To make them feel like part of the Christmas dinner , let the children prepare these delicious appetizers, which will make them discover the advantages of home cooking and make them feel very proud of their work. You will spend an entertaining afternoon together and you will prepare a Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve dinner that will delight all the guests. Write down these delicious and simple canapé recipes !
Christmas is hope, optimism, light and gifts, but it is also a great job for parents. The children are on vacation and we must combine the working day with the leisure and attention that they demand of us. That is why it is good to try to do family activities and collaborate in the preparation of canapé recipes for Christmas dinner .
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Canapé recipe proposals for Christmas dinner
Decorating the Christmas tree , setting up the Nativity Scene , singing Christmas carols … are some of the activities that we can do with our children during these days, when we are usually very busy with family dinners. Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve are two dates when we usually meet with our relatives, and we have to spend the day in the kitchen.
Although many stores, supermarkets and caterings give us the possibility to buy ready-made starters or appetizers for our family lunch or dinner , it is much more fun and special if we prepare them ourselves. In addition, it is the perfect excuse to spend a beautiful time (and a bit chaotic too) cooking with our children .
Although putting children in the kitchen is sometimes a real hassle (since everyone wants to do everything, they get stained and dirty everything around them), it is worth it! The rest of the family, when they try your recipes, will value them very much for all the care you have put into preparing them. We are going to make some canapes with the children!
Christmas canapes for children on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve
So that the task is not so heavy, take this opportunity for the children to learn to take their first steps in the world of gastronomy with some easy and age-appropriate recipes . Thus, they will also learn values such as the responsibility to collaborate at home and the importance of a good diet. Christmas Stollen. German panettone recipe for Christmas.
Here we propose some delicious ideas for canapés of many types and that use a wide variety of ingredients. Do not hesitate to adapt them to your tastes and needs according to what you have in the pantry or you can buy in the food stores near your home.
Tips to make Christmas appetizers or starters healthy
Some of the most important habits that will accompany children throughout the rest of their lives are established in childhood . The little ones learn the importance of hygiene, the routines that help us to be happier, the habits that lead us to be more successful in school … But they also learn good eating habits .
From before they are born we can help our children develop a taste for trying different things and get used to different flavors. It is essential, therefore, that we teach our children to recognize and eat a healthy diet , as it will help them to be healthier and feel better. Good example is essential!
In order for your canapes for Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinner to be healthy , keep the following considerations in mind.
– We must reduce the intake of ultra-processed foods since these are not healthy for our health. It is better to replace them with natural foods that you cook yourself or with foods that are well processed.
– It is better to bet on whole grains instead of refined ones. For example, instead of using white sliced bread (which has a very high sugar content), we can substitute it for breads that have a high percentage (or total) of whole wheat flour.
– If we want our appetizers to have a sweet touch (to contrast with the salty or bitter) we can use spices such as cinnamon or date paste to sweeten instead of sugar . According to the WHO, sugar intake above the recommendations is related to diseases such as obesity.
– Remember, on the other hand, that sauces such as ketchup or canned tomato sauce can contain many sugars.
– Put a lot of fruit or vegetables on your canapes (the more the better!). If your kids are reluctant to eat vegetables , these snacks can help them discover just how good they can be.
– It is important to look at the food we eat, but also the drinks we drink . The United States Department of Agriculture, through its report ‘ Make Better Beverage Choices ‘, recommends reducing the consumption of sugary drinks such as soft drinks and replacing them with water. Water is not only cheaper, but it hydrates us, it prevents us from taking so much sugar and controlling the calories we eat.
What children learn when they cook as a family
And before we finish, we cannot stop insisting on the many benefits of cooking with children . Although being in the kitchen with the little ones can be chaotic , the truth is that there are many advantages that they benefit from when we organize an afternoon of recipes.
– The kitchen favors the autonomy of children, since they learn to do many things by themselves. It also favors responsibility , since the little ones must fulfill the task with which they are committed.
– Through the preparation of recipes, children also learn healthy habits and are encouraged to try foods that they rejected, since they have cooked them themselves.
– It is also a good activity to promote fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination in children.
– We can take advantage to reinforce the learning that children have acquired in class : the name of foods in English, numbers, the sum of quantities …
– It is the ideal excuse to spend quality time and create beautiful memories.
– If we teach children to cook some recipes , we will be giving them a very solid foundation for their future, since when they become independent they will not feel so lost when preparing their food.
Merry and delicious Christmas !