Family meals should be fun as well as being nutritious – so whether
you are cooking for your children or your grandchildren, editor
Suzanne Dale has some great tips on how to make it an enjoyable
experience for everyone.
Tip one
Children love to
eat with their hands – that’s probably one of the reasons why takeaways
are so popular. But it’s easy to make a healthy, tasty version of their
fast-food favourites at home. For something adults will enjoy as well,
try Venison Burgers with Rocket Mayo and Beetroot Jam. Or whip up
Chicken and Chips, perfect for the backyard or a picnic, or Nachos and
Salsa.
Tip two
Children love to help in the kitchen so
look for simple recipes to get them started. These Mini Pizzas using
pita bread as a base are fabulous – you can vary the toppings to cater
to any age group. Parmesan Pastry Twists are another good starting
point for junior chefs or older children might like to try Chocolate
and coconut cookies.
Tip three
Family food does not have
to be boring and bland. Give children a set of chopsticks and a Chinese
spoon to eat this Thai Fish Curry and they will have great fun trying
to capture the slurpy noodles and other pieces of food before enjoying
the broth with their spoons. Great practice for fine-motor skills!
Tip four
Kids
will eat vegetables if you make them interesting – try dressing carrots
up with honey and sesame seeds or turn the vegetable into an edible
eating utensil with Asian lettuce cups with spicy pork. Pumpkin Soup
and Pumpkin Scones are other child-friendly options.
Tip five
Almost
every child will eat pasta of some sort. Try this spaghetti and
meatballs recipe as an alternative to spaghetti bolognaise – you can
make it in one pot in 35 minutes. Break up the spaghetti before you
cook it if you are serving to young children – it’s less messy to eat!
This sausage and pasta recipe is sure to be a family favourite or cook
up Spaghetti frittata with chorizo – this crunchy pasta pie has a tasty
cheesy filling children love.
Check out other child-friendly recipes at Taste magazine’s website or get a great deal on a subscription to Taste magazine.
