My daughter likes oatmeal but prefers the flavored kinds, especially the apple-cinnamon variety. I like the convenience of instant, but I generally choose whole foods over packaged. In addition, instant oatmeal averages 10 grams of sugar per serving; Quaker makes low-sugar varieties, but I decided I wanted to do even better.
Trying new foods is a learned skill, and since so many kids go through phases where they’ll fight trying new foods, helping them to eat nutritiously can be a challenge. This month, we’ve put together a few recipes that your kids will recognize and love, with a nutritious twist. By using whole grains, choosing lower fat meat and dairy products, and including a splash of colorful vegetables, you can serve your kids their favorite foods with confidence that they’re getting better nutrition.
As we’ve been exploring science through food this month, we haven’t spent much time exploring food with science. With these two fantastic experiments presented by The Learning Channel, however, we can start to take a look at how our bodies process food to help kids begin to understand some important foundations of nutrition science.
If you’re looking for a way to take this month’s series on kitchen science projects to the next educational level, All Science Fair Projects is a wonderful resource. You can search projects by subject and your child’s age to find the best project. Many of the projects have enriching features that will help you not only enjoy a fun afternoon with your kids, but also fold the fun into what they’re learning for school.
The kitchen is one of my children’s favorite places to be. The older they get, now 4 and 7, the more involved they want to be…and the greater help they actually are. We often let the process start with them looking online or flipping through magazines or other recipes I bring home. Once they have their recipe chosen, the cooking begins! These are a few of their favorite jobs that always offer me great teachable moments.
Not many kids turn down a cheesy plate of macaroni, but parents are right to cringe at feeding them the beloved boxed stuff as often as they want to eat it. This recipe lets you meet in the middle for their favorite dish with good nutrition. Whole-wheat pasta pairs with low-fat cheese to make a combination you can all agree on. Serve with a side of steamed fresh veggies for better nutrition still.
Last month, I developed a healthy menu for one of several Guest Chef days at a local school, and I needed an easy, cheap, and appealing side dish to satisfy the fruit and vegetable requirement in the meal. It was important that I created something that would be received well by fourth and fifth graders because I wanted to ensure they had a positive experience with healthy food.
