Cooking for Your Children

When cooking for your children, the most important thing to remember is to make it healthy. Healthy means that foods should be of a variety, and in consideration of the main food groups.
You do not need to make elaborate meals. Often, the simplest meals are the healthiest.

Here are some sample meals that are quick, easy and healthful for your children. These are by no means the most perfect meals, but they are healthy and foods that most children will eat. Just be sure to balance the meal between the food groups; protein, vegetables and fruits, starches (go easy on these, as they turn to sugar as they are digested!), and dairy.

If you choose to go organic, here's a kid-friendly organic resource!

Sample meals

Breakfast

Egg, fried, omelette, scrambled.
Orange juice.
Toast
1 or 2% Milk, or calcium enriched orange juice.

Yogurt
Orange slices, or other fruit
Low sugar, vitamin enriched cereal
1 or 2 or 2% Milk, or calcium enriched orange juice.

Low fat, low sodium bacon or sausage
Handful of grapes.
Waffles (use frozen, or make your own from the recipe on the back of the pancake mix box)
1 or 2% Milk, or calcium enriched orange juice.

Low fat, low sodium bacon or sausage
Strawberries, or other fruit
Pancakes (Some mixes are ‘just add water’ – look for them.)
1 or 2% Milk, or calcium enriched orange juice.

Low sodium bacon
French Toast (Make frozen, or make your own .)
Apple slices
1 or 2% Milk, or calcium enriched orange juice.

Lunches
Low fat, low sodium turkey sandwich
Cherry tomatoes
The bread is the starch.
1 or 2% Milk

Cheese pizza
Salad
The crust is the starch.
1 or 2% Milk

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Apple or other fruit
The bread is the starch.
1 or 2% Milk

Protein-enriched macaroni and cheese
Carrot sticks
The pasta is the starch
1 or 2% Milk

Dinner
Steak
Broccoli, or spinach
Add any fruit after the meal.
Potato (for a variety, use baked, frozen French fries – in the oven, or instant in a box. The instant has improved a lot over the years and is soooo easy!)
1 or 2% milk.

Protein-enriched spaghetti with meat sauce
Salad made with dark green lettuce, tomatoes, and other veggies.
Add any fruit after the meal.
The spaghetti is also the starch, but you can add a small piece of bread.
1 or 2% milk.

Turkey breast (sandwich)
Salad made with dark green lettuce, tomatoes, and other veggies.
Add any fruit after the meal.
The bread is the starch.
1 or 2% milk.

Roasted chicken
Peas and carrot mixture.
Add any fruit after the meal.
Brown rice
1 or 2% milk.

Frozen fish sticks
Broccoli
Add any fruit after the meal.
Macaroni and Cheese
(or try organic mac n cheese!)
1 or 2% milk.

Cheese Pizza
Salad
Add any fruit after the meal.
Pizza dough is the starch.
1 or 2% milk.

Hamburger made of 85-90% chopped beef.
String beans
Add any fruit after the meal.
French fries
1 or 2% milk.

Shopping list to start you
Apples, Berries, other Fruits
Carrots, celery, or other ‘munchable’ veggie.
Broccoli
Velveeta cheese, either in a jar or bar.
1 or 2% Milk
Fruit yogurt (most do not like the “fruit on the bottom” variety)
Orange juice
Eggs
Frozen French fries
Pre-cooked (roasted), or uncooked chicken.
80-92% Fat free chopped beef
Sliced turkey breast for lunches.
Peanut butter and Jelly
Whole wheat, or multigrain bread.
Salad (dark green lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers)
Protein-enriched macaroni and cheese.
Protein-enriched spaghetti
Jarred meat sauce (or buy a plain sauce and add cooked chopped meat)
Loaf of bread for sandwiches
Cherry tomatoes
Cold low-sugar breakfast cereals
Hot low-sugar breakfast cereals