One of the most effective, as well as enjoyable, ways for parents to instill healthy eating habits in their children is to involve them in the preparation and cooking of food.
The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) has developed some recipes that are easy enough for children to make with their parents’ help, and some tips for parents’ guidance. The aim: To encourage children to learn to cook, which, in turn, will help create healthy eating habits for a lifetime.
“Cooking together is a great time for parents to talk with their children about what makes a healthful meal,” says Melanie Polk, AICR’s director of nutrition education, “and summer, with school vacations and more leisurely time, is a perfect opportunity.”
Helping children to learn how to cook for themselves can help children develop confidence and self-reliance as well as healthy eating habits and a greater appreciation for a wide range of foods, the AICR says.
Cooking can also help children improve skills they use in their everyday lives, especially in school – organizational and mathematical skills, for example, as well as attention to detail and accuracy.
Polk suggests parents look for three things when they choose recipes children can help prepare: dishes children already enjoy eating; recipes that use the child’s skill level (stirring, mixing and pushing blender and microwave buttons for young children; using knives and cooking stovetop for older children); and recipes that appeal to children’s sense of fun.
Children with moderate skills can help prepare the following meatloaf recipe by laying out ingredients and utensils, measuring ingredients, spraying a muffin tin or loaf pan with spray oil, handing the parent each batch of ingredients to be sauteed, and combining ingredients.
Children with more advanced skills can cut and saute vegetables, beat eggs and transfer the meat mixture into baking pans.
Kid-Tested Gourmet Meatloaf
(Preparation about 30 minutes, cooking time about 1 hour)
2 garlic cloves (optional)
Canola oil spray
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms, preferably cremini or portobello (optional)
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely minced carrots
1 cup finely minced onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup cooked brown rice, at room temperature, or 1 cup fine bread crumbs, preferably whole wheat
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup nonfat or reduced-fat (2 percent) milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons to 2 tablespoons tomato, steak or barbecue sauce, to taste
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste (optional)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground turkey (preferably breast), at room temperature (see note)
If using garlic, finely mince and set aside.
Lightly spray the interior of a muffin tin or a loaf pan with oil spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 F for individual meatloaves, and 375 F for one large loaf.
Heat oil in a nonstick pan over high heat until hot. If using, add mushrooms to the pan and saute lightly. Reduce heat to medium and add carrots, onion and garlic. Gently cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, break up cooked rice until kernels are separate, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside. When carrots are almost tender, add salt and pepper to the sauteed vegetables to taste and remove the pan from heat.
In a medium bowl, use a fork to lightly beat eggs until just blended. Stir in milk, thyme, marjoram,Worcestershire sauce, tomato or other sauce, and hot pepper sauce, if using. Stir in rice. Let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, place beef and turkey in a large bowl and, using a fork, lightly break up meat. Spread meat up sides of the bowl to make as wide a surface as possible. Spread sauteed vegetables over the top. Using just-washed hands (or two large forks), lightly mix in. Add milk-rice mixture, pouring over entire surface. Gently combine ingredients with hands or forks until ingredients are well combined but mixture remains light. (Mixture will be very moist, almost wet.)
Transfer mixture into cups of prepared muffin tin, using a 1/2-cup measure, or into a loaf pan. Place muffin tin or loaf pan on a shallow baking pan (such as a cookie sheet) to catch any juices that might overflow during baking. Bake individual meatloaves about 45 minutes and a loaf pan 60 minutes, or until juices run clear, or a thermometer inserted into the meatloaf registers 155 F to 160 F. (Meatloaves will continue to cook after being taken out of the oven, so do not bake in the oven to the usually recommended 170 F, which would result in an overdone and somewhat dry meatloaf.)
Remove meatloaf from the oven, cover with foil and allow it to rest a few minutes to cool slightly and “set.” Remove foil and take the meatloaf out of the muffin tin or loaf pan.
(To remove meatloaf from individual muffin cups, use two salad forks to gently lift out. Two flexible metal spatulas will help lift one whole meatloaf out of the pan in one piece. Meatloaf can also be sliced while still in the pan, if desired.)
Leftover meatloaf, traditionally thought to taste better the second day, can be used for sandwiches as well as reheated for an entree.
Makes 12 muffin-sized 1/2 cup servings, or about 12 slices of large meatloaf.
Note: A combination of either ground turkey and pork or ground pork and veal can also be used.
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