Healthy Buddha Bowls Your Kids Can Fix Themselves!
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My daughter turned 18 months in quarantine, which means she is now a fully participating member of the squad, consisting her 5 1/2 old brother and 3 ½ year old sister. She will almost always want things they have and definitely always check them out with her mouth. Play Doh to markers, paint brushes to crayons. After much destruction was wrecked by this persistent toddler, I thought, “why not bring the fun to the kitchen?” The older kids love helping out and the little one can eat everything in sight!
With picky eaters, you always need to keep their interest piqued in meals. This means serving the same foods either prepared differently or presented differently.
Enter Buddha Bowl
An exciting introduction and explanation can work wonders with little ones. While a Buddha bowl is nothing more than a dish made from small portions of different foods, the way you sell the story makes all the difference.
Kid Friendly Buddha Bowl
I began with hyping up the whole process that we would be enjoying making the Buddha bowl. I let the kids make a list of foods that they would like to have as a part of their bowl. This instantly grabs their attention; I mean who doesn't love making a list?
I give them choices so it's a more guided list making. Of course, there have to be some kid-friendly toppings like dried fruit (how long does dried fruit last?). Some veggies are roasted while others are fresh. We have been experimenting with tofu (how long does tofu last?) and how we like to have it, so it will be featuring in our Buddha bowl. We used couscous (What wine goes well with couscous?) as the main grain, but feel free to sub it with rice or quinoa (how long does quinoa last?).
The sauce we used is a simple peanut one, which I serve with rice and veggies, so it is a familiar and comfortable ingredient for the children.
Kid Friendly Options for Buddha Bowl Components
There is really no limit to what all you can add to your Buddha Bowl. A few balanced and healthy choices are:
Protein: Chickpeas, Black Eyed Peas, Edamame, Lentils, Tofu, Paneer.
Starches: Roasted potato/sweet potato, Rice, Quinoa, Couscous, Semolina.
Fruit: Tomatoes, Avocado, Pineapple, Apple, Mango, dried fruit.
Vegetables: Broccoli (how long does broccoli last?), Mushrooms, Cucumber, Bell Peppers (What wine goes well with bell peppers?), Cauliflower.
Sauces/toppings: Yogurt, Hummus, Tahini (how long does tahini last?), Guacamole.
Ingredients You Will Need
One block extra firm Tofu
1 tablespoon cornstarch (how long does cornstarch last?)
One Cup couscous, uncooked
1 1/2 cup water
1 Cup each raw broccoli, bell Peppers, apple and sweet potato
One carrot, thinly sliced
2 medium cucumbers (how long do cucumbers last?), chopped
6 chopped cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, as per taste required
Let’s get started!
Preparing The Tofu
Tofu can feel quite weird to some kids. To make it more appealing and less squishy, I squeeze out the moisture from it. Place the tofu between kitchen towels and set a cast iron pan on top. Let it rest for at least an hour, this will allow it to release all the moisture. It gives the tofu a sturdier feel. Cut the tofu into bite sized cubes and toss it with some corn flour (how long does corn flour last?). What this does is give a crispier shell to the baked tofu. Bake it at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit for close to 25 minutes or till it is lightly brown and crispy. Toss the ready and cooled tofu in a couple spoons of peanut sauce to give an even coating.
Alongside prepare the peanut sauce.
Peanut Sauce
It is a sweet, tart sauce healthy sauce with no additives and preservatives. It literally takes about 3-4 minutes to bring this sauce together.
What You Need For Peanut Sauce
A quarter cup organic peanut butter (how long does peanut butter last?)
2 tablespoons organic honey or maple syrup (how long does maple syrup last?)
1 teaspoon sesame oil (how long does sesame oil last?)
A teaspoon rice vinegar (how long does rice vinegar last?)
1 clove garlic, minced
One tablespoon soy sauce (how long does soy sauce last?)
1 tablespoon water to adjust consistency
Method
Whisk together peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar and soy sauce till it is of smooth consistency. Add the minced garlic. Add water if needed until you get the desired texture.
Assembly of the Buddha Bowl
Involve the children in the sorting, washing, and chopping of the veggies into small pieces. Let them arrange the components (sweet potato, broccoli, carrot) on a baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle some salt. Roast in a preheated oven at about 400F for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop up the raw components-cucumbers, tomatoes, apples, and bell peppers. Prepare the couscous with some salt and pepper.
Once all the components of the Buddha Bowl are ready, create an assembly line with the pot of couscous, the tofu, the pan of veggies, and peanut sauce. Feel free to play with some garnishes like chopped green onions or crushed nuts (how long do nuts last?). Give out a bowl each, get all the littles in a queue and let everyone create their own bowl!
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