Ask Annabel: your food questions answered

Q: My nursery is planning on running an Easter cooking week. We want children to have fun and feel inspired, but at the same time we want to teach them that it’s not all about chocolate. Do you have any ideas?

A: Choccy eggs are an obligatory treat for any child at Easter, which is why it’s so important to balance out those E numbers with some healthier, but just as fun foodie choices. And the early years setting is the perfect place to do just that.

Why not put a spring spin on their lunchtime meal with my Bunny Sandwiches? Children will love cutting out the shapes and adding the features. Or get them making my little chicks out of cut up fruit.

Whatever you’re making, here are my top reasons for getting children cooking this Easter.

1. Cooking time is bonding time, and a means for children to feel part of something bigger than themselves.
2. Cooking builds self-esteem. When they can say, “I made it myself” they feel a sense of accomplishment.
3. When a child cooks or prepares something themselves, they are more likely to eat it, or at least try it.
4. It’s a great way of improving their reading and maths skills whilst enjoying the fruits of their labour.

Whatever you decide to eat during your Easter week, I hope the kids love getting involved.

RECIPES

BUNNY SANDWICH 

Ingredients

2 slices brown bread

60g cream cheese

1 baby cucumber, sliced

2 slices from a small carrot

A few pea shoots

Method

1. Spread the slices of bread with the cream cheese. Cut out a large circle using a round cutter for the body. Cut out a smaller circle for the head and stamp out three small circles for the feet.
2. Arrange the circles to form a bunny on the plate. Put two cucumber slices on top of the paws. Place a slice of cucumber on top of the third circle of bread and using a sharp knife. Cut in half to form the feet. Cut two lengths from the cucumber to make the ears.
3. Decorate the face with the slices of carrot for the eyes and a pea shoot for the mouth. 

Makes one bunny sandwich.

FRUITY CHICKS

Simply chop up the fruit and make little chicks using a range of fresh fruit.

Ingredients

Pineapples

Raspberries

Strawberries

Blueberries

Oranges

For lots more recipe ideas visit www.annabelkarmel.com

Send your questions for Annabel to news.nw@markallengroup.com