Kid Food

Skip the possibility of takeout.

Assembly is the name of the game.

It's one of the easiest ways I know to get a veggie-packed dinner on the table.

Turn it into a brand new meal.

And how it transformed our dinners into something surprisingly simple.

I still remember the sweet sense of victory I felt when I cooked one dinner that my whole family — including my toddler — adored and gobbled up. I’m still new to this, but have learned that feeding toddlers is tricky business that requires patience, understanding, creativity, and persistence. These days I put my meal-planning efforts into building a roster of easy dinners that my whole family enjoys.

I have a personal rule when it comes to my kids: I always say yes when they ask to help with cooking. This doesn’t mean I’m inviting them to cook every meal with me, but when they ask I always oblige. Cooking with kids sometimes that means dinner takes 10, 15, even 20 minutes longer to get on the table, but we always learn something — even if it’s just to make sure the lid is tightly sealed on the paprika.

They taste like sunshine.

The secret is out.

Lunch box burnout is very real. Whether you’re doing the prepping yourself or supporting your kids in their own lunch packing endeavors, putting together an enticing midday meal day … after day… after day gets really old. Sandwiches are always a smart lunch box option because they’re super versatile, loading a lot of flavor and food groups in a kid-friendly, handheld format.

It’s a revelation.

Crispy, gooey cheese meets sweet heat.