Healthy Recipes for Kids

Alfredo Pesto Pasta

Directions:

1. Finely chop basil, walnuts, and garlic in food processor.
2. Gradually add olive oil while machine is running and process until smooth.
3. Mix in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4. Transfer the pesto to a small jar. (Pesto can be prepared 3 days in advance. Pour enough olive oil over sauce to cover. Cover and refrigerate.)
5. Bring cream to slight boil in medium saucepan. Be careful not to burn the cream.
6. Once cream begins to boil, whisk in pesto. Season sauce with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan in large bowl.
7. Toss to coat pasta evenly and serve.

Serves: 2

Tiny Pizza

Directions:

1. Set the oven to low heat.
2. Spread tomato sauce on each bagel half.
3. Sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the tomato sauce on each half.
4. Add your favorite toppings.
5. Put a light sprinkling of seasonings on each half.
6. Put your bagel halves on the baking sheet.
7. Bake in the oven on low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes. You'll know they're done when the cheese is bubbly.
8. Let cool for a minute, then enjoy your tiny pizzas!

Strawberry bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix everything together except the strawberry jam.
3. Measure out 2 cups of this mixture. Leave the rest in the bowl, and set it aside.
4. Take the 2 cups of the mixture and press it into the bottom of the pan. You can use your hands or a spoon. Make sure you cover the entire bottom of the pan!
5. Using a large spoon, spread the strawberry jam evenly on top of the mixture in the pan.
6. Take the remaining mixture and spread it over the strawberry jam. Press it down lightly.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes.
8. Cut the bars into 12 squares to eat and share!

Baked Creamy Chicken

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Arrange chicken in a lightly greased baking dish.
3. Top each piece of chicken with cheese slices.
4. In a separate bowl, combine soup (freeze the remainder of the soup for later use) and wine or chicken broth. Mix well.
5. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken.
6. In a separate bowl, mix stuffing crumbs and butter together. Put bread crumbs on top of chicken.
7. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Be sure that chicken is no longer pink inside.

Spinach Salad

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients – red wine vinegar, orange juice, canola oil, dry mustard and poppy seeds – together in a bowl and refrigerate.
2. Mix the fruit and spinach together.
3. Pour dressing over fruit and spinach and mix well to coat evenly.
4. Divide salad among 4 plates (about 2 cups each plate).
5. Sprinkle cashews and soy blue cheese over the top of each salad plate.

Vegetarian Chili

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Cook until soft (several minutes).
2. Add chili powder, basil, oregano, and cumin to the stockpot and mix.
3. Stir in zucchini, squash, and carrots and blend well. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
4. Add tomatoes and kidney beans.
5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until thick.
6. Before serving, add 1 oz. of soy cheddar cheese to each serving of chili.

Chicken with beans and rice

Directions:

1. Mix together all ingredients, except rice, in a skillet.
2. Simmer on top of stove for 10 minutes
3. Serve over rice

Balsamic Tomato Chicken and Pasta

Directions:

1. Spray a large skillet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms in large skillet for 5 minutes over low heat.
3. Add raw chicken pieces to large skillet with onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
4. Cook chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink.
5. Once chicken is cooked, add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, and spices to the chicken mixture.
6. Mix together well and simmer over medium low heat for 20 minutes.
7. Toss 1 cup of sauce with 2/3 cup of cooked pasta for each serving.

Enchilada Casserole

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Pour the mixture in a greased 1.5-quart casserole dish.
4. Bake for 25 minutes.

Crunchy Veggie Wrap

Directions:

1. Spread 2 tbsp. cream cheese over one side of each tortilla.
2. Divide remaining ingredients evenly among tortillas.
3. Roll up each tortilla.
4. Cut each rolled wrap in half diagonally.

Black Beans and Rice

Directions:

1. Sauté 3/4 cup onions, garlic, and bay leaves in oil.
2. Add black beans, cilantro, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and corn.
3. Simmer until heated through and flavors meld.
4. Make a mold of cooked rice on a platter.
5. Pour bean mixture over the rice.
6. Garnish with 1/4 cup chopped onions.
7. Sprinkle cheese over the beans.

