4 Kid-Friendly Recipes

Carrot and Raisin Pancakes

Recipe by Tram Le, MS, RD

Ingredients
½ cup matchstick-cut carrots
1 teaspoon water
2 tablespoons raisins
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup milk (unsweetened, non-dairy milks are fine, too)
1 large egg
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Maple syrup or fresh berries (optional accompaniments)

Directions

  1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and put it into a small bowl. Place with a brush near the stove or griddle.
  2. Heat an 8-inch frying pan (or use a pancake griddle) on low heat while you prepare other ingredients.
  3. In a small microwaveable bowl, combine carrots and water. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until carrots are slightly soft and pliable. Mix in the raisins and brown sugar. Set aside.
  4. In another small bowl, mix together the butter, milk and egg until incorporated.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  6. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, using the whisk to fold in the ingredients. Fold in the carrot-raisin mixture with the whisk. (It’s OK if there are some small lumps in the batter.)
  7. Increase heat under frying pan to medium-low and brush some melted butter onto the pan; the butter should start to gently bubble.
  8. Pour 1⁄4 cup pancake mixture onto the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes. When the middle of the pancake bubbles, use a thin metal spatula to flip the pancake. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until light brown.

Tip

  • You can freeze these and reheat in the microwave (about a minute each) for a quick and easy breakfast.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 6-inch pancake
Calories 102; Total fat 3g; Sat. fat 2g; Chol. 30mg; Sodium 193mg; Carb. 16g; Fiber 2g; Sugars 4g; Protein 4g; Potassium 150mg; Phosphorus 119mg

Tram Le, MS, RD, is based in Annapolis, Md. She is a Stone Soup blogger and author of thisveglife.com.


4 Kid-Friendly Recipes -

Green Monster Popsicles

Recipe by Alexandra Caspero, MA, RD

Ingredients
3 kiwifruits, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup 100-percent white grape juice
½ cup seedless green grapes
⅓ cup frozen green peas

Directions

  1. Place ingredients into a high-powered blender and puree until smooth.
  2. Pour into popsicle molds.
  3. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until frozen through, and serve as a refreshing treat!

Tip

  • If your blender is unable to puree ingredients until smooth, strain through a fine mesh strainer or nut milk bag to remove solids. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze as directed.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 1 Popsicle
Calories 94; Total fat 0g; Sat. fat 0g; Chol. 0mg; Sodium 20mg; Carb. 22g; Fiber 2g; Sugars 8g; Protein 1g; Potassium 272mg; Phosphorus 37mg

Alexandra Caspero, MA, RD, is based in Sacramento, Calif. She is a Stone Soup blogger and author of delicious-knowledge.com.


4 Kid-Friendly Recipes -

Frog Princess Salad

Recipe by Romina Barritta de Defranchi

Ingredients
1 ripe avocado
2 slices of ham
½ hard-boiled egg
1-inch cube of Swiss cheese
1 black olive
1 lettuce leaf, chopped
1 cherry tomato
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise, optional

Directions

  1. Place lettuce on a serving plate (to simulate grass).
  2. Halve the avocado lengthwise, remove seed and spoon out the flesh with a spoon. To build the frog, begin with a transversal cut across the first half of the avocado to get two equal parts. One part will make the frog’s head. Cut the other part in half to make two legs. The other avocado half makes the body of the frog. Arrange on plate in order from the top: head, body and one leg on each side.
  3. Cut two equal slices of the egg and place next to the “frog face” to make eyes.
  4. Slice the olive and place over the egg to mimic pupils.
  5. Cut a slice of the cherry tomato and put on the face to make the mouth.
  6. Create the crown with the cheese by cutting a triangular rimming on the top edge.
  7. Make a skirt with the ham.
  8. Serve with the mayonnaise or your child’s favorite salad dressing on the side. If making ahead of time, brush the frog with lemon or lime juice to prevent browning.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 6-inch pancake
Calories 102; Total fat 3g; Sat. fat 2g; Chol. 30mg; Sodium 193mg; Carb. 16g; Fiber 2g; Sugars 4g; Protein 4g; Potassium 150mg; Phosphorus 119mg

Romina Barritta de Defranchi, DTR, is based in Argentina. She is a Stone Soup blogger and author of globaldietitians.com.


Baby Food Meat Puree

Recipe by Natalia Stasenko, MS, RD, CDN

Ingredients
6 ounces of beef, pork or veal, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups of water

Directions

  1. Place the meat in a small pan, add the water, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the meat is soft.
  2. Place the meat into a blender with 1⁄2 cup of the cooking liquid.
  3. Blend into a smooth purée. Add more cooking water, breast milk or formula for a thinner purée.
  4. If the purée is too thin, it can be thickened with baby cereal. The purée can be frozen in an ice cube tray for future use (1 ice cube = approximately 1 ounce of purée).
  5. Make sure to cover the ice cube tray with a lid or plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.
  6. This purée also can be mixed with a variety of vegetable purées, herbs and spices to create more complex meals.

Nutritional Information

Serving size: 1 ounce
Calories 50; Total fat 4g; Sat. fat 1g; Chol. 13mg; Sodium 12mg; Carb. 0g; Fiber 0g; Sugars 0g; Protein 4g; Potassium 51mg; Phosphorus 31mg

Natalia Stasenko, MS, RD, is based in London and New York. She is a Stone Soup blogger and author of feedingbytes.com. 

Food & Nutrition Magazine
Food & Nutrition Magazine publishes articles on food and diet trends, highlights of nutrition research and resources, updates on public health issues and policy initiatives related to nutrition, and explorations of the cultural and social factors that shape Americans’ diets and health.