Is it the same scenario each morning? You give your children either cereal or toast, and they pull their face and moan that they are ‘bored’ or ‘don’t like it’. It’s time to make some changes, but you’re in need of some inspiration-fast! Cookery Doodle Doo organises children’s cookery classes and parties across the UK and have selected their favourite recipes that will bring the excitement back into breakfast, but still providing them with a healthy balanced meal to kick start the day!
Parenting on Female First
From breakfast alternatives to recipes for children with allergies, Cookery Doodle Doo share their Top Tips for dairy-free recipes.
Dairy-Free Top Tips:
Hot buttered toast and milky cereal are a “no no” for the dairy-free family but that doesn’t mean breakfast has to be boring.
1. Dairy-Free alternatives are not always ‘health foods’
Special milks, cheeses and prepared foods that are now widely available in the health food sections, but aren’t even necessarily all that healthy. Check the ingredients on most soya or rice milks and they’ll likely include sugar and even oils! Dairy-free chocolate or biscuits will still be loaded with fats and sugar so also high in calories. Opt for unsweetened varieties and consume in moderation as with all treats – dairy-free or otherwise!
2. Dairy-Free alternatives can be expensive
You won’t mind paying a bit extra for a craved morsel of cheese or milky cocoa from time to time, but switching your families diet to avoid needing ‘replacements’ will often be cheaper and healthier. Instead of trying to replicate an oozy cheese pizza, switch for a stir fry or mild coconut curry that are already naturally dairy-free and nutritious. Breakfast yoghurts or cereal can be switched for a fruit salad or filling oat and banana smoothie.
3. Plan ahead
Get the family together to suggest their favourite meals to include in a dairy-free menu for the week before you go shopping. Knowing what you’ll need to buy in advance will save mid-week dinner panic, help you to shop more economically and often healthier too. Children love being involved in decision making so make time each week to draw up a simple menu including some of their favourite meals – don’t forget packed lunches and breakfast!
4. Get the children involved in the cooking
Children can have lots of fun, pick up great eating habits and learn independence by getting involved in preparing their own food.
Cookery Doodle Doo have simple and tasty recipes that will kick start your child’s day.
Dairy-Free Breakfast Recipes for Kids
Green Smoothie
It sounds incredible, but a bright green smoothie packed with fruit and veg can be a nutritious start to the day and lots of fun to customise with the kids.
- Grab a banana, ripe avocado, handful of spinach and 2 soft green pears
- Peel the banana and de-stone the avocado
- Wash the raw spinach and pears
- Destalk the pears and chop roughly
- Pop the whole lot in a blender with a squeeze of lemon juice and enough cold water to loosen and blitz until completely smooth.
- Serve in a tall glass with a straw.
Young children will love helping to chop fruit and press the buttons on the blender – just make sure the lid is on snug or it could get messy! Try experimenting with adding some cucumber, kiwis or swapping the pears for apples (keep the ingredients green for a nice vibrant colour)
Frushi
Ok, so they can’t have cereal with milk but you could incorporate their rice pops into bite-sized fruity chunks. The cereal provides the rice in this sushi inspired recipe that is perfect for pre-schoolers.
- Pour a bowl of popped rice cereal
- Destalk a handful of strawberries and wash
- Peel and chop a banana into large chunks
- Using a fork and pastry brush ‘paint’ the fruit with a little runny honey
- Dip each fruit into the bowl coating it with crunchy cereal
- Keep going until you have a pretty plate of frushi to share!
Smokey Garlic Mushrooms on Toast
This dairy free savoury recipe is great for weekend brunch. Let the children smell the garlic and paprika – it reminds me of those retro bacon crisps! Children will enjoy helping to chop mushrooms and pinch on the herbs during the cooking process.
Ingredients
- 4 large flat mushroom
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 4 slices seeded bread
- 1 tbs sweet smoked paprika
- Pinch of dried thyme
- 1 tsp. Garlic puree
Instructions
1. In a griddle pan add a slosh of olive oil 2. Lay the mushrooms flat in the pan and sizzle on a medium heat until the underside it showing lines and starting to release a little juice 3. Flip the mushrooms 4. When the mushroom are almost done add the garlic and paprika to the pan and mix through the slices 5. Pour over the tomatoes before the garlic starts to get too hot 6. Cook until hot and bubbling 7. Serve over the toasted seeded bread or cut into finger sized wedges to make eating more manageable for younger children.For more information, visit: www.cookerydoodledoo.com