Strawberry Smoothies

Directions:

1. Pour all of the ingredients into the blender.
2. Put the lid on the blender and blend for 45 to 60 seconds until smooth.
3. Pour your smoothie into a glass and enjoy.

Mac and Cheese w/ 'Secret Slam Dunk Sauce'

Directions:

1. Cook the macaroni in plenty of rapidly simmering water until al dente, then drain.
2. Puree the tofu until perfectly smooth in a food processor or blender.
3. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and add the margarine and cheese.
4. Slowly bring to a gentle simmer, and stir often.
5. Cook over low heat until the cheese is thoroughly melted.
6. Combine the cooked macaroni and sauce in a serving container and stir together.
7. For a nutritional kick, add some raw carrots, broccoli or your other favorite veggie.
8. Now, you're ready to enjoy some powerful protein packed cheesy goodness.

Edible Veggie Bowl

Directions:

1. Cut the pepper in half (from side to side). Clean out the seeds and gunk from the inside. Now you have two pieces. One will be your pepper-shaped bowl.
2. Cut the other half of the pepper into skinny slices.
3. Cut the carrot into skinny sticks about 4" long.
4. Cut celery into skinny sticks so each one is about 4" long.
5. Put a little salad dressing in the bottom of your pepper bowl.
6. Put celery sticks, carrot sticks, and pepper slices into the pepper bowl.
7. Now you've got a portable veggie treat! You can pull out the veggies and eat them with a little dressing. Then when you're finished with the veggies, it's time to eat the bowl!

Fruit Kabobs

Directions:

1. Prepare the fruit by washing the grapes, washing the apples and cutting them into small squares, peeling the bananas and cutting them into chunks, and cutting the pineapple into chunks, if it's fresh. Put the fruit onto a large plate.
2. Spread coconut onto another large plate.
3. Slide pieces of fruit onto the skewer and design your own kabob by putting as much or as little of whatever fruit you want! Do this until the stick is almost covered from end to end.
4. Hold your kabob at the ends and roll it in the yogurt, so the fruit gets covered. Then roll it in the coconut.
5. Repeat these steps with another skewer.

Blueberry Muffins

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. Mix in blueberries.
4. In another bowl, break the egg and use a fork to beat it just a little bit. Then add the milk and vegetable oil, and mix.
5. Add this mixture to the first mixture in the large bowl.
6. Using a mixing spoon, mix about 25 or 30 times. Don't mix too much! Your muffin mixture should be lumpy, not smooth.
7. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray with nonstick spray. Spoon in the muffin mix. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 of the way up.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes.
9. When muffins are finished baking, remove from muffin tin and cool them on a wire rack.
10. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Beat eggs well in a small bowl.
3. In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat the vegetable shortening until it's creamy. Add the sugar a little bit at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is fluffy.
5. Add the eggs to the mixture in the large bowl and beat well.
6. Add some of the flour mixture to the large bowl and beat well. Then add some of the mashed bananas and beat some more. Continue adding flour, then bananas, then flour, then bananas, until everything is mixed in.
7. Pour mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 70 minutes.
8. Flip your banana bread out of the pan, let it cool for a bit, and cut it into slices to eat and share!

Salmon Patties

Directions:

1. Mix salmon, egg, cracker crumbs or bread and seasoning (like worcester sauce, etc.) in a bowl.
2. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a frying pan, or spray pan with cooking spray, using medium heat.
3. Scoop salmon mixture into 4 burger shapes with a spoon and place in frying pan. Re-shape as needed.
4. Fry about 7 minutes on each side.
5. Enjoy plain, with ketchup or on a bun with burger fixings.

Beef and Spinach Casserole

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Crumble ground beef into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly until evenly browned. Drain excess grease, and stir in the tomato sauce, sour cream and thyme.
3. Place the cooked pasta into the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Pour the ground beef mixture over the pasta. Cover with a layer of spinach. Top with shredded cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until heated through and lightly browned on the top.

