Finding foods that your kids will eat isn’t always easy. They can be notoriously picky about food, and trying to ensure they’re enjoying balanced meals can quickly get frustrating.
However, one of the best ways to get kids excited about the food in front of them is to let them help make it!
And with warmer days fast approaching, now is a great time to pull out your frying pans and blenders from the cupboard, and try some summer recipes with your kids.
These simple recipes are a great way to teach little ones some basic cooking skills, while also introducing them to new foods.
Best of all, you’ll also get the chance to bond with your little ones as you cook something tasty together!
Classic Grilled Cheese
There is something about a classic grilled cheese that makes it a favorite for all ages, but kids tend to be especially fond of the gooey, cheesy sandwich.
While it may often be a winter choice (especially when served with a bowl of tomato soup), it’s also a great grab-and-go lunch for those busy summer days.
Simply spread butter or mayo on the outside of two pieces of bread, and add slices of your favorite cheese in between. Then fry to golden brown and enjoy!
To add variety, try a new type of cheese, or add fillings like crumbled bacon, sliced tomato, or chopped jalapeno.
With a few tweaks, it can be surprisingly easy to create a new and different gourmet grilled cheese your child will love!
Ice Cream in a Bag
Ice cream in a bag is the perfect combination of a fun science experiment and a great summer recipe for kids.
To get started, you’ll need both large and small Ziploc bags, as well as sugar, salt, ice, your favorite flavoring, and milk or cream.
Mix the sugar, flavoring and cream in the smaller bag and ensure it’s completely sealed. Add ice and salt to the larger bag.
Then, put the smaller bag inside the large one, seal it up, and squish, shake, and mix the bags until the ice cream is as firm as you like!
Remember that the bag will be very cold, so give children oven mitts or gloves to wear as they’re mixing their treat.
Kids are sure to have a blast making their own ice cream, and you can teach them about how salt lowers the freezing point of the ice, and how the shaking helps create that creamy ice cream texture.
Animal Face Sandwiches
As much as kids tend to love sandwiches, they can still get monotonous over time. Switch things up by letting them turn slices of bread into open-face sandwich creations!
Start with a simple slice of your child’s favorite sandwich bread, either toasted or not. Then, let your kids add their favorite sandwich fillings and fruits to create animal faces of their choice!
Create a fun monkey by spreading Nutella over bread and then adding blueberries for eyes and halved banana slices for the ears and mouth.
Or, make a frog by spreading bread with guacamole and adding cucumber slices and black olives for eyes, and strips of green pepper for legs!
The sky is the limit when it comes to animal sandwiches, and your kids will love munching on them when their artwork is complete.
Watermelon Orange Ice Pops
Nothing is quite as refreshing on a hot summer’s day as ice pops, and making your own is easy, fun, and so much healthier than buying them at a store!
Start by chopping a watermelon into chunks and blending it to make a smooth juice. Add one or two peeled and chopped oranges and blend again.
Then, simply sweeten to taste with honey, stir in a cup or so of chopped orange segments, and pour the mixture into popsicle molds.
Freeze until solid and get ready to enjoy a sweet and tasty treat on that next scorching day!
No-Bake Fruit Pizza
Kids will never say no to pizza, and this fun no-bake dessert pizza is sure to be especially popular in the summer months!
Mix crushed graham crackers and melted butter and press it into a pizza pan to make the crust. Then, blend 4oz. of cream cheese, 1/3 cup of icing sugar, and 2 cups of whipped cream together and and spread it over the base.
Finally, top the pizza with your favorite combination of fresh, sliced fruits! Berries, kiwi, pineapple, banana, grapes, and mango are all great choices.
After a couple of hours in the fridge, your tasty fruit pizza will be ready to slice and serve!
Ants on a Log
One of the most classic kid-friendly snacks around, Ants on a Log is a great way to encourage kids to eat their vegetables.
The most commonly known version of this kid-friendly treat is made by simply spreading peanut butter or Cheeze Whiz on sticks of celery, and then topping the spread with raisins.
But, with a little creativity, you can come up with all kinds of variations to suit your kids’ tastes!
Kids with a sweet tooth may prefer celery with strawberry cream cheese and dried cranberries, while meat-loving little ones might prefer hummus and chopped bacon.
Try to stock a variety of different fillings and toppings, and let your kids go wild creating their own Ants on a Log creation!
Ensuring your kids are still eating healthy, balanced meals during the lazy days of summer isn’t always easy. But when you let them lend a hand in the kitchen, it can get much easier!
Let them pick one or two of these summer recipes for kids to try, and then help them to whip up a fun and healthy lunch or snack to dig into.
Having the choice to customize their food and use some of their favorite ingredients is a great way to ensure your kids are eating their meals with a smile!