Cooking with Kids Classes

Local Events around Town with Little Chefs

Looking for a relaxing night out , enjoy a cup of coffee, paint some pottery, shop , have a mini manicure and get some easy summer tips and recipes for summer months ahead?
Come to Joppa's Coffee House in Orangeville where there is a Fun evening planned by some local businesses! Thursday May 28th 7:00-9:00pm @ Joppa's 168B Broadway Ave.

Sunday May 31st bring the kids to What's Cookin' in Erin for some cooking Fun! The kids with have the opportunity to have some hands experience in the kitchen and you do not have to clean up!! Please register at What's Cookin' 98 Main Street, Erin 519-833-0909 to reserve your spot for 1:30pm or 3:00pm.

Father's Day is fast approaching so why not let your kids get cooking! Little Chefs has partnered with Orangeville Parks and Recreation for some cooking programs and events!
Saturday June 13th form 10:00am - 12:00pm is the day and time reserved for your kids to come to Tony Rose Recreation to make something special for Dad. Registration is done at Alder St or Tony Rose or call Tracy @ 519-940-9092 X 4102 to reserve your limited spot. This is a drop off cookshop for 5-13 year olds.

Happy cooking,

Lori Tinella
Little Chefs
519-940-1131
www.thelittlechefs.ca

HAVE A PARTY THAT COOKS!

**Spring Promo Book a Little Chefs cooking party this summer and receive one free guest!**

March is National Nutrition Month!

Here are some great tips!!

Grocery shopping:

★ Let the kids help put the fruit or vegetable into the grocery cart
★ Teach them how fruits and vegetables gives us clues on how ripe they are
★ Ask them “What is this banana telling us?” “Is it ready to eat yet?” “Should we pick that
bunch?”
★ Teach kids to read food labels, as a great way to learn how some foods are better for you than
other
★ Choose cereals with low or no added sugar
★ Look for whole grain cereals and breads with at least 4 gram of fiber
★ Take an outing to a local farmers market to teach kids about where their food comes from
At Home:
★ Let the kids help put away the fruits and vegetables
★ Try to arrange the fruit bowl so you have many different colors showing- make it a game,
★ As they are putting away the fruits and vegetables, guess where they came from
Cooking Tips:
★ Involve your child in cooking and preparing meals
★ Limit the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet
★ Cook with less fat—bake, roast, or poach foods instead of frying
★ Choose and prepare foods with less salt

Mealtime:

★ Make sure your child eats breakfast. Breakfast provides children with the energy
they need to listen and learn in school.
★ Eat Together As a Family for at least one meal a day
★ Set a regular time for family meals
★ Eat at the table since it is easier to talk with each other, rather than in front of the TV
★ Actually, turn off the TV at mealtime so you can talk and share the events of the day
★ Serve water, low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice more often than sugar-sweetened sodas and
fruit-flavored drinks
★ Introduce new foods, vegetables and fruits at mealtime
★ Encourage your child to put a small quantity on their plate, even if they won’t eat it
★ Don’t nag, its okay if they refuse initially, introduce the food again in a few weeks
★ Demonstrate how delicious it is to taste that food
★ Don’t get upset if they don’t like the food or meal, don’t take it personally
★ Have a contest on which plate is the most colorful (fruits and vegetables in a rainbow of
color!)
★ Try new recipes, often kids will try vegetables when mixed with other foods or special sauces
★ Keep the salt shaker off the table
★ Offer fresh fruit for dessert

Little Chefs favorite snack ideas:
• Prepare snacks in advance and have them easy to reach
• Have fruits and vegetables washed and cut up for convenience. Kids often reach for the
ready to go snack
• Try low fat dip recipes for fruits and veggies, kids love dipping!
• Fruits and nuts
• Low-fat yogurt and fresh fruit
• Peanut butter and celery
• Low-fat cheese quesadilla
• Bowl of whole grain cereal plain or with low fat milk or fat-free milk
• String cheese and crackers
• Turkey sandwich on a piece of whole wheat bread
• Cottage cheese and fruit
• Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables or fruit served plain or with low-fat yogurt
• Rice cakes, whole-grain crackers, or whole-grain bread served with low-fat cheese, fruit
spread, peanut butter, almond butter, or soy nut butter
• Pretzels or air-popped popcorn sprinkled with salt-free seasoning mix
• Homemade fruit smoothie made with low-fat milk or yogurt and frozen or fresh fruit

Cook Up Some Fun Today!

Yours in good health,

Lori
Little Chefs

519-940-1131
littlechefs@sympatico.ca

Cooking Classes for Kids

Yahoo afterschool cooking classes are on there way!!
I have recently partnered with Orangeville Parks and Rec for some great daytime classes.
There will be class sessions afterschool on Wednesdays and daytime Parent-tot classes on Friday mornings!
Look for more information in the local Orangeville paper.....
Also forgot some great march break program additions with parks and rec programs already set-up. We will be offering a Cupcake Bake on two days of the march break program week. Making cupcakes from scratch with real icings too! Yummy!
Contact Tracey at Alder Rec Centre for more information. 519-940-9092 X 4106

Yours in good health,

Lori
Have a Party that Cooks!!!

Stay tuned upcoming Easter Event in the end of March.....lots of fun for the kids!!

