A well-rounded life requires a good diet, and a well-rounded Montessori education requires child participation. Thanks to these simple and delicious recipes, you can have the best of both worlds! Let’s delve into the world of hidden fruit recipes for kids through the lens of Montessori practical life skills.
Hidden Fruit Recipes — The Montessori Way!
You might be wondering, what does the Montessori method of education have to say about cooking? Quite a lot, actually, especially if you’re getting your child involved in the food prep process. Cooking and eating touch on all of the essentials of practical life:
1. Caring for the Self
Children learn to wash their hands and clean themselves up before and after the cooking process. They also learn about portion sizes and eating healthy food so they feel good even after they’re done eating!
2. Caring for the Environment
Children learn to clean up after themselves when they’re done cooking. This can involve cleaning up dishes, wiping down the counter, and sanitizing surfaces that they may have dirtied.
3. Grace & Courtesy
Mealtime is an excellent opportunity to practice saying please and thank you, as well as being mindful of others you’re eating with by chewing with your mouth closed, using your napkin, and politely excusing yourself from the table.
4. Movement of Objects
Cooking often involves a wide assortment of utensils being used in a variety of ways, allowing your child to practice various gross and fine motor skills.
With these principles in mind, let’s discuss some Montessori-approved recipes that will not only develop your child’s practical life skills but will also help them get more nutritious fruit in their diet.
Recipe 1: Chocolate Avocado Cookies
Let’s start sweet. You know what kids love? Chocolate! But they’ll never be able to guess that the secret ingredient in these chewy, brownie-like cookies is the superfood avocado.
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and covering a baking sheet with parchment paper. Take a medium bowl and use a fork to mash the avocado. Incorporate the remaining ingredients until they are combined. Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. After baking, store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Recipe 2: Sun Butter (and Secret Banana!) Sandwich
You can’t go wrong with this classic pairing, but the texture of banana can be off-putting for some picky eaters. Make this simple sandwich more palatable by mashing the bananas into sunflower butter. Add a teaspoon of honey to hide the flavor too, and help your child enjoy the boost of potassium and protein!
Recipe 3: Disappearing Blueberry Muffins
We call these “disappearing” blueberries because you can easily make it look as though there’s no fruit in these at all!
- 1 ½ cups (195g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (80ml to 120ml) milk, dairy or non-dairy
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 to 8 ounces fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 cup
Making the Batter
- Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add oil to a measuring cup that’s at least 1 cup. Add the egg then fill the jug to the 1-cup line with milk (1/3 to 1/2 cup milk). Add vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Place your blueberries in a food processor or in a medium sized bowl. Blend the blueberries into a paste. (No more blueberries!)
- Add the mixture to the bowl with dry ingredients then use a fork to combine. Fold in the blueberry paste.
Baking the Muffins
- Divide the batter between muffin cups. (Don’t overfill, or your muffins will make a mess.)
- Bake muffins 15 to 20 minutes or until tops are no longer wet and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Transfer to a cooling rack.
Conclusion
Practical life activities don’t have to end at home – Inspire Kids Montessori will guide your child through the wonders of a Montessori education. Give us a call today to schedule a tour of our facilities!
