Get ready for ANOTHER WEEK of my “Kids in the Kitchen” Guest Blogging series.

Today, I owe a huge thank you to Don from the Idaho Potato Commission.  He reminded me why potatoes are a great kid-friendly side and brought back wonderful memories of dinner when I was a kid.  {My mom loved making potatoes – we had it for dinner at least once a week!}

I won’t give away the goods, but – since it is part of my “kids in the kitchen” series – you can bet it has something to do with getting kids involved.

For more recipes that feature the kid-pleasing Idaho Potato, check out Don’s blog at: Dr. Potato Blog.  

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One of parents’ greatest challenges is getting kids to healthy foods.  As a foodie, I’ve read hundreds of articles on this topic and there are two tactics that have stuck with me:  allow kids to participate in the meal preparation and give food funny names. Sounds simple enough, right?

Potatoes are one of the kid-friendliest vegetables you can prepare at home; they provide an easy way to add more variety and important nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, fiber and important complex carbohydrates to your kid’s diet.

A baked potato is a perfect building block for any meal. Offer 8-12 healthy toppings and let your kids pick and choose the ones they want. Make sure you prep or chop your topping ingredients into small, bite-size pieces. For a shortcut, you can use store-bought salsa or chili and pre-shredded cheeses. Place the various toppers in small bowls and spread them out for your kids to choose from.

 

 

Suggestions include:

• Broccoli (steam in the microwave)
• Scallions, chives or other herbs
• Salsa
• Deli ham or turkey
• Chili
• Light sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Reduced-fat cheese (try Parmesan, feta, cheddar or jack)
• Corn
• Black olives
• Cherry tomatoes

But don’t stop there – you can use whatever ingredients you like or have on hand in the refrigerator or pantry. It’s a great way to use up your leftover groceries!

 

 

Since kids take their cues from the parents, prepare a healthy potato for yourself. And, have a little fun with it, too:

• Create a snowy baked potato forest by having the broccoli stand upright in the potato and let the kids sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to look like snow.
• Since it’s summer, turn your tater into a flip-flop. Slice a baked potato lengthwise, crisscross ½” strips of ham or cheese on top and let your kids decorate away!
• Animals are always fun to make but usually take a little imagination on your part and theirs. Have a contest to see who can make their potato look like a dog, fish or horse using other veggies on the table. The kids will have a ball!

Baked Idaho® Potato Recipe

Preheat your oven to 400ºF. Wash and dry 4 or more Idaho® russet potatoes. Pierce each potato with a fork 2 or 3 times. Place on a baking pan and bake for 60 minutes or until tender. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes before handling.

To open your baked potato, all you need is a fork. Just pierce the top of the potato, lengthwise and crosswise, press gently on both ends and watch the potato “blossom.” Using a knife actually flattens the surface and alters the texture of a naturally fluffy potato – not to mention a fork is more kid-safe, too.

Try these ideas for your kids’ next weekend lunch or even for a birthday party! You’ll find that getting kids into the kitchen is easy – when you start with the right ingredients.

{Don Odiorne}

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Don Odiorne is Vice President of Foodservice at the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC), where he has spearheaded innovative ways to keep Idaho® potatoes top of mind for foodservice professionals. Don oversees bloggers’ recipes for the IPC’s website at http://blog.idahopotato.com. He blogs for the Dr. Potato Blog and also manages Spudtacular.com and Stunt Tater.