Little Chefs
519-940-1131
littlechefs@sympatico.ca

Healthy Snacks & Beverages for Kids

With the Holidays around the corner , we all are very busy!! Eating healthy can get abit more difficult with all the on-the-go!! Here are some great tips on healthly snacks and beverages for kids and kids at heart!

"Mom, I’m hungry!" Sound familiar? It’s important to grab the right delicious and nutritious snack for your child, since snacks make up a significant part of kids’ diet. A recent large study from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (part of the National Institutes of Health) found that about one-third of a child’s total daily calories come from pizza, desserts and snacks. So, better make those snacks as tasty and healthy as possible! Here are our top picks.
Trail mix. Help kids make their own custom trail mix, advises Mary Friesz, a registered dietitian in Boca Raton, Fla., and author of Food, Fun ‘n Fitness: Designing Healthy Lifestyles for Our Children. Set out raisins, sunflower seeds, nuts (unless you’ll be in a nut-free zone), roasted soy nuts and dried fruit and let the kids scoop ¼ to 1/3 of a cup of their own combo into small bags. Pop in the freezer or fridge to keep fresh, and grab when you’re on the go.

Fruit, veggies and dip. “Most kids love to dip their food, so take advantage of it!” says Mairlyn Smith, a Toronto, Ont., home economist and co-author of The Ultimate Healthy Eating Plan (Whitecap). Mix a bit of cinnamon into French vanilla yogurt and dip fruit into it, or try Velvety vanilla yogurt dip with fruit. Another dip idea: mix low-fat plain yogurt with a bit of regular ranch dressing for lots of flavor without a lot of fat.

Smoothies. Whirl low-fat yogurt, fruit and ice in the blender to create one-of-a-kind – and yummy! – smoothies. Or stir a teaspoon or two of chocolate drink mix into a tall frosty glass of one per cent milk.

Roll-ups.“Turkey or chicken ‘cigars’ were a big hit with my son when he was growing up,” says Smith. Just roll up a thin slice of roasted luncheon meat, such as turkey or chicken, and enjoy. Add a smear of mustard if you want. Or, spread a small whole-wheat tortilla with peanut butter or light cream cheese, roll and slice. Tortilla “sushi” wraps are fun too.
Store-bought picks. Even if you’re pushed for time, you can still make healthy choices. Smith suggests small yogurt cups or lower-fat round cheeses like Baby Bel. Friesz likes the occasional package of “cheese strings,” baked chips and salsa or bean dip, or a small cup of lentil soup. And nothing is easier or more portable than a few whole-grain crackers, pre-washed baby carrots or a piece of fruit!Smart Snacking Tips

Kids begging for the prepackaged cheese, crackers and lunch meat? Make your own healthier version. Pick up a few reusable containers with dividers, and add fruit, veggies, cheese, whole grain crackers and other good stuff. Add a frozen container of milk, water or 100 per cent fruit juice to keep things cool until snack time.

“Make healthy snacks visible,” advises Friesz. Cut up fruit and veggies ahead of time and put them front and center in the fridge. And make a habit of saying “look in the fridge” first (rather than the cupboard where the sweet stuff likely lives).

“Jazzy names work well,” notes Smith, who found that lunch meat “cigars” were popular in her household. “Ants on a log” – celery spread low-fat cream cheese and topped with raisins – are good too, says Friesz.

From Kaboose.com

Yours in good health,
Lori

Little Chefs
Have a Party that Cooks!

519-940-1131

Healthy Food and Kids!

The main reason other than having my own business for Little Chefs is helping educate children on eating healthier. If I can help educate them that eating and cooking healthy can be fun and easy then I will be quite pleased.
" Healthier Kids One Bite At A Time " One of my tag lines............. Anyhow I do not consider myself a sneaky chef with food for my two girls but as they get older they have become more picky with eating. So the other day I was trying out a new recipe with pumpkin in it. Pumpkin, real pumpkin like from the Jack-O-Lanterns that you may have craved up ( or a can from the store ) It can not be pumpkin pie filling but only pumpkin puree.

My Little Chefs ( Alyssa & Angelina ) have joyfully agreed to help make this cookie recipe to see if we can then decorate them with icing /sprinkles after. As we progress along with adding all the wet ingredients together and then on to the dry ingredients one of my girls noticed the pumpkin colour and says " Did you put pumpkin in the cookies Mommy?" I think for a second or two and answer " Yes, pumpkin is actually good for you!" Not what I should have said because most children do not want to eat things that look odd, smell odd, or have not had before! So I then hear " Yuk , I am not going to eat these cookies Mommy" I chose to ignore that comment because I have become quite good at ignoring my kids at times. Something you need to do at times when you are with your children 24/7 ! ( except for when they are at school )

Well the cookies did not try out as we planned. They were to flatten out during cooking so once cooled they could be decorated. So I heard a few boo hoos about not being able to decorate these cookies but once offered one to eat they did take one.
Surprise they loved them! No icing, no chocolate, no sprinkles just this soft, chewy, moist and yummy cookie. They even wanted more!!
So do not fool you kids when it comes to food. Be honest, make it fun and most of all try to make it healthy!
They might even surprise you!! I will add the recipe later and may include some pictures too!

Yours in good health,
Lori