Mealtime Memories Begin in the Kitchen

A good way to get young children excited about new foods and healthy eating is to get them involved in the kitchen. Young children like to imitate their parents, and this is especially true during meal planning and food preparation.

Young children can:

·         wipe and help set the table,

·         select fruits or vegetables for the meal,

·         rinse vegetables and fruits,

·         snap green beans,

·         stir pancake batter, and

·         help assemble a pizza and make sandwiches.

Parents need to remember some safety tips when children are in the kitchen:

·         Cook with pots and pans on the back burners.

·         Keep hot dishes where children cannot touch or pull them down on top of themselves.

·         Children should not remove cooked food from the microwave.

·         Keep knives and other sharp objects out of young children’s reach.

            Watching children closely and giving them specific, child-appropriate tasks can help to increase your child’s interest in new foods and food preparation. It is also very important to remember food safety as well, by teaching children to wash their hands with warm, soapy water before helping in the kitchen. This lifelong habit will keep children from getting sick or making others sick with a foodborne illness.

Following is a fun recipe from the Texas Corn Producers that will provide an opportunity to create memories in the kitchen. Younger children could wash veggies and stir in ingredients with supervision. Enjoy!

Farmers' Market Corn Toss

Prep Time:  25 mins

Total Time:  25 mins

Yield:  6 servings, about 2/3 cup each

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 small sweet onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 ears corn on the cob, kernels removed

1large zucchini, sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

¼ tsp.  black pepper

¼ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

Heat oil in large skillet on medium heat. Add onions and red peppers; cook and stir 3 min. Stir in corn and zucchini; cook and stir 5 min. or until all vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

Stir in basil, black pepper and 2 Tbsp. cheese. Top with remaining cheese.

Nutritional Information:Calories:   90 .Total fat:  4.5 g ,Saturated fat:  1.5 g ,Cholesterol:  5 mg , Sodium:  95 mg Carbohydrate:  10 g . Dietary fiber:  2 g , Sugars:  4 g, Protein:  4 g ,

Vitamin A -  20 %DV; Vitamin C -  35 %DV; Calcium - 8 %DV; Iron -  4 %DV.