We got another nicely-formatted letter from the preschool principal about a month ago, informing parents about "Culinary Week" on Jan. 5-7, during which the young ones will be taught how to prepare some simple healthy eats. And, parents can also join the fun by assisting their kids.
I thought this was a really good move on the school's part to help parents come up with new ideas about what healthy snacks to let kids bring to school. Because, God knows, I've run out of ideas and I'm sure I'm not alone in this problem. My excuse is I'm a working mom and I'm too tired to think -- plus, healthy food is pricier. Why can't the school just prepare those healthy fare instead? I'm more than willing to pay extra for that service if it exists.
But, if there's anything I learned from Culinary Week is this: shame on me, I knew my excuse was horribly lame and I should stop using it. Moreover, healthier options are not expensive at all. You just need to be creative.
Here are some of the super easy-to-make kid-friendly recipes we learned:
Ants on a Log
Take a crispy veggie type like singkamas or carrot, then cut them into thin, fat slices (pictured above).
Smear on lots of cream cheese, cheese spread, jelly, jam, or peanut butter.
Top with dried fruit pieces like raisins, cranberries, apricot, mango, pineapple, etc.
Fruit Pizza
Cube / dice / thinly-slice an assortment of fruits like papaya, mango, kiwi, berries, banana, grapes, pineapple, apple, etc. Set aside.
Take a slice of good tasty bread or half of a pandesal, then top it with lots of cream cheese or cheese spread.
Pile on your sliced fruits in one layer. You could even arrange the fruits in a fun way, like maybe make a funny face or another design :-)
Power Berry Smoothie
Blend together some sliced bananas, strawberry ice cream, and cold fresh milk (or plain soy milk for lactose intolerant kids).
We make these a lot during the summer. I use fresh strawberries if they're available.
Another really nice combination is mango, banana, and apple :-)
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