Podcast 74: Kid Food Makeovers

by The Meal Makeover Moms on September 30th, 2009

For lots of families, dinnertime is a stressful exercise in figuring out something healthy to make, and then getting the kids to actually eat it. What if, instead of trying to get your child to taste a new veggie tonight, you gave in and had mac & cheese? You can do just that, minus the guilt, thanks to our healthy updates of some tried-and-true kid favorites. Recently, we wrote an article for Kiwi magazine on kid food makeovers.  In it, we took four traditional “kid” foods — mac & cheese, hot dogs, pepperoni pizza, and milk ‘n cookies and gave them all a “rescue.”

For this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we featured two of those recipes: Mac & Cheese & Carrots and Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies. Read on for the recipes or take a look at our Kiwi magazine story.

Mac & Cheese & Carrots
Makes 5 Servings

The carrots in this recipe are tiny so they blend right in.  Another option is to shred the carrots.

  • 8 ounces dried whole wheat blend elbow pasta (about 2 cups)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup 1% lowfat milk
  • 1 cup all-natural chicken broth
  • 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and carrots and cook according to package directions until the pasta is done and the carrots are soft. Drain and set aside.

2. In the same saucepan, heat the canola oil and butter over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly (it may look lumpy at first, but keep whisking until smooth).

3. Whisk the milk and broth slowly into the flour mixture. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat and continue to simmer and stir gently until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, and honey until the cheese melts.  Stir in the cooked pasta and carrots, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Reheat if necessary, and serve in individual bowls.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cup): 340 calories, 11g fat (5g saturated, 0.4g omega-3), 390mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 19g protein, 80% vitamin A, 30% calcium

Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Liz’s 11-year old son describes these cookies as “creamy.”  Tell us what your kids think of them!

  • 2 cups quick-cooking oats
  • 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup  dried blueberries
  • 1/4 cup  ground flaxseed or wheat germ
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup  canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly oil or coat two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Whisk together the oats, pecans, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, dried blueberries, flaxseed, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients, and stir until just moistened.

4. Working in batches, scoop the batter by rounded tablespoon and place on the prepared baking sheets, flattening slightly with the heel of your hand, leaving about 1 inch between.

5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 cookie): 120 calories, 6g fat (0.5g saturated, 0.5g omega-3), 75mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 2g protein

For other kid food makeovers — things like fish sticks and chicken nuggets — check out the Kid Food Makeovers Recipe section of our website. By the way, whenever we make “kid” foods for dinner, the whole family eats them – including adults!

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5 Comments | Filed Under Desserts, Dinner, Pasta, Podcast 

5 Responses to “Podcast 74: Kid Food Makeovers”

  1. Leesa in Oregon on January 1st, 2010

    I just made these cookies after listening to your podcast….on a meal makeover moms marathon….and they were DELICIOUS! I will definitely be making these again! I LOVE your podcasts and have made many of your recipes. We don’t even make regular burgers anymore…we always put black beans in them. Not only does it taste wonderful, it definitely stretches a pound of meat! Have put beans in ground turkey, chicken, beef and buffalo. Thanks for making healthy cooking so much fun!!

  2. The Meal Makeover Moms on January 2nd, 2010

    We love the Meal Makeover Moms’ marathon! Hope you enjoyed and we’re glad you loved the cookies! Funny about the black bean burgers. When Janice made regular cheeseburgers one day her girls said they liked the bean burgers much better! Keep cooking and let us know which recipes your family likes best.

  3. Menu Plan Monday ~ Jan 18th on January 17th, 2010

    [...] Mac & Cheese & Carrots served with [...]

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