KIDS CAN COOK

Every family has its favourite meals…pasta, pizza, a casserole.  I'm going to share with you the recipe for a meal that we have about once a week in our house.  The perk is that most kids, if they are over the age of 4 can probably make it.  All you have to do, as the parent, is provide the cooked meat you want on it if you want meat for the protein.  But you could use canned tuna or salmon, store bought pre-cooked chicken, tofu or cheese.  You don't have to use meat if you don't want to.  I use the term "recipe" loosely because there really are no rules…except maybe one, use fresh vegetables and fruits.  We call it the "Grouse Grind Salad" because when I served it to my family members visiting from West Vancouver, BC, they said the restaurant at the top of Grouse Mountain, where the Grouse Grind trail/hiking path ends, provides a very similar meal for their patrons.

Here is the list of ingredients.  Note the substitutions!

Start with a handful of greens…spinach, red leaf lettuce, kale, romaine (no iceberg lettuce)

If you have some red cabbage dice a bit of that up too

I dress my greens and toss them before putting them on my plate

My husband builds his and then tops it with his favourite dressing or yogurt

Add any veggies you like…sliced carrots, celery, tomatoes, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli (I pour boiling water over my broccoli pieces and then chill them)

Top with raisins, cranberries, any pepita, sunflower or other seeds or nuts you like

Top again with orange sections, pineapple, strawberries, diced apple, whatever you have…or not

At any point you can add some protein…cooked meat, cheese, fish, tofu

If you want a grain with it you could have a whole grain slice of bread or a roll.

Ta da…dinner is done, and you could do it as a family or a team.

A four year old could do most of this and would likely love to do it…and then would eat it. If you teach them about nutrition in childhood and aren’t afraid to let them create healthy meals like this with you then you will be providing great nutrition education for your kids and will be well on your way to developing a family book of healthy, good meals.  Note, this is a very filling meal…if you fill a dinner plate you will have trouble eating it all so I suggest you use a salad plate or bowl.