Kid-Friendly Meals

Spending time with your children is important, especially when you have the chance to teach them something new. When lunch and dinner roll around, why not have them help prepare some delicious and healthy meals? Try these simple and quick meals you can create together.

Pita Pizzas

Ingredients

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup grilled skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes

1 cup broccoli, rinsed, chopped, and cooked

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)

4 (6 1/2-inch) whole wheat pitas

Directions

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 450 degrees. For each pizza, spread 1/4 cup tomato sauce on a pita and top with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup broccoli, 1/2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 tablespoon chopped basil. On a nonstick baking sheet, bake pizzas for about five to eight minutes until golden brown and chicken is heated through. Serves four.

PER SERVING: Calories–275, fat–5 g, saturated fat–1 g, cholesterol–32 mg, sodium–486 mg, carbohydrates–41 g, fiber–7 g, protein–20 g

Crispy Chicken Fingers with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Chicken

1/2 tsp. reduced-sodium crab seasoning (or substitute 1/4 tsp. paprika and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder for a sodium-free alternative)

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tbsp. whole wheat flour

12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 12 strips

2 tbsp. fat-free milk

1 egg white

3 cups cornflake cereal, crushed

Sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup 100-percent orange juice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. honey

2 tsp. deli mustard

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. First, blend crab seasoning, pepper, and flour in a bowl. Then add chicken strips and toss well to coat evenly. In a separate bowl, combine milk and egg white and mix. Pour over seasoned chicken and coat well.

Place cornflakes in a ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin and roll it across the bag several times until the cornflakes are crushed. Dip each chicken strip into the cornflakes and coat well. Place strips on a nonstick baking sheet.

Bake chicken strips for 10 to 12 minutes. To make the sauce, combine all sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

Serve three chicken strips with 1/4 cup dipping sauce. Serves four.

PER SERVING: Calories–248, fat–2 g, saturated fat–1 g, cholesterol–47 mg, sodium–422 mg, carbohydrates–36 g, fiber–1 g, protein–20 g

Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; National Institutes of Health