimmune disease called neuromyelitis optica — but that didn’t stop her from winning season 3 of FOX’s cooking competition show “MasterChef.” She shared her experience with the condition and how she overcame its challenges in an “Ask Me Anything” Reddit discussion yesterday.

In 2003, Ha was diagnosed with NMO, which causes optic neuritis — inflammation that results in eye pain and vision loss — and transverse myelitis, which results in weakness, numbness and sometimes paralysis of the arms and legs.  In people with NMO, the immune system attacks and destroys myelin — the fatty sheath that surrounds nerve fibers and helps nerve signals move from cell to cell — in the optic nerves and spinal cord. There currently is no cure.

After several bouts of optic neuritis, Ha’s vision deteriorated, and she compares the quality of her current vision with “shadows and extreme blurriness, like I’m eternally walking through a cloud. Or imagine a mirror foggy with steam right after a hot shower — that’s my world.”

The casting department of “MasterChef” actually contacted Ha after stumbling upon her blog, TheBlindCook.com, in which she writes about her experiences with food and cooking. After reading her bio, they invited her to an open casting call and were impressed enough to select her as a contestant for the show.  Her culinary brilliance blew away the show’s panel of celebrity judges — Gordon Ramsey, Joe Bastianich and Graham Elliot — and she was crowned winner of the season 3 competition.

In yesterday’s Reddit discussion, she candidly answered questions about everything from what it’s like being blind to how her vision loss actually helped make her the MasterChef she is today:

On coping:

• “Losing your vision is a shitty experience. However, there are a lot of resources out there to help you regain independence. Allow yourself X amount of time to grieve every day, but then hold your head up, surround yourself with good folks, and try to find the new doors that are opening.”

On old habits:

• “It’s natural for me to ‘look’ at the person to whom I’m speaking or at what I’m doing. I’ve only been vision impaired for about 20% of my life so it’s a hard habit to break.”

On learning to cook:

• “There is no easy way to learn how to cook. You just have to get in that hot kitchen and do it. Practice will help you improve, but passion will set you on fire (in a good way…not like a real fire — that would be disastrous).”
• “I think vision loss helped me become a better cook. It made me concentrate more on smell and taste and texture rather than the visual, which so many others get hung up on. I think losing one sense may not necessarily strengthen the others, but it definitely allows you to concentrate more on the senses that are left. That is, you are less distracted by sensory overload.”

Her favorite and least favorite things about being on “MasterChef”:

• “Favorite: meeting all the contestants and seeing how food can connect people despite our differences. Least favorite: the stress of not knowing what was going to happen next.”

On her future plans:

• “I would love to open an establishment in Houston. Working on that at the moment.”
• “I hope to finish and publish my memoir in the next year or two. My next goals are to win a Pulitzer and then a James Beard award for food writing. And then world domination.”

Ha’s cookbook, “Recipes From My Home Kitchen,” comes out May 14. You can pre-order it here.

Follow Ha at Facebook.com/MC3Christine or on Twitter through @ChristineHHa, @theblindcook and @MC3Christine.

To learn more about NMO, click here.