Grizz’s Chicken Quesadilla

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces.
2. If the chicken is not already cooked, fry it with a little salt and pepper. Fry until the chicken is cooked through and nicely browned.
3. Grate the cheese - you should end up with about 1/2 cup.
4. Spread the grated cheese evenly over the surface of one of the flour tortillas. Add the cooked chicken and cover with the remaining tortilla.
5. Heat the oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat.
6. Place the quesadilla in the hot oil. Fry for two minutes, flip the quesadilla and fry for two more minutes. Remove from pan onto a paper towel.
7. Slice the quesadilla "pizza-style" for four snack-size pieces.

Grizz’s Slam Dunk Strawberry Smoothie

Directions:

1. Pour all of the ingredients into the blender. (ask an adult to help you)
2. Put the lid on the blender and blend for 45 to 60 seconds until smooth.
3. Pour your smoothie into a glass and enjoy.

Serving size: 1 large glass

Courtside Club Wrap

This is a sandwich you can make ahead of time and take along with you. It's packed with protein and has only 2 carbohydrate exchanges.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
whole wheat tortilla, low fat, 7-inch diameter
2 tbsp. light cream cheese
1 oz. lean and low-sodium turkey slice
1 oz. lean and low-sodium ham slice
1 oz. Swiss cheese slice
1 iceberg lettuce leaf
2-3 tomato slices

Directions:
1. Place tortilla on a flat surface.
2. Spread cream cheese on one side of tortilla.
3. Lay the lettuce, turkey, ham, Swiss cheese, and tomato on top of the cream cheese on the tortilla (flat).
4. Bring the sides of the wrap in and then roll up in the shape of a cylinder.
5. Wrap each in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
6. Right before serving, slice wraps in half and remove plastic wrap. (ask an adult to help you with the knife)

Serves: 1
Serving size: 1 sandwich

Fastbreak Fruit and Cheese Sticks

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
* 12 long, thin pretzel sticks (about 4 inches long)
* 1/4 ripe avocado, seeded, peeled and cubed
* 2 slices nonfat American cheese, cut into 1 inch squares
* 1/2 red apple, cored and cubed
* 12 red grapes

Directions:
1. Wash all fruits carefully.
2. Using a wooden skewer, carefully poke holes in avocado, apple and grapes (ask an adult for help)
3. Using pretzel stick as skewer, thread on grape, cheese square, apple cube and avocado cube.
4. Repeat process making twelve sticks

1 serving = 4 sticks. Recipe makes 3 servings.

Mini Grizz Pizza

Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
* 1 English Muffin (whole grain english muffins are great)
* A Handful (about 1/3 cup) of shredded part-skim Mozzarella Cheese
* 1/2 Sliced Tomato or 2 Tablespoons of Tomato/Pizza Sauce
* Pepperoni, lean ground beef, or other veggie toppings such as mushrooms or peppers (optional)

Directions:
1. After slicing the english muffin, next place the tomatoes or sauce and then the mozzarella cheese on each half of the english muffin.
2. Top your 'pizza' with a few pepperoni slices or other favorite pizza toppings.
3. Place your completed 'pizza' on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet in an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or in a toaster oven. (ask an adult for help with oven.)
4. Bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy your child likes his pizza, or until the cheese is a golden brown color.

Timeout Turkey Meatballs

Please ask an adult to help with this recipe and remember to always wash your hand after handling meat products.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
* 1 lb. lean ground turkey
* 1/4 t. salt
* Pepper
* 1 c. grated lowfat cheese, (preferably cheddar or swiss)
* 1 egg
* 1/2 c. crushed high-iron cereal (Total, Kix, Corn Bran, etc.)
* 1 small can or jar of spaghetti sauce

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except spaghetti sauce and mix lightly.
2. Form into small balls and brown in pan or bake at 400 degrees until brown.
3. Pour spaghetti sauce over meatballs.
4. Cook slowly for 20 minutes until meatballs are done.

Serving: Makes about 16 meatballs.

Off the Bench Broccoli

Ingredients:
* 8 oz. broccoli
* 1 lemon, juice and zest
* 2 T olive oil
* Kosher salt

Directions:
1. Lightly cook the broccoli either by steaming or boiling on the stovetop or steaming in the microwave (Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and cover).
2. Combine other ingredients in a bowl.
3. Drain excess water from broccoli and add remaining ingredients.

Serving size: Makes 4 servings.