Tips and Recipes

Getting kids involved in the kitchen and familiar with preparing food is important. It sets an example for a healthy lifestyle and creates an interest in food and cooking. Help your kids develop a love of healthy foods by teaching them to make meals as a family.

Benefits of Cooking Together

• Picky Eaters: Children who are involved in creating their meals are more likely to eat the food on their plate.
• Help Kids’ Physical Development: Simple kitchen tasks like stirring, washing, peeling, whisking, and squeezing can help children develop fine motor skills.
• Build Healthy Habits: Home-cooked meals promote an overall healthier diet.
• Promote Bonding: Cooking as a family allows connections to be built through quality time.

Getting Started in the Kitchen

• Start simple: Begin with easy recipes with just a few steps.
• Assign roles in the kitchen: Adjust the tasks you assign to each family member based on your child’s skills and age.
• Supervise: Make sure kids know the rules of kitchen safety and provide help when needed.

Tips for Teaching Kitchen Skills

• Help kids stir by holding the bowl and placing one hand over their hand as they hold the spoon.
• When kids chop foods for the first few times, help by guiding their hand with yours. Start by cutting soft foods with a plastic knife or dull table/butter knife.
• Let kids pour out pre-measured ingredients to start. Then try helping them measure small amounts of dry ingredients before moving to wet ingredients.
• Place your hands over older kids’ hands while using a grater, watching their fingers carefully so they do not get cut or scraped.

Check out this article for specific kitchen tasks based on your child’s age!

Written by: Lauren Hinze, EFNEP Student Intern

Blueberries have many vitamins and minerals that help lower blood pressure, manage diabetes, protect against heart disease, and prevent cancer. They are a good source of vitamin C and vitamin K. Vitamin C boosts your immune system, while vitamin K helps your blood clot properly. These little berries are low in calories but high in nutrients.

Blueberries are one the top antioxidant foods. Antioxidants can prevent or delay some types of cell damage, which could lead to heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. They help to protect healthy cells in the body.

Tips When Eating Blueberries:

• You will get the most health benefits from eating fresh, uncooked berries. Heat can impact the antioxidant content, so raw blueberries are the best way to eat this fruit.
• Remember to rinse and wash the berries before eating to remove any debris or residue that may be on the surface.
• If stored properly, blueberries can last up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. For peak flavor and texture, eat them within a week.
• Blueberries can last up to 10 months in the freezer.

How to Add Blueberries to Your Diet:

• Use blueberries as a topping on oatmeal, yogurt, or cereal. This is a quick and easy way to eat a serving of fruit and boost your fiber intake in the morning.
• Add into a smoothie or smoothie bowl for a cooling mid-day summer snack.
• Mix fresh or dried blueberries into a salad for a little sweetness.
• Make ice cubes with blueberries or add frozen blueberries to your water. To mix up how you drink water, adding frozen berries can create new flavors to your water to help you stay hydrated.

Sources: USDA

Written by: Lauren Hinze, EFNEP Student Intern

Spice up your meal plan this week with our Southwest Bowl recipe!

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls brown rice
• 2 handfuls of fruits and vegetables. Mix and match from the following:
  • Lettuce, corn, avocado, tomato or other of choice
• Handful of cooked lean ground beef
• Small handful of Shredded Cheese, Salsa, and or Greek Yogurt

Directions

1. Cook brown rice according to package directions.
2. Cook lean ground beef to 158˚F.
3. Add the cooked rice to a bowl.
4. Add your choice of fruits and vegetables to the bowl.
5. Top the bowl with your choice of cheese, salsa, and or yogurt.

Bananas are high in many vitamins and minerals, including potassium, vitamin B6, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin C. This fruit is an excellent source of potassium which is a mineral and electrolyte that helps to maintain a healthy balance of water and offset the effects of excess salt intake. Bananas are also easy to digest and can improve your overall digestive health.

How to Store Your Bananas

• Store at room temperature away from direct sunlight.
• Do not refrigerate green bananas as this can disrupt normal ripening.
• To speed up ripening, store in a brown paper bag or place bananas near ripe fruit. On the other hand, if you want to slow ripening, store bananas away from other ripe fruits. 
• Do not store in plastic bags as this traps excess moisture and promotes rotting.
• If a banana has ripened to a brown color, remove the peel and chop or mash the fruit to include in baked goods or freeze to be added into smoothies. 

How to Add Bananas to Your Diet

• Add a sliced banana to a fruit salad.
• Swap an equal amount of mashed banana for butter in baked goods like muffins, quick breads, or cookies. 
• For a frozen treat, slice a peeled banana in half and turn the fruit into a popsicle. Dip the banana into yogurt and sprinkle with nuts, chopped dried fruit, or other toppings. Freeze for a few hours.
• Add a banana or frozen banana into your smoothie. 

Written by: Lauren Hinze, EFNEP Student Intern

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/bananas/

Alyssa Smock, EFNEP educator, and Linda Minges, FCS agent of Gaston County, partnered together to provide healthy recipes and tasting samples to the clients of Common Ground Food Pantry at First United Methodist Church of Stanley. With the help of countless volunteers including ECA members, Extension Master Food Volunteers, and dietetic interns, they were able to create this wonderful cookbook utilizing common foods distributed by the food pantry. Take a look to get some new recipe ideas and healthy eating tips!