We’ve bumped up the mealtime chatter in your home. We’ve ensured your little one can help safely in the kitchen – and learn a bunch in the process, too. Now, it’s time to cook! Here are two fool-proof recipes that young children love to make – and eat. From my family to yours – enjoy!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Power Balls
This is a very forgiving recipe – experiment with amounts and ingredients, and let your child call the shots. Start with your peanut butter and honey “base mixture”, add in your cereal of choice, and roll in any (or all!) of the options below. All the pouring, mixing, and messy rolling are wonderful fun. Then you get instant deliciousness, since no baking is required!
STEP ONE – Blend Together Base Ingredients
- 1 C peanut butter, creamy or crunchy (for peanut allergies, try almond butter or sunflower seed butter instead);
- 1/2 C honey
If the peanut butter and honey are cold, heat them in the microwave for 20 seconds to more easily blend.
STEP TWO – Optional Protein Power
Thoroughly mix in 1 C dried milk powder, if desired
STEP THREE – Pick Your Cereal
Add one of the following (or mix more than one, for a total of one cup)
- I C oatmeal, uncooked, rolled or quick, or
- I C Corn Flakes, or
- 1 C Crispy Rice cereal, or
- 1 C granola
Stir well into Base Mixture.
STEP FOUR – Roll and Coat
Roll about a tablespoon of the mixture into golfball-sized rounds. Wet your hands first if the mixture is very sticky. Then, roll the balls in any (or all!) of these yummy coatings:
Dried Toppings
- Wheat germ (surprisingly delicious in this recipe)
- Mini chocolate chips
- Flaked coconut
- Chopped Craisins
- Chopped dried cherries
- Cinnamon sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Chopped nuts
Store in the fridge, or freeze in a zip-top bag. They defrost nicely in lunch boxes, too!
Yummy Yogurt Parfait
Here are two versions of this simple, yummy, healthy treat.
PARFAIT VERSION
Place about a half cup of vanilla or maple yogurt into parfait cups. Select, rinse, and slice seasonal fruit, including:
- bananas, sliced into “coins”
- pears, peeled and cut as desired
- grapes (cut into quarters for younger children and toddlers)
- strawberries (leave on the green “handles” for the Yogurt Dippers version below)
Place each type of fruit into a small serving bowl. Allow kiddos to select their fruits of choice to place on top of first yogurt layer. Add a second layer of yogurt over fruit. Offer toppings for the second layer, including ANY of the dried toppings options from step FOUR in the recipe above. Eat immediately.
YOGURT DIPPERS VERSION
Some children don’t like their food to “touch” or be “mixed” with other foods. If this describes your kiddo, try it this way instead:
Place about a half cup of yogurt into a small bowl. Have your child select fruit chunks and dip into the yogurt before eating. Offer dried toppings as a “second step” dip.
Looking for more fun things to do with your children? Contact Premier Academy today!
