Sara Smith's super simple, no fuss recipes are the ideal way to give your children the nutrition they need - here are her top three favourites
Finding a wide variety of dishes that kids will willingly eat is a hard enough task itself - let alone making sure they’re healthy and packed with nutrients too.
No stranger to the world of fussy toddlers, Sara Smith (Founder of Child Nutrition Consultancy Betsy’s Mum ) first recognised the lack of tasty, nutritious dishes available to children and the reluctance of parents to give them vegetables when working abroad in Australia.
Driven to bring back inspiration to the kitchen and reignite the family around the dinner table, Sara has since dedicated herself to helping parents find fun, flavoursome and uber nutritious dishes for kids and parents alike. Here are her top three family favourites that are as quick as they are delicious. Bon appétit!
Butternut squash and carrot soup
“Boost your family’s immune system with this bright and luxuriously creamy kids soup. It’s packed with dietary fibre, vitamins and antioxidants, while also combined with the incredible health benefits and flavour of turmeric and paprika - it’s pure sunshine in a bowl.”
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Ingredients
1 butternut squash peeled and chopped
3 carrots
1.5 litres of water with low sodium vegetable stock
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
2 tbs of crème fraiche (optional but so yummy)
Method
In a large saucepan add the butternut squash, carrots and stock water together, followed by paprika and bring to a gentle boil. When the butternut squash and carrot has softened, blend with a hand blender until smooth - stir in a little crème fraiche and serve.
Sweetcorn and courgette fritters
“These fluffy and fun vegetable filled pancakes are always a winner with children and adults alike.They work great as a meal time favourite or just as well as a packed lunch treat.”
Ingredients
1 courgette – grated
1 tin of sweetcorn
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1.5 cups of flour – seasoned and sifted through a sieve
Olive oil for frying
1 cup of tzatziki dip to serve
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Method
Add the eggs and milk into a mixing bowl and beat together with a spoon. Add the flour and stir well until it reaches a smooth batter consistency. Pop the grated courgette and sweetcorn into the mix and stir until combined. In a large non-stick pan, heat a little oil and add three heaped spoons of the pancake mix and fry on a medium heat for two minutes on each side until golden and crispy. Leave to cool for a few minutes before serving to children.
Parma Ham Egg Muffins
“These treats are great for parties, lunchbox snacks or just a really yummy dinner that you and your kids can enjoy together!”
Ingredients
Six slices of parma ham
6 eggs
Handful of sweetcorn
Handful of peas
Half a teaspoon of turmeric
A sprinkle of sea salt
2 tbsp milk
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Method
Grease a 6-8 muffin hole tray and wrap one piece of parma ham in each section. In a bowl mix together the sweetcorn, peas, egg and milk - then whisk together until combined. Pour into each tin and bake in the oven for ten minutes or till firm in the middle .
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