Continue reading »]]> One of the best things you can do with your kids is share some time together in the kitchen. William-Sonoma has a book called Kids Baking that will give you plenty of ideas of what to make with your kids. All the recipes are pretty basic. Each one lists what tools you will need, so the kids can easily gather those together. There are recipes for cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pies, pastries, simple breads, muffins, and yeast breads. The book comes spiral bound and is full of pictures of kids baking. This will give ideas of how your kids can help with the process. Of course never leave your kids alone to do these recipes, they need your supervision. The book is meant for kids 6 and up. But I think there are steps even younger kids can help with like mixing ingredients and putting sprinkles on cookies. I would recommend this book to any parents looking to help their kids learn to bake and looking to make memories in the process.

Continue reading »]]> This is a special series of blogs on Food & Your Children, written by my wife, Donna Samuelson.

Thanksgiving is a time where we reflect on the things we are thankful for. And often times it includes family-and our kids! Teaching your children how to cook your favorite Thanksgiving dishes is not only educational, it is a great time to build your relationship and pass on family traditions. Here are some easy ways you can get the kids involved:

Food Prep: When you are preparing your food for your Thanksgiving feast, try to get the kids involved in the preparation. If you are making stuffing have your child rip up day old pieces of bread into a large bowl to make the stuffing/dressing to go along side your gobbler! Kids love to tear things, and it allows them to feel like they are helping out.

Turkey and stuffing roll-ups: A great way to use up leftovers! Take a thin slice of turkey breast and place a spoonful of stuffing in the center. Roll it up and place in a baking dish. After you have filled the baking dish with your roll-ups ladle gravy over the entire creation and bake until everything is warm and bubbly. This is a great way to have the taste of Thanksgiving all year round as well!

Stone Soup: “Stone Soup” is a traditional Portugueses fairy tale about a poor hungry man who makes a delicious pot of soup for the entire town out of a stone (and a few things as garnish!) This fun story can be reinacted with your children as they cook up a pot of their own stone soup. You can find a recipe here:   http://familyfun.go.com/recipes/stone-soup-678147/

Continue reading »]]> This is a special series of blogs on Food & Your Children, written by my wife, Donna Samuelson.

Toddlers are notorious for being picky eaters. They like something one day and throw it at you the next! Through my experiences with young children and my own parenting I have found some great foods that Toddlers almost always love. Here are some great nutritional ideas that you may not have thought of:

 Cream cheese on Graham Crackers- great way to add fat and fiber

Blueberries- excellent finger food high in antioxidants

Rice and vegetables mixed together with shredded cheese on top

Wheat germ- mix it into yogurt for a fun crunch and extra fiber

Large curd cottage cheese- a great finger food with lots of calcium

Apple sticks and peanut butter- Toddlers love to dip!

 Remember- a toddler needs freedom to eat In his own way. It is not realistic to expect a toddler to eat with a spoon well without giving him a chance to experiment. Use a bib and put a plastic mat under the high chair if needed. When your child is able to experience his meal he will be more willing to eat it!!

Continue reading »]]> This is a special series of blogs on Food & Your Children, written by my wife, Donna Samuelson.

Sometimes it is very hard to get your children to eat their veggies, but they are an essential part of a healthy diet. Here are some great ways to hid vegetables in your Childs food; they will never know what hid ‘em!

Chop cooked wax beans and mix them into macaroni and cheese- they look just like pasta!

Zucchini takes on the flavor of anything it is cooked with. Cutting it into small pieces and putting it into spaghetti sauce is a great way to hide it!

Mashed carrots can easily be mixed into mashed potatoes- this adds a fun color and beta-carotene

Carrot, banana, zucchini bread all contain hiding fruits/veggies!

Cauliflower can be mashed similarly to mashed potatoes. It has much more vitamins and a unique texture that kids love

Continue reading »]]> This is a special series of blogs on Food & Your Children, written by my wife, Donna Samuelson.

Children naturally love learning. As soon as your child is old enough to hold a spoon you can include him in your adventures in the kitchen.  Including kids in the kitchen helps them learn many important aspects of science, as well as an appreciation for the hard work that goes into making a meal. Children like being involved in what their parents are doing, and a great way to spend time together is in the kitchen. Here are some tips on including kids in your cooking:

• Encourage older children to help measure the ingredients and read the recipe
• Younger children can help by stirring, scooping and spreading.
• Explain what you are doing and why- this helps build vocabulary and your child will have a better grasp of cause and effect
• Even infants can help in the kitchen! They love to explore new textures. While you are baking a cake have your baby (in an outfit that you don’t mind getting messy) sit in his high chair and let him explore the texture of flour and water mixed together.
• Teenagers can help plan meals for the family and assist in preparing them. This allows them to have some responsibility while making something they like to eat

 Family traditions and memories commonly revolve around food and the kitchen, what better way to start these things than to cook with your child!!

Continue reading »]]> This is a special series of blogs on Food & Your Children, written by my wife, Donna Samuelson.

Many parents do not realize the ease and financial saving of making their own baby food. We did this from the start with our daughter Hannah and it was a wonderful experience. The average jar of baby food costs at least .50! You can make a whole month’s worth of peas for about $2 and about an hour of work.

 Here are some basic rules to doing it yourself:

(Make sure to consult with your child’s pediatrician about when to introduce new foods. )

Vegetables and fruits are best when baked. This retains the most nutrition and creates a better flavor. For foods like sweet potatoes, squash, apples, peaches, and pears this method works best. Just bake the fruits/vegetables at 350* on a baking sheet until they are soft when piereced with a fork. (For younger infants remove the skins) Mash the cooked vegetables/fruits until they are smooth. You can also use a blender or food processor. Formula or breastmilk can be added as well as water or fruit juice as desired to reach the right consistency. The pureed baby food can then be placed into icecube trays and frozen for up to a month. I prefer to use silicone icecube trays for this. The food pops out much easier!

For foods that need to be boiled such as broccoli, green beans, carrots and peas use as little water as possible. Follow the same process as before by pureeing the veggies until you reach the desired consistency. If needed the cooking water can be used to thin out the puree- this makes use of the nutrients that have leached out into the water.

There are many foods that can be served without being cooked. My favorite is Avocado! It is high in fats and can be the first food you introduce to your baby!! Just simply mash the flesh of the fruit and serve. Bananas are also a great choice for this method. As your baby gets older you can mash the banana less and less to achieve a lump consistency.                                                                                                                

Making pureed meats for baby is easy too. Chicken can be baked and chopped into small pieces before pureeing. Water will be needed to loosen up the constancy.

Some great and unexpected baby food combinations: apples and chicken, avocado and peach, peas and pears, carrots and chicken