5 Healthy Foods from Around the World

November is Good Nutrition Month!

Photo credit: donnierayjones / Foter / CC BY

It’s important to eat right, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your favorite foods or try new ones. We’ve made a list of delicious foods from all around the world that just so happen to be good for you.

Mexico:

Photo credit: lucianvenutian / Foter / CC BY-SA

Tacos are one of the most popular Mexican dishes, and they offer a great deal of variety. Mix it up this Taco Tuesday with a 200-calorie recipe that suggests yummy fillings like steak, beans, and even mango!

France:

Photo credit: Brisbane Falling / Foter / CC BY

French cuisine is delicious and rich, but don’t let that fool you; it can still be good for you! Fill these whole wheat crepes with fresh fruit to make a sweet breakfast (or dessert) that’s magnifique!

China:

Photo credit: stu_spivack / Foter / CC BY-SA

With small portions and lots of veggies, Chinese food can be a guilt-free dining option. A hearty stir-fry filled with chicken and vegetables is a great way to pack protein into your meal. Try it over brown rice for even more healthy goodness.

Italy:

Photo credit: derekskey / Foter / CC BY

When you think of Italian food, the first things that come to mind are probably pizza and pasta (not necessarily the healthiest options). But this refreshing mango-passion fruit gelato is a great alternative to carb-heavy Italian cuisine. Delizioso!

Morocco:

Photo credit: SuperCar-RoadTrip.fr / Foter / CC BY

Moroccan food is often cooked with delicious, good-for-you spices like cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Chick peas, another Moroccan staple, are a great source of protein that can be added to any meal. Spice up your recipe book with this pumpkin, cranberry, and red onion tagine.

Click here for even more ways to eat healthy while exploring international cuisine. Let us know what new, healthy foods you’re planning to try this month!

Family Fun for Oktoberfest

This year marks the 205th anniversary of Oktoberfest, a German festival that began in Munich in 1810. Each year, millions of people gather in Germany and all over the world to participate in the festivities, which include concerts, costumes, rides, food, and drink. There is something for everyone at Oktoberfest, and the holiday creates a great opportunity to introduce kids (and adults) to German culture.

A great way to get kids involved in the Oktoberfest fun is through crafts like this Edelweiss hat, often worn by men and boys in Bavaria during the festival. You can also print out these coloring pages to help kids learn about the German map, flag, and other national symbols. And check out “Backe, backe Kuchen,” a simple German song kids can sing to practice the language.

You can sample some of the delicious cuisine of Germany in your own home with these recipes for German potato salad and sausage and sauerkraut fritters. You should also break out the pretzels, a favorite during Oktoberfest. For dessert, you and your kids will love this rich German chocolate cake. Before you eat, don’t forget to say “prost” which means “cheers” in German!

Oktoberfest is a great holiday for the whole family, no matter where you celebrate it! Get creative, eat, learn, and have fun!

Thanks to Kelli Miller at 3 Boys and a Dog for the "Oktoberfest Activities for Kids."

Halloween Around the World

Halloween is just around the corner! If you live in the United States, that probably means costumes, candy, and possibly some pranks. But what is Halloween like in other parts of the world?

Photo credit: Muffet / Foter / CC BY

Ireland

The holiday most likely has its origins in Ireland’s ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people wore costumes and lit bonfires to frighten away the spirits. In Ireland today, many people celebrate Halloween by dressing up and lighting bonfires like the ancient Celts did. Much like kids in the United States, Irish children go trick-or-treating and attend Halloween parties with family and friends. They play games like “bobbing for apples” and “snap-apple,” where you hang an apple on a string and jump up to see if you can bite it. And of course, some Irish children play tricks on their neighbors. You can make barnbrack, a popular Halloween confection in Ireland, using this recipe. 

Photo credit: LlGC ~ NLW / Foter / No known copyright restrictions

Mexico

In Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico, the celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) begins on the evening of October 31st. Many families make altars honoring their loved ones who have passed, which can include photographs, candles, and even the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks. On November 2nd, the whole family has a picnic to celebrate and reminisce about the lives of their loved ones. They eat treats such as breads and sweets shaped like skulls and skeletons. You can make your own delicious sugar skulls by following this recipe!

Photo credit: uteart / Foter / CC BY

Wherever you are in the world, we hope you have lots of fun this Halloween!

The Healthiest & Unhealthiest Christmas Dishes In The World

The holidays are a season of indulgence for most people around the world, when people come together to celebrate with loved ones over special dishes. We've been known to overdo it on the Christmas cookies, but there's more to holiday food than sweets. From France to Brazil to South Africa, every country has their own special healthy--and not-so-healthy-- traditional foods they enjoy around the holidays.

But some countries are definitely more indulgent than others, according to Yahoo. The website ranked countries by how healthy their traditional Christmas meals are.

Spain came out as the unhealthiest, with an average of over 70 grams of fat in their traditional meal, which often features roast lamb for dinner and nougat for dessert. The United States was right behind, thanks to Americans' love for fatty eggnog.

