3 Superhit Tomato Recipes for Kids
There is scarcely a child in the world that readily eats whatever is served on their plate. While some are averse to eating green vegetables, others might not like salted or baked goods. Still others will only prefer pizza or burgers for their meals. Getting a child to stick to a healthy diet and eat vegetables and fruit can be quite a task — ask any parent! When it comes to serving food to children, the challenges are manifold for chefs the world over.
Children can be picky eaters!
By now, you’ve probably lost count of the number of times that a cooked dish was returned to the kitchen almost fully intact because it had been served to a child that didn’t like the food at all. Children are notoriously picky eaters with changing preferences — if a child likes peanut butter today, they might hate it tomorrow!
Similarly, most children don’t like adult food unless it is full of cheese, sugar, sauce and all things tasty — but not necessarily healthy. As a trained chef, you are adept at coming up with new recipes all the time — but children can present a whole new set of challenges.
Use tomato products in children’s recipes
Children are strangely drawn to tomato ketchup, dip, chutney and all things tomato. They love the tangy taste of Kissan tomato ketchup, and liberally use it all over their burgers, sandwiches, samosas, bhajiyas and other snacks. Some kids require a dollop of ketchup or some kind of tomato dip with their daily meals. However, most are averse to eating raw tomato, so you might consider using cooked or pureed/sauced tomato products only.
Tomatoes are great for children, and in fact, for everybody. They offer many health benefits, whether consumed raw or cooked. The primary ingredient, lycopene, offers several benefits for cardiovascular and digestive health. Tomatoes are also good for skin and hair health, and regular consumption is linked with increased immunity.
If you are crafting a children’s menu for your restaurant or café, here are 3 tomato recipes to get you started:
1. Roasted Tomato on Bagels: Which kid can resist a good bagel? And if a sweet and roasted tomato slice rests on a bed of sliced onions and melted mozzarella cheese, then you will have children swarming all over the kitchen looking for more! Saute onion slices and chopped capsicum in some barbecue sauce, top with melted cheese and layer with a slice of roasted tomato. If the dish is unpalatable with the tomato slice, then simply send it out with a tomato product like a dip or Kissan sauce.
2. Tomato Sauce Pasta: Prepare a thin, fragrant sauce using a ready tomato based flavouring liquid, and add herbs like oregano, rosemary and basil. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare coloured fusilli or spaghetti to create an attractive element on the plate, and top with fried or barbecued chicken, chopped mushrooms, boiled sweet corn and the prepared tomato sauce.
3. Stuffed Tomatoes: Most children love food stuffed with other food. It piques their interest and keeps them occupied while they discover what is inside the stuffing and how it tastes. Here’s a healthy tomato-based snack that will become a hit with kids: stuff a baked tomato with herbed rice, buttered corn kernels, finely chopped coriander and basil, sausage and melted cheese. Pop the lot into the oven for 30 seconds to get the stuffing to mesh together. Serve with a side of barbecue sauce or green chutney.
It goes without saying that having ready tomato sauces and dips at hand will help save time in the kitchen.
