PERFECT FOR KIDS TO MAKE

Our featured recipe this month is a perfect one to get your kids involved in the kitchen. Kids enjoy helping in the kitchen and are often more willing to eat foods they help prepare. Plan ways the children in your care can help you. Be sure to consider the age of the child. For this recipe kids can:

• Wash their hands (do this before starting any cooking).
• Crush the graham crackers up by putting them in a seal-able plastic bag and rolling the side of a glass over them.
• Peel and cut up the bananas.
• Measure and pour the milk.
• Stir the pudding.
• Layer the pudding, crushed graham crackers, and bananas.
• And clean up the dishes.

After you make this recipe with your kids, let them experiment with other pudding flavors and fruit.  If they want to take it for lunch or a picnic make it in small plastic containers with lids.  Keep cold with ice packs.

Check out these resource for additional ideas …

• How to include children in the kitchen – new video on how to introduce your children to new foods, and help them learn a few things
• Cooking with Kids—click and learn course with lots of ideas

Banana Pudding Parfait

Serving Size: ¾ cup | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 package (0.8 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups cold nonfat milk
• 4 graham crackers, crumbled (12 tablespoons or ¾ cup crumbs)
• 2 bananas, sliced

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine pudding mix and 2 cups of milk. Beat until well blended (about 2 minutes) with a wire whisk, rotary beater, or electric mixer at lowest speed.
2. Let set for 5 minutes.
3. Set out 6 glasses.
4. Put about 3 tablespoons of pudding in the bottom of each glass.
5. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs on the pudding in each cup.
6. Layer ¼ of the banana slices on crumbs.
7. Repeat with layers of pudding, graham crackers, and banana slices.
8. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate.