Midwest Child Care Association

TOP TEN KIDS RECIPES

Sunshine Smoothie

Servings: 2 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 0

Your little ones will feel all grown up sipping this tasty tropical treat, which is teeming with antioxidants.

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup crushed ice
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup white grape juice
2 Tbs. coconut syrup (optional) Pineapple wedges and pitted fresh cherries for garnish

1. Combine the first six ingredients in a blender and process on high about two to three minutes, until smooth. Garnish with a cherry and a pineapple wedge.

Each glass: 168 calories, 8 g protein, 34 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 4 mg cholesterol, 169 mg calcium, 1 g iron, 190 mg sodium.

Happy-Face Oatmeal

Servings: 2 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 5 to 7 minutes

This low-fat recipe can teach your children to get involved in the kitchen. Their job: to design their own happy face, using fruit.

2 cups water
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup low-fat milk
12 raspberries or 18 blueberries
4 mini shredded wheat squares
1 tsp. powdered sugar

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add oats and cook, stirring frequently, until they are smooth in consistency and texture. Stir in milk and cook for an additional four minutes.
2. Spoon oatmeal into two bowls and make a happy face in each, using shredded wheat for the eyes and berries for the mouth. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Each serving: 175 calories, 7 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 5 g fiber, 2 mg cholesterol, 100 mg calcium, 2 g iron, 215 mg sodium.

Rainbow Magic Bread

Servings: 14 Prep Time: 4 Hours Cooking Time: 30 minutes

What's so magical about it? Providers can put anything inside the bread such as veggie burgers, egg salad, low-fat tuna salad-and watch it disappear. The bread is so appealing, the kids will eat whatever is inside of it.

1 1-lb. loaf frozen bread dough
1/4 cup flour
5 drops each of blue, red, yellow, green, and purple food coloring Canola oil spray

1. Thaw dough and allow to rise according to package directions. Just before dough is ready, flour a baking sheet.
2. Divide dough in five equal parts. Add one batch food coloring to each portion of dough and knead well. Let dough rest uncovered on a baking sheet for an hour.
3. Flatten each piece of dough until it's 8 to 10 inches long. Stack pieces on top of one another in any order. Fold ends of the dough into the middle.
4. Place dough in an 8-inch loaf pan sprayed with canola oil. Allow dough to rest for an hour until it rises one inch above the pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the bottom of loaf pan sounds hollow when tapped.
5. Remove bread from pan immediately. Slice into 14 pieces when cool.

Each slice: 90 calories, 3 g protein, 17 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 mg calcium, 1 g iron, 180 mg sodium.

Baked Chicken O's With Lumberjack Dip

Servings: 2 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 minutes

A more nutritious version of chicken nuggets, this entree uses breast meat rather than fattier rib meat and is baked, not fried. But the real hit with children is dunking the Chicken O's in the sweet Lumberjack Dip.

Canola oil spray
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1-2 Tbs. flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 Tbs. shredded coconut
2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. orange marmalade

Heat oven to 350°F.
1. Coat a nonstick baking sheet with canola oil spray and set aside.
2. Slice chicken into 12 strips and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dust chicken with flour and dip in egg whites. In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs and coconut. Dip chicken strips into crumb mixture. Shape strips into circles, making sure the ends overlap a little so they will stay together during cooking. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, combine the syrup and marmalade. Serve as a dip with chicken.

Each serving: 329 calories, 21 g protein, 51 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 2 g fiber, 34 mg cholesterol, 88 mg calcium, 3 g iron, 464 mg sodium.

Under-the-Sea Shells

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 12-15 minutes

Have you not been able to convince your kids to eat their peas? This shell recipe is a sure fired way to eleminate that problem. A single serving of this creamy entree packs nearly 70% of the bone-building calcium that children ages 4 to 8 need for the entire day.

1/2 lb. shells or sea-theme pasta
1 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup low-fat milk
1/2 cup frozen peas, at room temperature
8 slices 2% American cheese, such as Kraft
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 cup cheddar Goldfish crackers

1. Cook the shells or sea-theme pasta according to the package directions.
2. In the meantime, in a medium-size saucepan, heat butter on medium-low. Add milk and bring to a slow boil. Stir
in peas and add cheese, a slice at a time, stirring until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Toss cheese sauce with cooked pasta and top with Goldfish crackers.

Each serving: 404 calories, 18 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 12 g fat (7 g saturated), 3 g fiber, 32 1/2 mg cholesterol, 551 mg calcium, 2 g iron, 980 mg sodium.

Dirt Cups

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 0

A parfait made with a trio of low-fat yogurts, sugar-free pudding, and-the special ingredient-Gummi worms, Dirt Cups will appeal to children's desire for desserts that sound adventuresome.

1/2 cup Oreo cookie crumbs
1 1-oz. pkg. fat-free, sugar-free instant
butterscotch pudding mix, such as Jell-O
2 cups cold skim milk
6 oz. low-fat lime or lemon yogurt
6 oz. low-fat mixed-berry yogurt
6 oz. low-fat strawberry yogurt
16 Gummi worms

1. Layer the bottom of four medium-size sundae glasses with about 1/2 tablespoon of Oreo cookie crumbs. Set
      aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Beat with a wire whisk until smooth, about two to three minutes.
      Chill uncovered for one hour.
3. Gently stir lime yogurt with a spoon and divide among four glasses. Coat with 1/2 tablespoon of Oreo crumbs.
      Repeat with the mixed-berry yogurt, butterscotch pudding, and strawberry yogurt.
4. Top each glass with 1/2 tablespoon of Oreo crumbs. Garnish each dessert with four Gummi worms.

Each dessert: 351 calories, 11 g protein, 68 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat (2 g saturated), 1 g fiber, 11 mg cholesterol, 331 mg calcium, 1 g iron, 613 mg sodium.

Tennis-Pro Pancakes

Servings: 2 Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Breakfast is served: Pancakes that look like tennis racquets and balls and preparing them with heart-healthy canola oil and high-fiber whole-wheat flour. The kids are so distracted by the neat shapes that they don't notice the whole wheat.

1/2 cup whole-wheat pancake mix, such as Hodgson Mill
1 large egg
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup low-fat milk
Canola oil spray 1/2 cup low-fat raspberry yogurt 1/4 cup chocolate syrup (optional)

1.   In a medium-size bowl, blend pancake mix, egg, oil, and milk. It's normal for the batter to be slightly lumpy.
2.   Spray a nonstick griddle with canola oil and heat on medium. Ladle batter onto griddle, forming the outline of a
      3-inch tennis racquet. Using a teaspoon, quickly fill in racquet with batter. Drop dots of batter on the pan to
      form 2-inch balls. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until bottom turns light brown; flip and cook for another 1 to 2
      minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, making four racquets and four balls.
3.   Place two racquets and two balls on each plate. If desired, drizzle chocolate syrup on the racquets and balls, as
      shown. Garnish with yogurt.

Each serving: 275 calories, 8 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (2 g saturated), 3 g fiber, 109 mg cholesterol, 221 mg calcium, 1 g iron, 466 mg sodium.

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