It’s April 2020 and families around the world are isolating at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. This can provide opportunities for lots of quality time together (and perhaps some days it feels like too much time .?) On the a positive side, this time provides opportunities for teaching your children basic life skills, such as how to feed themselves!
Here is a list of simple snack ideas that children of all ages can get involved with. Don’t be afraid for children to experiment with cooking and make mistakes as this is often the best way to learn!
1. Apple slices with peanut (or any nut) butter
Peanut butter is a great source of protein and healthy fat, pair it with an apple and it makes a tasty snack. Younger children enjoy the feeling of contributing by being able to spread the peanut butter on the sliced apples by themselves.
2. Smoothies
Smoothies can be incredibly fun to make they are versatile, and pretty much any ingredient goes. Let kids experiment with healthy ingredients to make their own bespoke smoothie. Some simple ingredients to put out for them to choose could include frozen fruit, avocado, oats, seeds, yogurt, spinach, frozen banana, etc.
3. Hummus dip and vegetables
Another simple idea that children of all ages can get involved in is a simple hummus dip with vegetables. Older children can help clean and chop the vegetables and younger children enjoy experimenting with ingredients to make more ‘interesting’ flavours of dip, such as adding lemon and dried parsley.
4. Three-ingredient energy bites
Mix a ¾ cup of peanut butter, 1 ½ cups of oats and a ½ cup of maple syrup or honey. Mix together and roll into balls. Again, the idea is to be versatile don’t be afraid to experiment. You can add nuts, seeds or even chocolate chips.
Successful cooking results from trial and error. Learning what works and what doesn’t will provide valuable lessons for your future chefs!
5. Two-ingredient pancakes
These taste a bit different than regular pancakes but are an alternative that children can make. Younger children can get involved in making the batter and older ones can help with the cooking of the batter. Use one ripe (mashed) banana and mix in 2 eggs, that’s it!! The number and variety of toppings can be endless so be creative!
These are just a few ideas to get your family cooking together. Involving your children in the preparation of meals will enhance learning in many ways. Being involved in the cooking process helps to foster independence, problem solving, creativity and teamwork! Don’t be afraid to let them have fun in the kitchen, but just make sure to involve them in the clean up after!
For more recipe ideas such as smoothie making and ice lollies, go to https://www.ideallynatural.com/healthy-homemade-fudgesicles/.
