Bariatric Foodie Play with your food
Parents: raise your hand if you’ve ever found yourself in this situation. You had the day from hell at work, you pick up the kids and they are cranky and hungry. They drive you NUTS on the way home and by the time you get to your house you would much rather take a nose-dive into a tub full of bubbles than see to their hungry bellies.
If you’ve not experienced this yet…I envy you. Happens to me at least once a week.
That’s why I keep an arsenal of super-quick and kid-friendly meals at my disposal for just such occasions. The recipe I’m sharing today is not “me” friendly (meaning not-WLS friendly) but it is a good choice for your kids and gets you in and out of the kitchen in about 15 minutes.
So here’s how it goes down.
RAMEN! Not as evil as you might think. The thing I find evil about these super cheap soup packets are these guys:
The spice packets. They’ve got about a cabillion milligrams of sodium that you don’t want your kids consuming. Trust me, there isn’t enough water in the world to make those packets healthier. So I throw them out. And what I’m left with is a very versatile little noodle.
Nik’s Easy Cheesy Noodle Bowl (for kids!)
(makes 3 “ok appetite” kid portions, 2 “hearty appetite” portions)
Ingredients:
2 packets of Ramen (doesn’t matter what flavor since we’re not using the spice packet)
1/2 c. frozen chopped broccoli (the kind that looks like a brick and costs like $1)
1/2 c. shredded cheese (whatever kind you like, I had Mexican blend on hand so that’s what I used)
4 slices of pre-cooked bacon
Any other small chopped veggies you think you can get away with (something red might be nice like a red pepper)
1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder
A pinch of ground black pepper
Directions:
Get a pot of water boiling and to it add the salt. When it comes to a simmer, add the Ramen noodles and broccoli pieces. Boil for three minutes and then drain and return to the pot. If you are using other veggies that aren’t frozen, add them into the mixture after you’ve drained the noodles.
While the noodles are boiling, microwave your pre-cooked bacon for 1 minute or until crispy. Then blot the excess oil off of them with a paper towel. Chop into bacon bits.
Add your bacon bits, other seasonings and cheese and stir well. If the noodles seem sticky, add a splash of milk to loosen them up. Serve in bowls while hot!
This is one of maybe four ways I can convince the divas to eat broccoli. They devour this! And it’s a win-win. I get in and out of the kitchen (and closer to letting Calgon take me away) and they get a delicious dinner that I can feel good about giving them.
Thanks for the idea! A friend of mine introduced the kids to ramen noodles (oy vey!) and I find myself tossing those evil foil packets too. This sounds like a great quick recipe!
Such a good idea!! My picky 5 year old LOVES noodles and cheese. I don't even think he will notice the veggies, lol. Thanks :o)