To contrast, Kenya's traditional Christmas meal of lean roasted goat and chapatti (unleavened bread) contains just 10 grams of fat, the lowest of any country in the list.

It's fine to enjoy the less healthy items on a special occasion--just make sure to get those veggies in too, like the Spaniards do with white asparagus. Or make like the Swedes do and serve herring as an appetizer instead of fatty dips.

As long as you don't overdo it at dinner, there's no reason to skip dessert. Add an international twist to your dessert tray with a French Yule Log Cake (Buche de Noel) or a delicious German Stollen, a fruit cake with dried fruit and marzipan.

Check out the infographic below to see how the meals ranked and find out the healthiest and unhealthiest Christmas dishes of each country.

Happiness Around the World

Language, food and customs aren't the only things that vary from country to country--it turns out that happiness does as well. A new infographic from Movehub shows the well-being of different countries around the world, based on how good of job they do at providing citizens with long, happy and environmentally sustainable lives.

The United States didn't fare too well in the rankings, with a score of just 37.3 out of 100 on the "Happy Planet Index," which is based on living long lives with a "high experience of well-being within the environmental limits of the planet."

On the other hand, countries like Costa Rica, Vietnam and Colombia were found to have the happiest citizens, with happiness quotients nearly double that of the U.S.

The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, China and Spain all ranked in the middle of the pack, with happiness levels ranging from 44.1 to 47.9.

Check out the full infographic below to find out the happiest and unhappiest countries in the world.

Have a Multicultural Thanksgiving with Little Pim

When most people in America think of Thanksgiving, they think of eating traditional foods like turkey, cranberry, and pumpkin pie with family and friends. Uniquely American traditions like football and Black Friday shopping may also come to mind. But Thanksgiving looks very different in other countries, each of which have their own way of celebrating the bounty of the fall harvest with loved ones. You can teach your child about other cultures and build on their foreign language learning by introducing them to some international Thanksgiving traditions.

Germany: Germany's version of Thanksgiving is national holiday called "Erntedanktag," which translates to "Harvest-Thanksgiving-Day." Harvest Festivals (Erntefests) are held in churches, markets and dance halls throughout the country, each celebrating foods for which the region is famous.

China: China's Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, like the American Thanksgiving, is a time for family and loved ones to celebrate the end of the harvest season with a giant feast. Legend says that the moon is at its brightest and roundest on this day, which is said to inspire rekindled friendship or romance.

To represent the full moon, the Chinese eat a delicious flaky pastry called a mooncake, which is stuffed with either sweet or savory filling. If you're up for a tasty challenge, check out this step-by-step guide to making your own.

This trio of soups for Sukkot is the perfect way to celebrate a Hebrew Thanksgiving.

Israel: Jewish families celebrate a 3000-year old harvest festival called Sukkot. A hut of branches called a Sukkot is built, and Jewish families then eat their meals beneath the Sukkot under the night sky for eight days. These hearty, seasonal fall soups from Israeli Kitchen are the perfect way to celebrate the end of the autumn harvest.

Korea: Chuseok is a major harvest festival and 3-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. During this holiday, Koreans return to their hometowns to perform traditional rituals in the morning to remember their ancestors. Family members also visit their decreased loved ones, offering food, drink and crops. A popular food for the holdiday called songpyeon, a crescent-shaped rice cake, is prepared using healthy ingredients like sesame seeds, cinnamon, and pine nuts.

Check out the video below for a tutorial on preparing your own Songpyeon.

Tradition is great, but don't be afraid to mix in a few international foods and activities this holiday. As the Portuguese say, "Feliz (dia de) acção de graça" (Happy Thanksgiving)!

6 Reasons Your Child Should Learn Korean

This week we launched our 12th language for kids: Korean! And we couldn't be more excited. With so many languages to choose from, you may be wondering why your child should learn Korean. Here are a few reasons why Korean may be the right choice for your little one.

1. The Korean language is growing in popularity.

Korean is the sixteenth most widely spoken language in the world, spoken by more than 78 million people, according to Boston University.

As South Korea has become a bigger player in the world economy thanks to its technological innovation and popular culture, Korean language learning has been on the rise, particularly among younger people. Young adults are recognizing the growing opportunities in Korea and adopting the language to give themselves a leg up over the competition.

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has become a popular tourism spot.

2. Korea has become a popular vacation spot. International tourists are increasingly realizing that Korea is a great country to visit for vacation. From checking out the dining and landmarks in Seoul to hiking in many of the beautiful mountains, Korea has become a major destination for world travelers.

And because the exchange rates are more favorable than in European countries, families on a budget can make the most of their trip.

3. The alphabet is easy to learn.

The Korean alphabet, Hangeul, is a phonetic alphabet with 24 letters and is very easy to read and write.

According to The Mezzofanti Guild, unlike Chinese and Japanese, it is not character-based. It is written from left to right and it has a unique way of organizing its letters into syllables where consonants and vowels are neatly arranged in blocks.

