My son’s favorite meal is macaroni and
cheese. The cheesier it is the better. I love it myself, but the cheesier it is,
the more fattening it is too. Here are a few ways to make that family classic a
little better for the kids.
Change the cheese. Macaroni and cheese is nothing unless it is oozing cheese
from both ends of the noodle. But, the cheese your mother used doesn’t have to
be the same cheese that you use. Choose Velveeta® Light cheese spread. The light
version has a third of the fat and melts even better than regular cheese. This
cheese works well if you make your macaroni and cheese in a saucepan on the
stovetop. If you are a person that bakes your macaroni and cheese like a
casserole, you can substitute fat-free sharp cheddar for the full fat version
and use skim milk to make it creamy.
How about making that side dish the main meal? Macaroni and cheese can become
the entire meal if you add some protein. Turn your side dish into a casserole
dinner with lean ground beef. This turns your dish into cheesy beef and
macaroni. The beef will help to fill your kids up faster and will give them the
protein that their body needs. Add a teaspoon of chili powder to give it a
southwestern flavor. For a weekend lunch, add chunks of ham to their macaroni
and cheese for a quick meal. The meat breaks up the monotony of just having the
same dish all of the time. Chunks of boneless chicken breasts will also work as
well as the ham if your child prefers chicken. Hotdogs also work with macaroni
and cheese but because of the nitrites they contain, don’t use them as often as
you use the ham and chicken.
Substitute your pasta. There are so many more healthy alternatives to the normal
macaroni pasta noodle. Now, stores offer a whole wheat or multigrain pasta that
is made from wheat flour instead of white. The pasta is brown in color but when
you add the cheese, no one should know the difference. If brown pasta doesn’t do
it for you, Barilla® makes pasta called Barilla Plus® that has added nutrients
to make it healthier for the eater. The pasta is still the natural yellowish
color. Dreamfields® makes macaroni noodles that contain only five grams of
digestible carbohydrates. That means nothing
to your kids, but to you it means that they
won’t get fat from eating that particular
brand.
Add a little color to their macaroni and cheese. Mince a tomato and mix it into
the macaroni and cheese before serving it. The red makes a bold statement in the
sea of yellow. Tomatoes contain antioxidants which are good for your body. If
your kids like hot foods, add a few crushed red peppers or diced red and green
peppers to their macaroni and cheese for a bolder flavor. If you don’t have any
peppers or tomatoes on hand, use a cup of salsa in the macaroni and cheese in a
pinch.
What about breakfast? Your child would love to eat macaroni and cheese for
breakfast. Add a few pieces of turkey bacon or low-fat bacon to the meal.
Crumble the bacon on top of the macaroni and cheese and serve. If bacon is not
your child’s favorite, add sausage crumbles. It’s unconventional, but it’ll
taste good.
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For Simple Ways To Make A Grilled
Cheese Sandwich Healthier For Kids Visit:
http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com/article-grilled-cheese.htm
and For Simple
Ways To Turn A Potato Into A Meal Kids Will Love Visit:
http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com/article-potato-recipes.htm
