The weather has most definitely turned and there’s a wintry nip in the air. As parents, rainy days can sometimes see us floundering around wondering what to do with our little ones that doesn’t involve screens. We try hard to balance downtime with play and creativity, and sometimes it can all get a bit overwhelming!
Here at My Name Label we love cooking so we thought we’d put together a few fun recipes to try with your kids. As well as being a failsafe way to help encourage fussy eaters to have an interest in food, cooking can be educational (learning weights and measures) and is also a great way to open discussions with your little ones and really connect with them as the rain pours down outside. They’ll love tasting their handiwork afterwards too! Get fussy little eaters into the kitchen and turn them into little chefs with these six favourite cooking ideas that are simple enough for them to help out with, or even do on their own...
Six Fun Cooking Recipes for Kids
Broccoli Pasta
This simple recipe is quick and easy to make and is loved by kids and adults alike thanks to the tasty flavour, fun green colour, and hidden veg!. Instead of using pesto from a jar, make your own using pine nuts, parsley, basil, parmesan, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and broccoli. Simple whizz all the ingredients in a blender and stir through cooked pasta for a delicious quick and healthy mid-week dinner. Kids will love the whizzy blender bit (mind those fingers though!) and will really give them a taste for all things culinary.
Find the complete recipe and method here.
Animal Bread Rolls
Baking with kids can so easily end up in making sweet cupcakes and chocolatey cakes, but why not try baking some savoury bread rolls with them? Depending on the childrens’ ages, you make up the dough beforehand and give it to them to play with like playdough (or make it with them if they are older), and they can have fun creating all manner of exciting animal-shaped bread rolls. They are great for lunches dipped into hummus, spreading with butter or dipped into a lovely homemade soup.
Find the complete recipe and method here.
Fruit Tacos with Maple Yoghurt Drizzle
If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll eat most things if it is presented in a wrap they can make themselves! Making fun recipes using healthy ingredients can nurture a great relationship with food and help them to enjoy everything to do with cooking, from the sourcing of ingredients to the presentation. These fruit tacos are super easy to make for kids of all ages, you can even pre-buy the pancakes if you don’t want to make them from scratch. Eat them for dessert or breakfast and get your kids to enjoy a fruit-filled healthy snack anytime of the day.
Find the complete recipe and method here.
Mini Pepper Pizzas
These pepper pizzas are a great idea for gluten-free tummies as they miss out the carby crust and use colourful peppers instead! Simply scoop out the insides of the peppers and fill with pizza sauce and the toppings of your choice. Top with mozzarella and bake in the oven for 10-15 mins; just enough time for the cheese to melt and to hold the attention of your little people! Once they are cooked and cooled, take them out of the oven and you can create a rainbow platter of delicious mini pepper pizzas for the whole family to enjoy.
Find the complete recipe and method here
Pear, Banana and Oat Cookies
These delicious cookies are made without using any processed sugar, wheat, dairy or eggs so are great for anyone with allergies (if you do suffer from allergies, why not take a look at our ingenious allergy labels to make sure your little ones are safe when out and about). Because these cookies are nice and soft they are great for toddlers who may not have their full set of teeth yet. The wholegrain oats in these oaty bites will help give your children sustained energy and a good dose of healthy fibre, which means they are win win!
Find the complete recipe and method here
Easy Caramel Apple Tart
This moreish Autumnal treat is so simple, especially if you use premade roll-out pastry and a jar of caramel sauce! Using apples that you’ve picked from the garden/local orchard will make this dish a particular special delight, but shop-bought apples work just as well. We find that kids love to eat fruit when it’s baked or on pastry (!) and it gives them a nutritious and warming dessert for winter months. Get kids to help chop the apples (age-dependant) and lay them out neatly on the pastry - their little faces as they concentrate on this task will be golden.
Find the complete recipe and method here
If you are making preserves in time for Christmas then be sure to order up some of our jumbo name labels which are perfect for labelling jars, and our small name labels are dishwasher safe and microwave safe which makes them perfect for labelling Tupperware and other storage containers for preserving your delicious homemade kid-friendly recipes. If you have any good cooking recipes you enjoy doing with your kids please share on our Facebook and Instagram, we love to hear from you!
