Recipes to please the children...

In today’s world of super sizing and large portions, children are the ones who are getting the brunt of the punishment from our mistakes. We continue to feed our children junk and ignore the facts of nutrition and in turn, our children are turning into overweight teens and obese adults. We must take a stand and put nutrition and healthy eating back into our kids, and it begins with us parents and teachers now.

There are thirteen million children in early childhood education every day, and these children are getting a significant part of their weekday nutrition from the early childhood education environment. As teachers and caregivers, we not only need to teach these children that nutrition is a vital part of life, but that if we are not aware of our eating habits, we may end up sick and unhealthy as part of our neglect to eat by the nutritional guidelines placed in front of us by the ones who study health and nutrition. Without the nutrients and nutrition of the four major food groups, our children will not know how to eat right in their lives.

Adults have a big responsibility and that includes the parents and the teachers that have such a big impact on the children who they are working with or living with. If we as adults do not take initiative to help children of all ages to eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle, then we are doing no better for them than the generations before us have done to make our world as obese as it is right now. We can help them by exemplifying good eating habits and by explaining to them why eating healthy foods can prolong our lives and make our lives much less inhibited by disease, and unhealthy hearts and bodies.

A few healthy recipes that we can quickly and easily make for preschooler’s that are not only healthy, but tastes good as well are Sweet Potato Oven Fries, Bird’s Nest Salad, and Peach Bread Pudding. Here are the exact directions for making these three recipes:

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
• Cut up fresh sweet potatoes like French fries and spray with low-fat cooking
spray.
• Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle with a purchased seasoning mix and lemon juice if desired.

Bird’s Nest Salald (Makes 1 Serving)
• 1/3 cup grated carrots
• 5 or 6 grapes
• 1 tsp. salad dressing

Directions:
1. Place grated carrot in a bowl and add a tsp. salad dressing, stirring to moisten.
2. Place carrots in the center of a plate and make a hollow in the carrot nest with
the back of a spoon.
3. Place grapes in the nest for eggs.
4. Cut grapes in half for children under aged 2.

Peach Bread Pudding (Makes 10 Servings)
• 5 slices of bread (whole wheat, raisin or cinnamon)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1-15 oz. can chunky cut peaches well drained
• 1/2 cup dried fruit of your choice

1. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes.
2. Mix eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.
3. Add cubed bread mixture to eggs and let soak for 5 minutes. Stir in the peach
chunks and dried fruit.
4. Pour mixture into lightly greased 8”x8” baking dish.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out
clean.

Getting the children involved in not just eating, but cooking these items are important as well. When preparing the food to be cooked, we can have the children help with getting the correct ingredients out or by helping with the measurements for the ingredients as well. Kids love helping adults do the adult things, so let them enjoy getting their hands dirty along side you. These are just a few recipes that you can find on the United States Department of Agriculture’s website under Child Care Providers recipes and menu planning section. For more recipes you can search the web for healthy recipes for children as well.