Growing up in today’s food culture presents a unique set of bumps in the road and also offers opportunities for families looking to include nutritious meals, stay on budget, and actually find something everyone will agree on. If the goal is to shift towards a more nutritious way of eating, or spend more time enjoying easy meals together as a family, adding and crowding out (rather than replacing with more variety) offers a little something for everyone, and allows the less adventurous eaters an opportunity to get curious. Sometimes being a picky eater has to do with much more than flavor. Often there can be some preference with textures as well. Being patient and offering new ingredients that can be added to familiar favorites, can be a wonderful way to invite everyone at the table to make their meal just how they like it.
Even if the kiddos don’t jump on board right away, modeling for them is a wonderful way to create some curiosity. Kids learn what they see as much as what they’re told (actually more). This month, we take a couple of favorites, ramen noodles and fruit salad, and create a fun exploration of flavors and textures for everyone––beyond just noodles and broth, or simple watermelon. The combinations here are endless, and involving all the voices around the table can open a world of new flavors for everyone to try.
Choose Your Adventure Ramen
This easy recipe is ready in about 20 minutes and each ingredient is served in its own cute container to make it fun to explore. Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 pkgs favorite ramen
3 cups bone broth
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
8 boiled eggs
4 cups baby greens
1 large onion chopped
1 scallion, chopped
Miso (optional)
Mushrooms, chopped
Carrots, sliced thin
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Use the same pan to sauté each veggie separately. Chop scallion and set aside. While eggs cook, sauté onion with salt and pepper, 10 minutes until golden. Sauté mushrooms 3-4 minutes.
For perfect soft boiled eggs, bring cold eggs in cold water up to a boil. When water bubbles, remove from heat and cover for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Peel while still a little warm, cut in quarters.
Sauté four handfuls of baby greens in a little olive oil with a pinch of salt for 3 minutes. Combine 4 cups water and bone broth or homemade stock, add carrots and bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in 1T miso and 1 packet seasoning. Split between 4 large bowls, with plenty of room to add other ingredients. Sprinkle with scallion.
‘Your Name’ Fruit Cocktail
Serves 4
Ingredients:
2 large Mangos, peeled and chopped
2 Dragon Fruit, shelled
2 kiwi - peeled and chopped
1 pomegranate or seeds
1 Cup Blueberries
1 lemon
2 T honey
1 T chia seeds
Directions:
Collagen is all the trend in supplements, and what’s important to note is that your body really needs a good amount of vitamin C in order to convert the proteins into the collagen it needs. Best source? Fruit of course!
The possibilities are endless here. In the spirit of exploring, start with fruit you know and love, and add something new at a pace that feels good to you. Cut up fruit on a Sunday, and you have a powerful snack for a couple of days. On day 3, put in your oatmeal, and on day 4, in your smoothie or freeze for another day. For an added punch, sprinkle your favorite seeds (chia, pumpkin, hemp) over the top..
For this recipe, we combined tart and sweet. Cut the dragon fruit in half and you can even use the shell as a fun bowl. Mix all the fruit or let everyone choose. Mix the juice of 1 lemon with honey for an added kick of flavor and to support digestion and absorption of these powerful nutrients. When kiddos come up with their own special combinations, they can put their name on it.