We love enlisting our kitchen kids for a quick, hands-on cooking lesson when dinner prep is simple enough to include them! Meal prep with Lolli or me allows for endless learning opportunities, from trying and learning about different foods to understanding how to safely use kitchen tools. We’ve also found that the boys are much more excited to eat a meal that they’ve “helped” prepare!
So what are some ways to include children in the kitchen? Let them tear lettuce for a salad, mix the butter into the mashed potatoes, or sprinkle seasoning on baked veggies. Anything hands-on (and knife-free) presents a great opportunity for little ones to learn about their food and appreciate how it’s made! But in case your little ones aren’t quite ready to help with the “grown up” food, we’ve gathered a few especially kid-friendly recipes below:
1. Easy Mini Bagel Pizzas
Gooey, delicious, and able to be perfectly personalized, these easy mini bagel pizzas are sure to be a hit:
Photo by The Comfort of Cooking
2. Ants on a Log
Ants on a log is a classic way to disguise some healthy fiber with tasty toppings! Go beyond peanut butter and raisins by topping celery with greek yogurt and dried mango, or avocado and cherry tomatoes. You can add an educational element by having your child count the “ants” they put on their celery log!
Photo by Healthy Little Foodies
3. Banana Sushi
For this fun snack, just peel a banana, spread on something sticky (like melted chocolate or nut butter), and roll in a fun topping! This would be a great activity to get the kids involved in snack time and a sneaky way to slide in a healthy fruit.
Photo by My Fussy Eater
4. Easy Breakfast Casserole Muffins
Child-sized and easy to assemble, this kid-friendly recipe will make breakfast a breeze:
Photo by Thriving at Home
5. Rainbow Yogurt Bowl
Teach your little one about colors and patterns with these fun rainbow yogurt bowls! Top a bowl of yogurt (they used blueberry for that pretty purple color) with different fruits, and have your child identify colors as you go. Then dig in!
Photo by Ryan Liebe via Parents
VOILA, Y’ALL!™ We hope you and your kitchen kids enjoy creating #intentionalmemories together over a meal this week! If you try any of these recipes for kids, let us know by tagging @lolliandme in your post on Instagram or Facebook!
Featured Photo by The Comfort of Cooking
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