The Sous-sus Chef: Mac-n-cheese, Simple and Sure
Young children learn most of their eating habits from the adults prominent in their lives from the time they are born until they are living on their own. Eating should be a pleasant experience, and it helps to have food on the plate that appeals to children in several ways.
Children respond well to consistency when it comes to food, eating and table manners. It’s a good idea to develop a set of practices which help teach kids the importance of eating together, sitting down to eat and behaving in a particular way when food is present. If regimented in the home every day, even just once per day, the good habits will travel with you when visiting restaurants and other people’s homes.
Food is an emotional issue for everyone. Young children eat better and will eat a greater variety of foods (over time) if the adults at the table take the emotional value of food seriously. This explains the idea of “comfort foods” and why certain foods elicit good responses in us throughout our lives. Without realizing it, you probably connect a certain food or meal to a beloved relative or individual in your life. These foods become the go-to sustenance we turn to in times of stress or when we want to revive good memories.
Macaroni and cheese is not only a winning option when feeding children, it holds nutritional value and emotional power. The warm, soft, creamy taste and aromatic blends of cheese and butter satisfy almost anyone’s need for comfort food that is filling and full of good memories.
Young children especially like foods that are simple both to look at and to eat. It’s best to keep their foods predictable and separated as long as they need it that way. So even if you like bacon in your mac-n-cheese, don’t make it that way and expect the child to do the picking out of the bits she doesn’t like. You’re the grown-up. Prepare the basic dish and serve the additives like bacon bits, cooked onions or crumbled blue cheese on the side. This teaches everyone that all dishes have a foundation, and that additives are the options that are added or taken away as the palette matures, or other issues like weight loss are on the agenda. Keep food simple from the beginning so that children understand the basics and develop a healthy relationship with food.
Simple and Sure Macaroni and Cheese
1 Cup dried elbow pasta
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
½ Cup milk
1 ½ Cups shredded cheddar cheese
Cooked bacon bits (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the elbows in plenty of salted water until tender. Drain and set aside. You can drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on the pasta to keep it from sticking until you are ready for it. Make the cheese sauce in a separate pan over medium heat by whisking together butter, flour, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. When this mixture is completely blended, add the macaroni and stir together. Add more milk and stir if a thinner consistency is preferred. Serve immediately with bacon bits on the side if desired. Serves four.
If you have more time and like a crispy version, spray a baking dish with cooking spray and pour the cheese and pasta mixture into the dish. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Round out this dish by serving raw carrot buttons with Ranch dressing as a dip. Cooked carrots are better for children under the age of three because they are easier to chew!
Contact Joy at yogajoy@suddenlink.net