4. Korean phonetics are easy for English speakers.

Korean phonetics come easily to English speakers. Unlike Arabic and Hebrew, there are no guttural sounds.

Additionally, there are no tones like many other East Asian languages. In general, Korean is usually pronounced exactly the way it’s written--which is more than can be said for English, which contains many words that sound nothing like they appear.

5. Many Korean words are made up smaller, single-syllable words.

Many compound Korean words (especially ones that are derived from Chinese) are made up of single syllable words and you can usually take a rough guess at its meaning if you can recognize them. And if your child already knows Mandarin Chinese, it'll be even easier to start learning these words in Korean.

6. Learning Korean can be fun and easy.

Our new Korean program for kids makes it fun and easy for kids to learn. Built around fun, kid-friendly themes for ages 6 months to 6 years with language videos narrated by native speakers, kids can learn this increasingly popular language while being entertained at the same time.

Learning Korean can be a great way to give your child a head start and prepare him or her for the global economy. Check out our new Korean program or any of our 11 other languages.

Infographic: Second languages around the world

Here in the United States, it's well-known that the most commonly spoken second language is Spanish. But what about in other countries? Depends on where you go. In Africa, for example, there are a mix of tribal languages spoken in certain areas, while French, Italian and English dominate in others.

The Middle East also features a varied set of second languages, including Cantonese, Turkic, and Tagalog.

Overall, English is the most popular second language, with 55% of the world speaking English as their second language, followed by French (14%), Russian (13%) and Spanish (8%).

Even in primarily English-speaking countries, children are encouraged to learn another language at a young age, due to the cognitive benefits of learning languages and the globalization of our economy. Given that language acquisition is easiest when kids are young, starting early is key.

Check out the infographic below from Movehub to learn more about second languages in other countries, and check out our foreign language programs to start your child on the path to learning a second, third or even fourth language.

The Second Languages Of Every Part Of The World In One Incredible Infographic

Chinese: The New Dominant Language of the Internet

Did you know that Chinese is on track to become the most-used language on the internet? According to Internet World Stats, there were 649,375,491 Chinese-speaking internet users in December 2013, making it second to only English, the most frequently-used language on the internet.

But experts predict English's dominance won't last long. Based on its fast pace of growth, within the next few years Chinese is expected to overtake English as the top language of the internet.

Check out the infographic below from The Next Web that shows the fast pace of Chinese language use on the internet, as well as the statistics for the top 10 languages of the world.

Want your child to start learning the soon-to-be dominant language of the internet? Check out our Chinese language learning program for kids.

English has long been the most widely used language on the internet, but Chinese is expected to soon overtake it as the dominant language of the internet.

And guess what? Each of the top 10 languages on the internet is available on Little Pim (or will be soon in the case of Korean).

With other languages starting to outpace English, it's important to prepare for the future. They can start learning today with our award-winning program.

International Halloween Traditions For Kids

Most people associate Halloween with the United States, but did you know that it actually began as a Celtic holiday and is still celebrated throughout the world? According to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the day was originally called Samhain, or "Summer's End," and marked the end of the harvest season for Celtic farmers. October 31st was considered a day when the normally strict boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead were blurred, and the ghosts of those who had passed away came back to earth.

The traditions of costumes, parades, and playing scary pranks and tricks are rooted in ancient practices as well. By wearing masks and costumes, people would try to fool the spirits into believing they were also ghosts, so the spirits would leave them alone on Halloween night.

But celebrations of the dead aren't limited to the ancient Celts and modern Americans. According to Education Magazine, countries all over the world hold their own similar festivals to honor the dead.

Mexico: Perhaps the most famous outside of the American holiday, Mexicans celebrate Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, on November 1st and 2nd. It's a time for family and friends to remember departed loved ones. Day of the Dead bread, or "Pan de Muerto," is a quintessential dish made during Dia de los Muertos. Learn to make you own here.

Great Britain: The British celebrate by partying in costumes from October 31st to November 5th, Guy Fawkes Night. On this night, the Brits commemorate the infamous British traitor Guy Fawkes by lighting bonfires.

Ireland: Honoring its Celtic heritage, Halloween is still celebrated today in Ireland. Barmbrack, a sweet fruit bread, is traditionally served on Halloween night. Check out a great recipe here.

China: The Chinese festival of Teng Chieh is a Lantern Festival that closes off Chinese New Year celebrations. Lanterns formed like dragons, swans, and other animals are hung in the streets or near households, protecting people from evil and lighting the way for wandering spirits. Check out this easy craft so your little one can make his or her own lantern for Halloween.

Japan: In Japan, the Obon Festival is celebrated in the summer to honor the spirits of the dead. During the festival, is lit each night to guide a spirit to its family’s location so that the dead can return to where they were born.

Halloween is a great time to introduce your child to some of the other cultural festivities celebrated by children around the world. Introduce some of these global traditions to your kids, and check out our Halloween board on Pinterest for fun crafts, recipes and cultural activities you can share with your little ones this Halloween.

photo credit: Ariel Ophelia via photopincc