December is truly a magical month. With this joyful season comes the start of cold weather which will melt into the frosty, icy winter of the Midwest. The saving grace of this year has been the outdoors and soaking up all we can but with cooler temperatures we will most likely be spending more and more time indoors. A wonderful indoor activity is cooking…with your kids. Yes it can be messy and sometimes frustrating but so worth it to share these experiences and food together. Today I am sharing 8 awesome recipes to make this winter with your kids and why they are such a great thing to make together!
Alphabet Soup
How your kids can help: This recipe is loaded with steps that kids can help with! Starting with washing the veggies, kids love to help with this and cleaning food actually helps us connect with and understand our food more. Even young kids can help cut the veggies for this recipe. I recommend getting a kid-safe chef knife so even young kids can help. Older kids can help peal potatoes and sweet potatoes and everyone will love spelling out their favorite words with the pasta.
Why it’s good for you: This recipe is loaded with veggie power goodness. The sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants – that’s a nutrition powerhouse!
Pumpkin Pie Smoothies
How your kids can help: Older kids can make this recipe completely independently – when they can make you a smoothie -this is when having kids really starts paying off! Younger kids will love helping add everything to the blender and watching it whizz up to a creamy drink.
Why it’s good for you: Pumpkin is rich in fiber and iron plus loads of other important vitamins. Bananas bring the potassium and vitamin C to the party helping to keep hearts healthy. Maple Syrup is the secret weapon loaded with magnesium which is essential for bone health. Last but not least Yogurt has those healthy probiotics that aid in digestion..
Kale & Goat Cheese Quiche
How your kids can help: Kids will love cracking eggs, whisking and chopping kale. Quiche offers many opportunities for even young kids to help.
Why it’s good for you: Kale is a superfood containing high levels of vitamins, minerals, and brain-boosting phytonutrients. Eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet loaded with almost every vitamin and mineral the human body needs.
Pumpkin Muffins
How your kids can help: Kids can measure all the ingredients, crack eggs and whisk which will be almost as much fun as eating these delicious muffins. Baking is a such a fun way for kids to learn about math and science in action!
Why it’s good for you: Pumpkin is rich in fiber and iron plus loads of other important vitamins. Nuts and Nut Flour are rich in protein as well as healthy fats.
Cherry Berry Jam
How your kids can help: Kids can help add the ingredients to the stockpot and even help stir as it slowly cooks down (with supervision). It is so fun to see the changes that happen in the jam making process.
Why it’s good for you: Cranberries are a rich source of antioxidants plus vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C. Cherries are highly nutritious and packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Chia Seeds are a nutrition powerhouse with vitamins, fiber, proteins and calcium in the tiny seeds.
Quick Honey Pickles
How your kids can help: This is the perfect recipe for kids to help with. Veggies like cucumbers are the perfect knife skills practice for little hands. It’s always such an exciting thing when kids realize they don’t have to buy pickles from the store but can make their own!
Why it’s good for you: Pickles are one of those foods that doesn’t get the nutrition reputation it deserves… they help digestion and are full of good bacteria called probiotics, which are important for gut health. Cucumbers are high in an antioxidant called beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A! Not to mention hydrating and a natural electrolyte.
Groovy Granola
How your kids can help: Measuring, mixing, whisking and baking; this recipe offers tons of ways in which kids can help.
Why it’s good for you: Pistachios are loaded with the fiber, minerals, and healthy unsaturated fat. Oats are a gluten-free whole grain that is a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Dried Fruit is full of fiber and antioxidants.
Cranberry Sugar Cookies
How your kids can help: Older kids will be able to whip this dough up quickly and everyone will love grabbing their rolling pin to roll out the dough and cookie cutter some fun shapes.
Why it’s good for you: Coconut Flour is rich in fiber and promotes good digestion and heart health. Flax is rich in fiber, protein and Omega-3 essential fatty acids (fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects). Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants.
