Making Food Fun – And Healthy How do you get your kids to eat what’s good for them? One way is to make food fun. A registered dietitian once told a group of parents that putting healthy foods in front of children does no good if they won’t eat them. That’s the conundrum parents face at least three times a day. According to the USDA’s My Pyramid Food Guidance Plan, children (and adults) need to get nine cups (8 oz.) of fruits and vegetables, three cups of low fat dairy, grains and protein daily to maintain a healthy diet. Family restaurants are generally good at adding special touches to appeal to children. They know what’s really going to make a difference for young ones, whether they’re eating at home or out, is creating something special. The trick is to make it easy and simple. One Italian restaurant’s kid’s menu offered spaghetti and meatballs, an old stand-by. It’s pasta, three or four meatballs, marinara sauce and cheese. Everybody’s had it. It’s good but kind of boring. But this restaurant turned that everyday dish into Pa-Sghetti & Meatball. Instead of several small meatballs, the lean hamburger is consolidated into one eye-popping super ‘meatball center piece’ that is covered with Parmesan cheese. The oversized meatball was all it took for the dish to be a kid favorite. Parents can feel good about it because the pasta provides fiber, the meat and Parmesan cheese have protein and the cheese is a great source of calcium. At Mercer Island’s Lake Kitchen, a cooking school and restaurant consultancy, owner Jill Tutland created kid friendly recipes. Tutland, who has operated the Lake Kitchen for four years, says it’s important to be an adult but think like a kid when preparing food for them. “Kids like to dip things and respond to attention-grabbing shapes,” says Tutland. “So it’s up to us to provide healthy dips and different takes on everyday foods.” Tutland has created healthy Mighty Meatball Dunkers. The meatballs are on tooth picks, like hors d'oeuvres, that are dipped into cheese and marinara sauces. Tutland also developed Crunchy Cheesy Cut-Outs using cookie cutters to make fun sandwiches. These cut-outs can be centered around a theme or season. To enhance the nutritional value of the meal add Fruit Skewers (also using cut-outs) with Yogurt as a side dish. Cut the fruit length-wise then use the cookie cutter to create entertaining shapes (see below for recipes). Fun names are nice but it really comes down to what’s on the plate. It’s an oversized meatball rather than three smaller ones. All it takes is a little imagination to get kids to eat what they should. Tips for Kid’s Meals : - Plate food on colorful and oddly shaped dishes. - Make fun names for everyday foods such as, “Pirate Pineapple” or “Goblin Stew.” - Let the kids make choices. Having a variety of sauces for dipping or assembling their own taco will keep kids busy and make them feel special. - Don’t forget the drink! Adding a garnish to kid’s beverages makes them interesting. Try a strawberry on the rim of a glass of milk. Crunchy Cheesy Cut-Outs Comes with tomato soup and fruit and yogurt skewers 2 slices honey whole wheat bread 1 slice Cheddar cheese 1 slice Provolone cheese 2 slices turkey (or ham) cooking spray Layer meat and cheese in between bread slices. Heat a skillet to medium/high. Spray top and bottom of sandwich with cooking spray and place in hot pan. Allow to brown for about 1-2 minutes, then flip and brown other side 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from pan. With a small cookie cutter cut out shape from sandwich. The less detailed the cookie cutter, the better the shapes turn out! Tomato soup 1 cup tomato soup (if needed use milk to thin down) 1 ½ tbl. corn 1 ½ tsp. shredded Cheddar cheese Mix warm soup with corn and top with cheese. Fruit skewers apple cantaloupe grapes strawberries (top cut off) ½ cup vanilla yogurt Two 4-inch wooden skewers Slice apple and cantaloupe into ½ inch thick slices. Using a small star cutter cut 2 stars out of the apple slice and the cantaloupe slice. Skew a strawberry, apple, grape, cantaloupe, grape on to wooden skewer. Serve in a bowl with vanilla yogurt. (You might want to cut pointed end of skewer before serving to children.) Mighty Meatball Dunkers Comes with a cheese sauce for dipping Meatballs-makes approximately 30 ¾ lb. ground turkey ½ lb. lean ground beef 1 ¼ tsp. chopped garlic 2 tsp. Italian seasoning 2 tbl. finely grated Parmesan cheese 2 tsp. tomato paste ¼ tsp. salt 1 egg In a medium bowl mix all ingredients until just incorporated. Roll into gumball sized meatballs. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165 degrees. Cheese Sauce ½ tsp. butter 1 tbl. + 1 tsp AP Flour 1 cup whole milk 1 ½ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1/8 tsp. garlic powder pinch of salt In a small sauce pan melt butter over medium/low heat. Whisk in flour and stir until you smell a nutty fragrance. Whisk in milk. Whisk in cheese, a ½ cup at a time. Whisk in garlic powder and salt. -Slice Zucchini into match sticks -Serve with low fat bread sticks
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