As we are gradually returning to eating out, families with children have been so excited to get back to playdates and catch-ups in the garden, with (smaller and bigger!) friends, after such a long time.

As always with children, after 5 minutes of play they seem to be always starving! So we put together some winning ideas for having fun baking with and for the little ones, on a playdate, before one, for a picnic or even before a much-longed-for road trip! 

These have been all tried and tested on our little cooks, kindly suggested by our members who have children and have made it through the past year using these ideas both to entertain and keep healthy food as a good habit for the entire family. 

How can your little ones help? Depending on their age and ability, they could:

• help pull the ingredients out from the cupboard
• measure out the ingredients
• mix ingredients together
• line the muffin tin with the cups
• transfer mixes between dishes and pans

We can assure you some fun quality time together... and a bit of a mess, too. Let’s start with an all-time-favourite baking recipe, with a healthy twist!

4 in 1 MUFFINS

These are delicious for breakfast, but also work as a healthy snack or lunch. This one is an easy muffin recipe that your toddler or older child will love making and eating, too. Make one batter and choose from 4 different mix-ins (or make up your own!) to get variety, including a vegetable muffin! 

Ingredients for muffin base:

• 1 ⅓ cups white whole wheat flour
• ¾ cup rolled oats 
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar (can be substituted with stevia or other sweetener
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 small apple - grated with peel
• 2 medium eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup unsalted butter - melted

Ingredients for the 4 mix-in variants - each enough for ¼ of the muffin batter:

• Apple-cinnamon muffins: add ½ small apple chopped into little pieces and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon.
• Blueberry muffins: add a handful of fresh blueberries
• Carrot and raisin muffins: grate and add ¼ of a medium carrot into and 1 tablespoon of raisins to the mixture
• Chocolate chip muffins: add 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease or line a 24-hole mini muffin tin.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and flax seeds. Fold in the grated apples.
3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the milk and butter. 
4. Pour the egg mixture into the batter, and fold together, being careful not to over mix.
5. Split the muffin batter evenly between 4 bowls. In each bowl, gently mix in the mix-in ingredients. You can adapt the recipe to make 1, 2, 3 or 4 varieties. Adjust the amount of mix-in ingredients as prefered.
6. Using a cookie scoop, evenly distribute the batter into the mini muffin tin, filling each muffin cup about ¾ full. For each variety, you should be able to get 6 mini muffins. 
7. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked in the middle and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before transferring to a cooling rack.

HOMEMADE PIZZA

It’s the meal that almost everyone of every age loves to eat. And, with a few simple ingredients and a little bit of know-how, you can make this ultimate kid-friendly dinner at home. Here are some tips and tricks that will make you and your little cook a homemade pizza pro.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour (regular or white whole wheat, or a mix)
• 2 ½ teaspoons active yeast
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey

Ingredients for the sauce:

• 1 can tomato sauce
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 clove garlic, grated (optional)

Topping ideas:

• grated Mozzarella
• grated Parmesan
• fresh veggies like bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli or spinach
• chicken, ground beef, tuna 
• Basil or spring onions

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together warm water and yeast, then set aside. The mixture should start to foam after a few minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt, then add the water/yeast mixture, olive oil and honey. Stir until a ball forms.
3. Use your hands to knead the dough for several minutes. If the dough is too wet, you can add a couple of tablespoons of extra flour so it's easier to handle. But keep in mind that a dry dough won't get as stretchy and light as a wetter dough.
4. Form the dough into a loose ball, drizzle a little olive oil on top and cover the bowl with a clean dish towel. Let it rise for 1-2 hours.
5. When the first rise is finished, punch down the dough to deflate it with your fists (children will love to do this!) and cut the ball in half. Roll each piece of dough into a new ball, place them in separate bowls and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven and prepare your toppings. Mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside, chop any veggies you plan to add and grate your cheese into piles.
7. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of whole wheat flour on a clean counter top, then flatten one of the dough balls onto it. Use a rolling pin (a glass bottle works too) and gently roll the dough into a circle or an oval. Use your fingers to shape the edges into a slight crust. You can also lift up the dough by the crusts and gently turn it to help the dough stretch evenly.
8. Once the dough is shaped into a crust, place it on the stone or baking sheet.
9. Rub about 2 teaspoons of olive oil onto the surface of the crust, then add your desired toppings.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is brown and cheese is bubbling.
11. Slice and serve hot! Repeat the process with your second ball of dough. You can also refrigerate or freeze the remaining dough for later.

HOMEMADE FRUIT LOLLIES

Making homemade ice lollies will definitely be an exciting summer activity for kids. And they will love eating the results! From frozen tropical treats to avocado-based popsicles, these are some BBC Good Food ideas to make your own fancy fruit lollies together.

Creamy avocado lollies

Ingredients:

• 2 small ripe avocados (stoned and peeled)
• juice from 2 limes
• 250ml natural yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp honey or agave syrup

Instructions:

1. Tip all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until smooth. 
2. Taste and adjust the sweetness, if necessary
3. Pour into lolly moulds and freeze overnight.

Watermelon lollies

Ingredients: 

• 1 small watermelon
• 3 kiwis

Instructions:

1. Purée the flesh of 1 small watermelon
2. Fill the ice lolly moulds three-quarters full with the purée
3. Push the sticks in if you are using them and freeze for at least 3 hours
4. Tip any remaining purée into an ice cube tray and freeze it.
5. Peel 3 kiwis and cut the green flesh away from the white core, discarding the core. 
6. Purée the flesh and add a layer of about 4-5mm to the top of each lolly
7. Refreeze for 1 hour.
8. Optional: Add some green food colouring to the rest of the purée to darken it to the same colour as the watermelon rind. Pour a very thin layer onto the top of each lolly, freeze and then enjoy!

Strawberry milk pops

Ingredients:

• 400g ripe strawberry
• 200ml semi-skimmed milk
• 405g light condensed milk

Instructions: 

1. Hull strawberries and blitz in a food processor until smooth.
2. Mix in milk and condensed milk.
3. Pour the mixture into 12 ice-lolly moulds and attach the tops.
4. Freeze for a minimum of 4 hours until solid.
5. Warm the moulds with your hands or under warm water to release the pops.

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As all these healthy recipes have been kindly suggested by our members who have children of different ages, we hope many of you will be using these ideas for some fun time spent together with the entire family. For those living with a medical condition and for those who have specific nutritional requirements or limitations, please use these ideas only if they are in line with your personal lifestyle.

At MedicAlert, we encourage people with medical conditions to live active, independent lives, whilst keeping them safe at all times, especially during emergencies. Are you worried about a loved one or yourself getting back to spending more time outdoors? If you are not benefitting from our charity’s full protection, now is the time to join!

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