As you know, Kib is homeschooled. I do not need to worry about his everyday baon to school. But nonetheless, I still make an effort to prepare our lunch and dinner at home. I do sometimes prettify our plate so that my son will have an appetite for eating (see my related blog here). My son really appreciates all the dishes that I cook even if is a simple dish or a complicated one.
A blogger-friend of mine, Patricia Cuyugan of mrspcuyugan.com always makes an effort to post pictures of all her son's and husband's baon to school. I admire mommies who really make an effort in waking up early to prepare their children in going to school. Preparing a piping hot dish in the morning can really be a challenge for some mommies; it's not a simple chore.
Solane, the country’s leading cooking gas, listed tips for
making meals that the young ones will truly enjoy.
1. Make it delicious yet healthy. School
children are at the growing age, and they need all the nutrition they can get
for their bones, muscles, and brain, among other body parts to be developed. Moms
need to make sure that the meals cover the “recommended dietary allowance” for
the nutrients they need: from carbohydrates and protein to vitamins and
minerals. Dishes should form a balanced diet: there should be portions of
grains (typically rice and noodles), meat, and fruits and veggies, even oils.
A particularly hard part of introducing a healthy
meal would be making the kids eat vegetables. Studies show that the habit is
best learned by example, but because parents will not be in school to
personally show the kids that greens are fun to eat, the key is to cook them in
a child-friendly way, say, by cleverly pairing them with a siding or sauce that
they already love. Examples would be boiled beans dipped in mayonnaise, tofu
cubes rolled alongside ground beef in a tortilla wrap, or mushrooms slathered in
cheese.
2. Make it colorful. The same way kids like their
clothes, their toys, and their surroundings bursting with colors, kids will be
more inclined to finish what’s on their plate if it looked enticing because of
the different colors.
Plating is important to capture their imagination. Some
of the garnishing items that also bring nutrients to the dish are carrots,
cucumber, red or green bell peppers, celery, and pineapples. Make sure your
pantry is well-stocked with these, to instantly bring color to your kid’s
lunch!
3. Make it easy. Preparing the kids’ lunch doesn’t
need to be a stressful activity. Indeed, food tastes best when it is cooked
with love, by someone who is having fun!
To aid moms in cooking, there are many references
for kid-friendly recipes online, including on Solane’s Facebook page. Solane
has also developed an app called Solane Kitchen eMinder, a handly reminder tool
for Solane LPG, food, and grocery. Moms can use it to keep track of the
household’s Solane LPG consumption, to make sure they have enough fuel to
prepare meals in the mornings. They can also take a photo of particular items,
and enter such details as its expiry, or preparation requirements. Reminders to
buy a new bottle of cooking oil, or to marinate meat, for example, can then be
sent over Facebook or email.
Kids’ lunches
for school are best cooked using a reliable source of cooking gas like Solane,
a brand known for its mark of safety and quality. Order a Solane LPG tank today
by calling Solane’s Hatid Bahay hotline number 887-5555 or visiting www.solane.com.ph.
0 comments