Easy, healthy recipes to make with your child this winter

After all the excitement of the Christmas holidays, January can seem quite bleak, with cold, dreary weather trapping us inside for hours on end. One way to combat children’s inevitable boredom is to get them to help with cooking. Involving children in making meals not only teaches them a new skill, but studies have shown that it also tends to help them make healthier food choices. We would like to suggest some easy, healthy recipes that children will enjoy preparing.

A delightful soup to warm everyone up

For a lighter yet filling meal, Butternut squash, sweet potato and coconut soup packs in a lot of nutrients and is quite easy to prepare. The coconut milk gives the soup a rich, creamy flavour that children are bound to enjoy. Older children can help chop up the vegetables, while younger children can peel the garlic and pour in the coconut milk. Children will also love controlling the food processor or blender, and this will be a good job for them.

Bread that is healthy, tasty and super easy to prepare

A wonderful compliment to the soup is porridge bread. Not only is this bread a great way to get fibre into our children, it also helps to keep their hearts healthy. In terms of food preparation, porridge bread is also incredibly child-proof. Even young children can spoon the yoghurt into a bowl, and after the empty carton has been rinsed and dried, they can use it to measure out the oats. What could be simpler? This moist bread will be savoured by children and adults alike.

Make food fun with fajitas

Picky eaters will be pleased with fajitas for dinner because they can choose which ingredients to add to their tortilla. If you have time and the inclination, you can even make your own tortillas with your child. You can tailor the fajitas to your family’s own tastes, but the idea is to prepare ingredients with which to fill the tortillas. For example, stir fry some chicken or beef (or skip this, if you are vegetarian or would prefer a meat-free option) and, while cooking, coat the meat or vegetables in fajita spices. Older children can peel and slice a variety of vegetable into strips, warm up black or kidney beans, and grate cheese. Younger kids can mash an avocado. Children can help put all these ingredients into separate dishes and pick what they would like to put in their own tortilla. This buffet-style meal is fun for children.

Luscious but healthy chocolate mousse

It is not easy to wean children off all the sugar they have consumed at Christmas. This thick, creamy chocolate mousse allows us to limit the sugar they eat without depriving them of the satisfaction of a treat. An added bonus is that it is incredibly simple to make. Children can spoon in the coconut cream and measure the honey, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. They will have fun using a hand mixer to blend all the ingredients together. 

We hope that you will be inspired by these easy, healthy recipes and that you will encourage your child to cook with you. Why not give it a go and teach your children about the importance of healthy food at the same time? Your children will thank you for it later in life.