Who said food cannot be art? Try these recipes with kids this summer. They are fun to make and eat!
Looking for something fun and different to do with all this extra time at home this summer? Let’s keep the kids entertained by mixing cooking with crafting! These recipes allow kids to explore their creativity while also practicing the basics of cooking. And even better, they get to enjoy their tasty masterpiece as a snack or meal!
Breakfast Toast Faces
Who says breakfast can’t be fun! Toast is a breakfast classic, but sometimes it can be rather boring. Turning toast into silly faces or cute animals is an easy way to sneak fruits and vegetables into your child’s breakfast. Have your child cover a piece of toast in any kind of spread - cream cheese, hummus, avocado mash, nut butter, etc. Then provide cut-up pieces of fruits and vegetables and allow their imagination to run wild! Vegetables to use: radishes, olives, bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes or cucumbers. Fruits to use: bananas, blueberries, strawberries, apples, oranges, or kiwi. You can use just about anything you have on hand!
Find inspirations on this blog
Buggies on a Log
Make snack time nutritious and entertaining with these buggie creations! Remember the classic “bugs on a log” celery and peanut butter snack? Well let’s take it one step further and create butterflies or caterpillars! Fill celery with nut butter or hummus and decorate with small pieces of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or pretzels. Or make a cute lady bug using a cracker, piece of cheese and small cherry tomatoes! Pinterest has some really fun recipes to use as an inspiration.
Funny Face Pizza
Who doesn’t love a pizza decorating party? Making homemade pizza is a great way to let kids be creative in the kitchen. Use regular pizza crust or bagels for a mini pizza version. Cover in pizza sauce and let your child decorate away with toppings like cheese, olives, onions, peppers, pepperoni, sausage, spinach, or anything you can find in your kitchen. You can make silly faces, animals, favorite characters, and more! Another great way to sneak in those veggies.
We love the recipe Pampered Chef offers on their blog
About the author: Taylor Roe is a dietetic student and intern currently earning her MS degree in nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has a passion for nutrition, specifically in the pediatric field. Her hope is to help children develop healthy eating habits at a young age in order to set them up for a healthy future!