Must-have Ingredients for Self-Help Kids Meals

Attend to your Child’s Doubts only if you are Called to

Point out a single teenager who is satisfied with the variety of food/snacks offered at his/her house and I am ready to give a standing ovation to the mom and dad! Indeed, it’s a next-to-impossible task to please our young kids and adolescents with everyday meal preparations. Still, when you are out for a day or even gone for a few hours your teenage son/daughter starts grumbling that there is nothing in the house that’s edible. There is no second opinion that its possible to store in loads of healthy foods but involving your teen too in some of the food preparations puts you on an advantageous edge. By using your teens help now you are helping him/her prepare for the future where your child would be responsible for his/her food choice while at the hostel, out on the lookout for a job or settled elsewhere. They get an insight on differentiating between nutritious and energy-dense meals and also become versatile to plan a well-balanced meal.

To help your teen get habituated to the cooking rituals keep these staples stocked in the kitchen cabinets:
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1. Eggs are greatly liked by any teenager as it is versatile and easy to prepare. A great source of vitamin B12, protein, choline and phosphorus eggs are a value-addition to your meal as it hardly takes 5 minutes to make a meal of your choice with these golden surprises-fried, scrambled or boiled.
2. Vegetables might not be an inviting food for anybody but when the house is devoid of your presence with nothing else around pre-cut vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers can be consumed as snacks. It might be fresh, canned or frozen but having a stock of simple veggies can be a sure motivator for your teenager-peas might be used to make pasta or mix veggies could be used for sandwiches. If you still think fresh veggies are better than frozen or canned ones, please visit the website www.firsteatright.com for more details.
3. Snacks is a mandatory part of every teenager’s food menu and this in fact, is the most difficult part to plan out too. Instead of putting your son/daughter on cheesy nachos, potato wafers or mithais its recommended to invest in a popcorn popper. Corn, a whole grain rich in fiber, is healthy for your teenager and satisfies his/her taste buds too.
4. Having canned beans can serve your multipurpose requirements. All you need to do is rinse, drain and heat them to be used on burritos, tortillas or canned soups for their rich proteins.
5. Who doesn’t like a sandwich? This is one of the easiest and tastiest food that can be prepared by anyone, including teenagers. Even for the clueless soul, spreading some peanut, almond or other spreads on the bread toast is no big deal. Stuff it up with your choicest fruits and a drizzle of honey.
6. Young people are quick to learn new stuff and you might be amazed by their learning speed when it comes to the kitchen too. Teach them to bake, grill or broil marinated chicken and beef, sauté turkey, tempeh or tofu to add to spaghetti sauce, chili or tacos.
7. Sandwich or boiled eggs are not the only foods that can be prepared by a teenager. Whole grains such as quinoa, brown rice and couscous take not more than 15 minutes from start to end. You can even add frozen veggies, season them with soy sauce and add some cooked frozen or canned chicken/seafood, canned beans or tofu to enrich the taste and flavor of the dish.
   
   

When your teen is used to cooking or making small dishes the time is not far off where suggestions, corrections and applause on your meals start pouring in from your beloved one.