Home more? Get the kids involved in cooking
By GILLIAN SLADE on March 21, 2020.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade Part two of two: If you are spending more time at home it’s the perfect opportunity to explore the kitchen and get the children involved in cooking, too. You may just discover that everyone has a lot of fun, says Marion Schoenberger, registered dietitian, Primary Care Network. Depending on the age of the children they could wash the vegetables and fruit or participate in the cooking. Eggs are always a good option for meals. Try an omelette or quiche. If you are running low on eggs there are egg replacement products for baking. “Or you can make egg substitutions,” said Schoenberger. Mix one tablespoon of chia seeds with three tablespoons of water and let it sit for a few minutes. Schoenberger says it “gels up” and has an eggy consistency. It does not have the same nutrients as an egg but could be used in baking. Have some fresh milk substitutes in your pantry as alternative sources of protein. Schoenberger suggests tetra packs of alternative milk products, tinned milk and skimmed milk powder. If you don’t like the taste, use it in recipes. Speaking of breakfast foods, you may have the time now to cook oatmeal. Overnight oats makes for a great no-cook oatmeal option, too. Add some milk to the dried oats before you go to bed. In the morning you add yogurt or fruit juice for flavour, said Schoenberger. If you have fresh fruit on hand add this to the oatmeal and keep a supply of dried fruits on hand to add. You can also use canned fruit, apple sauce or frozen fruit. If you generally open tins of soup you may want to try some home-made ones. Schoenberger says they can be a very nourishing meal. Having vegetable stock on hand is ideal for the base. You can buy this, use a dried stock cube, or explore making your own. If you’ve enjoyed a take-out chicken or one you have roasted, don’t throw the bones out. Put them in a pot with an onion and any other vegetables you have on hand, cover with water and boil – extracting the nutrients and flavour. Pour off the stock and keep in the refrigerator as your base for soup. You can even use the scrapings from onions and carrots – the vegetable peelings for your stock, said Schoenberger. As you spend more time together as a family there are some great snack suggestions. Humus made with chickpeas or beans, even if you have to soak the beans and then cook them, is still relatively simple to make. “Don’t forget the nuts and nut butters because those are again good protein sources,” said Schoenberger. This can be as simple as peanut butter or adding nuts to other dips. Have a variety of crackers for dipping, or carrot and celery sticks. Humus on toast can make a nice meal or even in a sandwich. “Be willing to try something a little different, that you maybe haven’t done before,” said Schoenberger. You can enhance all these food options with herbs and spices. Schoenberger says some of her favourites are basil, oregano, tumeric, chili powder, poultry seasoning and onion powder in case she runs out of onions. http://www.albertapulse.com http://www.unlockfood.ca 22-21
