momstown Milton Junior Chefs make Spinach Smoothies and Home made Hummus

Not only did our momstown Milton kids have fun in the kitchen at Junior Chef, they happily ate lots of veggies in the process!  Getting kids to eat vegetables doesn't need to be a sneaky mission.  Involving them in making their own meals, and giving lots of variety are key in instilling a love of all foods.

This month's wet, wet, wet theme inspired our choice of menu for Junior Chef for May.  We enjoyed smoothies and a yummy dip, and enjoyed the loud sounds of the blender and food processor hard at work.  

 

 For our smoothies we tried two varieties of green yumminess:  A "Green Monster" and a "Crocodile".  We drink a lot of smoothies and shakes at our house.  We have learned some tricks along the way and now have girls that wake up and ask for these healthy treats for breakfast.  A "spinach shake" just doesn't have the appeal of a "Green Monster"!  

To make our Green Monster, we used:

1c almond milk (you can use any kind of milk)

1 ripe banana

approx 1/2 c of baby spinach

three ice cubes

If your banana isn't sweet and ripe, you can add a little honey.  You can increase the amount of spinach a bit at a time - you don't want to turn them off of green shakes by going "too green" early on.  The Junior Chefs had fun taking turns adding ingredients to the blender.  

It is a good idea to blend the spinach and milk until there are no recognizable pieces of greenery left.  This makes for a great green colour, and most kids won't be thrilled sucking up pieces of spinach through their straw!  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

The varieties are endless.  Banana is great for sweetness and spinach is great for nutrients, however there are limitless possibilities when making smoothies.  Adding 1/2c of baked sweet potato, or pumpkin (cooked fresh, or canned), berries, 1c of fresh or frozen mango, or unsweetened apple sauce all add sweetness and nutrients to your drink.  The kids got a kick out of drinking the delicious green smoothie!  Some asked for seconds (and thirds)!

After our smoothies, our Junior Chefs moved on to make hummus.  This is a delicious hummus that is healthy, full of protein, and always a hit with kids.  Hummus is a great snack with some veggies, and also great for a spread on a sandwich or wrap.  It is nutritious, easy, and inexpensive to make.  You may never buy hummus again...  

The kids had fun adding the ingredients to the food processor and watching it blend together. 

 

 

 

*Hummus Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chickpeas, liquid reserved and set aside

1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

2 garlic cloves

1/3 Cup tahini

7-8 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tbsp reserved chickpea liquid (or water)

 

*recipe courtesy of http://bit.ly/geQPmV

Everyone got their own portion of hummus so they could dip their veggies, fingers and spoons in their yummy creation.  It was a hit!  

 

Junior Chef is such a wonderful momstown program.  Often moms will say that their kids will try things at Junior Chef that they wouldn't try at home.  It is exciting to see kids tasting new tastes, trying new things, and just having fun with food (especially vegetables!!).  Often as moms we underestimate our kids when it comes to them trying new foods, or we are too quick to say "he/she won't eat that".  We need to keep trying foods with our kids, because you never know when they will discover that the thing they have been avoiding for the last month is their new favorite!

Thank you Junior Chefs and mamas for coming out to our program this month!

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Submitted by Paula Porter, a momstown Milton member and

 mother of two amazing girls.