Nourish Our Kids - Our Kids

Kids cook their way to heathier eating

By Shannon Martin, Yoga Instructor & Holistic Health Counselor, Nourish Our Kids, Inc.

KidsCook1 Research study after research study shows that children will eat healthier if you involve them in the cooking process. The fall season is a fantastic time to recruit your child to help create fun, healthy snacks or meals. First, try engaging your child in the shopping, preparation and actual cooking process. When you make your jack-o-lanterns, reserve the pumpkin pulp and prepare a pumpkin pie. The seeds can be toasted with a bit of salt making a great healthy snack! Family traditions are made out of such an event.

Try using the Baked Apple Slices recipe below as a start to get your child involved with cooking. So many families visit apple orchards this month. If you are going apple picking, select Granny Smith, Fuji, McIntosh, Rome, and Winesap apples. They are sweet tasting and great for making apple pies or baked apples. Ask your child to help core and peel the apples. Your child can also check the apples to see if their ready by looking and listening for the bubbles. Of course, all children love to help drizzle the maple syrup and sprinkle the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Farmers markets is also a great place to introduce your child to the many beautiful, seasonal, local-grown fruits and vegetables in your area. In the fall, we have an abundance of wonderfully colorful squashes, potatoes, yams, apples and pears. Your child can help you to select the best apples. Also, a fun game to play is Vegetable Scavenger Hunt with your child. Ask your child to help you find two edible leafy vegetables, an edible stalk vegetable and two edible root vegetables. You can then search for recipes online or in a cookbook.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful opportunity to introduce healthy nutritional foods and create fun memories together with your children this fall.

Baked Apple Slices

Do you have a sweet tooth after dinner?

Here’s an easy solution!

What you Need:

8 Apples thinly sliced
Dash of Cinnamon
Dash of Nutmeg
4 Tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the sliced apples in a glass casserole dish. Cook the apples for 25 minutes, or until they begin bubbling. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over them and drizzle with maple syrup. Yum! (Serves 4)