Grilled Cheese with the Works!

Make your meals colorful and fun, and your little foodie will actually enjoy eating her fruits and veggies!

 

Mealtime for Moms can be a point of anxiety.  What to make, how long will it take, and how many menus will be needed to suffice the family, especially those picky eaters…

Boston Babies aims to provide parents with healthy options that are either great for preparing and then storing/freezing, such as our split pea soup recipe, or quick and easy alternatives to tons of time cooking in the kitchen, such as this Grilled Cheese “with the Works!” family favorite.

Whether you are preparing a culinary creation as an afternoon project with your sous chef, or in a bind and need a quick concoction to get the job done, having healthy foods prepared in bulk, and then frozen…or knowing options that are effortless to throw together in the moment, helps keep at least some of the chaos out of the kitchen.

Let your Boston Baby dive in to this delicious dish, and help them feel like a big girl by preparing their own “salad,” packed with a side of tomatoes, olives and cucumbers.

When cooking for your kids, always try to make meals that will serve the whole family.  Try not to think of your Boston Babies as separate patrons in your “restaurant.”  Choose a meal meant to feed the whole family, so you don’t end up with numerous food options, dishes and work.  While it is easier said then done, continue to expose new foods, colors, tastes and textures to your little ones, as early as possible based on the guidelines set by The American Academy of Pediatrics.    Remember that your children mimic  your behavior, so try to diversify your dining as well to model best practices.  Also keep in mind that if your child “doesn’t like” a meal…give your baby or toddler a few days and then reintroduce the food.  You’d be surprised how food can bring out the fickleness in your family  Stay strong and persevere.

And no matter what, try to refrain from “rewarding” your picky patrons with treats in an effort to ensure they at least eat something.  That is a slippery slope, and reinforces bad eating habits by giving kids the snacks they want vs. the food they need.  Children can learn to love their greens, fruits, veggies and even tofu…like most things in life, it is all in the way you sell it.  Kids are a sales pitch away from requesting edamame at mealtime and “cake” for dessert.  They don’t need to know that rice cakes aren’t really cakes, and that edamame aren’t just fun to eat and say, but are packed with omega 3s and other delicious nutrients.  Make mealtime fun, and encourage kids to participate in the preparation of food.  Create an experience for your children around food and they will soon develop quite the palate and appreciation for dining.

See below for the recipe for Grilled Cheese with the Works and stay tuned as Boston Babies shares  ways to keep the whole family happy and healthy.

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Bread 
  
• Hummus
   Click for easy recipe
  
• Sliced Swiss Cheese
• Tabuli or Spinach
• Sliced Onions
• Sliced Tomato
• Sliced Avocado

Instructions:

1. Heat up skillet on medium for 3-5 min.
2. Spread thin layer (1-2 tbs) of hummus on two pieces of bread.
3. Add 1-2 pieces of swiss cheese, then tabuli or spinach, sliced onions, tomato and avocado
4. Close your sandwhich
5. Spread a thin layer of margarine (1 tbs) on each side of your bread
6. Cook on the skillet for 5 minutes per side

NOTE:

• While there is nothing innately “special” about this meal, kids have a blast making it, learning about the different foods, colors and tastes while you prep the sandwich.  Telling them it is so much more interesting and delicious  than your typical run of the mill grilled cheese, allows them to get excited to indulge in “Grilled Cheese with the Works!”
• This meal can be made even faster by choosing to enjoy a cold sandwich.  Add a pickle and/or wheat rice cakes (instead of chips) to complete the concoction.
• Some children like to “explore” their sandwich by picking it apart, so you can even offer them these ingredients separate in their plate.  It is colorful, fun and allows them to dunk their bread or veggies in hummus and test out different tastes and textures.
• This meal requires minimal prep time (5 min.) and cook time, and offers a healthy, hearty option for lunch, and includes every food group in one serving.
• Combine this sandwich with soup or salad and turn it in to dinner.  This serves as a perfect option for the summer or a night when you are looking for something quick, filling, but still light and healthy.