Kids Nutrition: Bananas

The banana is a fruit which can be found in more than five hundred varieties in different parts of the world. The banana plant is the largest plant in the world which does not have a stem made of wood. These banana plants belong to the same botanical family as that of lilies, palms and orchids. A cluster of bananas will consist of at least ten to twenty bananas and such a bunch is usually known as a hand. Every banana which belongs to a hand is known as a finger. 


 

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Pasta:Chicken and cheese pasta bake

Chicken and cheese pasta bake

Pasta bakes are always a big favourite with busy families. This pasta bake is fast to make because it uses a BBQ chicken and combines it with a delicious cheesy sauce

that is dreamy to eat. Make plenty because you'll be asked for second helpings!

Ingredients:

• 1 BBQ chicken
• 500g dried rigatoni pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 500g jar tomato pasta sauce
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 100g baby spinach leaves

Method:

Remove skin and meat from chicken. Discard skin and bones. Roughly chop flesh.
 Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water, following packet directions, until just tender. Drain. Return to saucepan.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes or until tender.
Add onion mixture, pasta sauce, chicken, 3/4 cup cheese and baby spinach to hot pasta. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss gently until well combined. Spoon pasta mixture into a deep baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and heated through.

Notes

• This is a really easy, family -friendly dish.
• If your children have an aversion to anything green, just leave the spinach out.

Kids in the Kitchen:Pasta

Cheesy three veg pasta bake recipe  Grease a 2L capacity baking dish. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following packet directions, until just tender. Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan, stir in cornflour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, slowly pour in milk, whisking all the time to make ... »
Chicken and cheese pasta bake Chicken and cheese pasta bake Pasta bakes are always a big favourite with busy families. This pasta bake is fast to make because it uses a BBQ chicken and combines it with a delicious cheesy sauce that is dreamy to eat. Make plenty because you'll be asked for second helpings! ... »

Pasta:Cheesy three veg pasta bake recipe

Cheesy three veg pasta bake

Grease a 2L capacity baking dish. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following packet directions, until just tender

Serving Size:

4

Special Info:

Egg free, Nut free

Ingredients:

• 350g shell or penne pasta
• 30g butter
• 2 tablespoons cornflour
• 2 cups (500mL) milk
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Grease a 2L capacity baking dish. Preheat oven to 180°C. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling water, following packet directions, until just tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan, stir in cornflour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, slowly pour in milk, whisking all the time to make a smooth white sauce. Return to heat, continue stirring until sauce thickens.
Drain pasta, return to pot and stir in white sauce. Add cheese and vegetables, stir well to combine.
Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes until golden and heated through.

Notes:

• Great meal to prepare ahead, cover and refrigerate. Take out of the fridge 10 minutes before baking.
• Depending on your kids’ vegetable intake, add some capsicum, zucchini, chopped tomato, basil or parsley to the bake.
• Add some protein with a cup of leftover turkey or chicken!

Kids In the Kitchen

Once your child can read and is confident in the kitchen, he may start making menu suggestions (don't be surprised if most of them are sweet!) or even wanting to cook dinner for the family - many children start by wanting to replicate their favorite dinner.

Sharing your kitchen with your child encourages an interest in cooking and food, and is the best way to encourage lifelong healthy eating habits.

If he pulls out a cookbook and settles on a dish that requires 15 ingredients and 3 hours prep time, try not to dampen his enthusiasm by rejecting his offer to cook for you, just try instead to steer him towards something more doable, pointing out time/ ingredient restraints rather than his lack of experience making soufflés!


Take your child along when you buy fruit and vegetables. Point out to him what's in season and what's not. If nothing else, this may finally stop him from endlessly asking for blueberries in the dead of winter.

Your child will learn all sorts of things when s/he's in the kitchen with you - how to follow instructions; how to read a recipe; how to measure and weigh ingredients; how to use kitchen implements with care; how to whisk, peel grate, fold and dice, just to name a few. 

Find kids cooking recipes that are easy, quick and cheap. Search for fun recipes for cooking with kids including kids healthy cooking recipes and easy recipes for cooking with children. Bookmark this page for your kids cooking recipes.

pasta | cakes | muffins | pancakes 

Back To School:Healthy Lunches

Back to school time is here and it’s time to think about our little ones lunch box. 

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