By Leading Children’s Cookery Author Annabel Karmel
Real Food Kids Will Love
As parents we want to ensure that our children are fuelled with the right foods and nutrients needed for their development and long-term health. We try to do our best, but sometimes hectic schedules and busy weeks just get in the way! Not always are busy mums able to wear that ‘super parent’ cape every day, dutifully serving-up healthy home cooked meals for the whole family.
It’s often all too easy to get stuck in a rut and you end up giving a core selection of dishes you know they like - all to avoid those toddler tantrums which arrive just like clockwork come dinner time. However, the longer you continue not to give your little ones new foods, the fussier they’ll get in the long run. It is so important to introduce a diverse range of delicious flavours and nutrients to encourage good, healthy eating habits for the future.
I think that ‘home cooking’ equals ‘good’ and ‘real’ food. It is an act of nurturing and caring for your family. We all want what’s best for our children and home cooking does just that – you know exactly what’s going into the meal you are preparing without having to worry about any hidden nasties. It also such a joy to watch your children eat a good home cooked meal whilst chatting around the dinner table.
It can be a tricky one but it’s important to introduce as many veggies as possible at an early age. I think the best thing is to be up front about where ingredients come from and why they are so good for you. Getting children to take an active interest in what they’re eating is essential for their general health and wellbeing.
Why not get them to join you in the kitchen? You’ll stand a good chance of instilling a love of good, healthy food by preparing simple meals together from scratch. Children can actually help out earlier in the kitchen than you might think. A young child is capable of rolling out dough, weighing ingredients, cracking eggs, whisking mixture and I haven’t met a child yet who doesn’t love getting their hands dirty in the kitchen! It doesn’t need to be complicated or time-consuming, why not start with a savoury cheese and tomato muffin or some simple super seeded flapjacks.
When my children were 4, 6 and 7, I encouraged them to cook supper for the family every Friday. I would help them with things like chopping up vegetables but soon they learned how to handle kitchen utensils carefully, to wash your hands before handling food and that you need oven gloves to put food in the oven. Most children take great pride in cooking and being part of the adult world. The only downside is the mess!
Let’s not kid ourselves, sometimes all kids want is pizza, burgers and or chips! Trust me, we’ve all been there. I would suggest trying to make your own versions of healthy fast food favourites, using good quality lean meat for burgers, wholegrain tortilla wraps as pizza bases or you can make your own homemade fish fingers – simply dip strips of fish in seasoned flour, beaten egg and crushed cornflakes. For dessert it’s easy to make fresh fruit ice lollies from fruit juice and pureed fruits.
I want to stress that family cooking shouldn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen and it becoming a dreaded chore. It’s about finding what works for your family and everyday routine, and often, that means quick and balanced meals which are super-simple to prepare and taste great. My new book Real Food Kids Will Love includes lots of simple, delicious and nutritionally balanced recipes including 15 minute meals, healthy versions of fast food favourites, one–pot saviours and cook-along recipes for the kids.
The main thing is to try and include as many colourful fruits and veggies in your family’s diet as possible. And, if you can sit down to eat together, do it. It’s the perfect opportunity to catch-up and spend some quality time together as a family. Plus, children are so impressionable – they’ll want what you’re having, so load your plate with lots of the good stuff!
Annabel’s brand new Real Food Kids Will Love cookbook (out on 28th June) is packed full of advice, top tips and over 100 simple and delicious recipes which the whole family can enjoy together – from 15 minute meals to healthy fast food favourites, cooking with the kids, lunchbox snacks and more.
Many recipes include handy swap-outs to cater for those with food allergies, intolerances or particularly fussy eaters! There is also a range of meat-free and vegan meal options too, meaning mealtimes can be made healthy and fun for the whole family whatever your family’s foodie preferences.
Real Food Kids Will Love by Annabel Karmel is published by Bluebird (£16.99/ £14.99 eBook).