6 Easy Ways to Get More Dairy into Your Child’s Meals

Here's how to get more dairy into every one of your child's meals.
Here's how to get more dairy into every one of your child's meals.

Your child's health is important to you. Whether it's helping them grow big and strong, keeping them safe against illnesses or bacteria, or making sure they have enough energy to get through the day, dairy can be one of your best assets when it comes to their well-being.

Milk and eggs are packed full of essential protein, calcium, riboflavin, and vitamin B12, and can easily be enjoyed at your breakfast (and dinner) tables. Low-fat dairy foods can also help you fight childhood obesity, too, because they're great for burning fat. Products such as Greek yogurt, mozzarella, and cottage cheese contain very little amounts of carbohydrates and a large amount of good bacteria that help promote a healthy gut, which in turns promotes satiety and healthy digestion.

While a yogurt on the go for breakfast and a glass at milk at dinner may be the norm, there are other easy and delicious ways to incorporate dairy into your child's diet. Dishes like Peach and Carrot Muffins, Barbecue Mac and Cheese, and Pasta with Greek Yogurt Tomato Sauce are all packed with nutrition and dairy, not to mention flavor that your child will like. Try some of these recipes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and start putting more dairy into all of your child's meals.

Pasta with Tomato and Greek Yogurt Sauce Recipe

The Greek yogurt in this recipe is taken out of its normal element and used not for breakfast, but for dinner. It adds a subtle tangy flavor to the fresh tomato sauce, and, as you may have guessed, creaminess. Make sure to hold off on adding the yogurt until the very end - it shouldn't be cooked in the sauce, just stirred in, because otherwise the solids will separate.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 yellow zucchini, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 pound angel hair pasta
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste
Baby heirloom tomatoes, halved, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the white wine, stirring and scraping up any brown bits in the pan, and reduce until fully evaporated.
Next add the zucchini and continue to cook until the zucchini is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, turn the heat to high, and cook until the tomatoes have burst and have released their liquids.


Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the angel hair pasta according to package instructions, about 2 minutes. Before draining, reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta liquid and add to the skillet with the onions and tomatoes. Drain the pasta and add it to a large serving bowl. Remove the fresh cherry sauce from the heat and stir in the Greek yogurt. Check seasonings. Toss with the angel hair pasta, garnish with baby heirloom tomatoes, and serve.

Recipe Details

Servings: 4
Cuisine: American

Peach Carrot Muffins Recipe


Here's an easy trick to add moistness to your baked goods: add a little Greek yogurt. This recipe from Chobani Greek Yogurt adds it to a mixture of flour, eggs, sugar, and apple pie spice for unique and fruity carrot muffins.

Click here to see the Peach Carrot Muffins Recipe

Cold Noodles with Greek Yogurt-Sesame Sauce Recipe

Some people see the words "cold noodles" in a recipe title and think it's the exotic, complicated international affair, but Chobani yogurt figured out an easy way to put it together. Combining their plain variety of Greek yogurt with easy to find ingredients like soy sauce, peanut butter, and sesame oil, this dish is an impressive Asian dish that tastes just as good as it does overseas.

Click here to see the Cold Noodles with Greek Yogurt-Sesame Sauce Recipe

Mexican Breakfast Rolls Recipe

My savory breakfast rolls evolved from a childhood love of making cinnamon rolls. My mother had her own special recipe for sweet rolls, and she almost always included me in the process. She'd let me help roll the yeast dough, then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. I never have time to make yeast dough now, but I like how well savory ingredients rolled into dough works with the cupcake pan. At my home, this savory roll recipe is a child-friendly adventure in baking, especially since it calls for several store-bought items. Present the ingredients in individual bowls - or in the wells of an extra cupcake pan - to make layering fun and easy for your children.

Click here to see the Mexican Breakfast Rolls Recipe

Salmon Pastries with Dill Pesto Recipe

Perfect for a quick snack, these tiny pastries are easy to make ahead of time with the help of a refrigerated pie crust, but are delicious enough to impress your child.

Click here to see the Salmon Pastries with Dill Pesto Recipe

Cheesy Chicken Lunchbox Muffins Recipe

"I used to walk right by the wonton wrappers in the produce section of my market, never having appreciated what a simple and versatile ingredient they are. But one day when all attempts to find the perfect, low-fat, pliable crust failed, I gave wonton wrappers a whirl, and boy, am I glad I did. They provide a ready-made pre-cut piece of dough with very few ingredients and no fat and work beautifully as a thin but sturdy crust for mini quiches and this savory lunchbox muffin."

Click here to see the Cheesy Chicken Lunchbox Muffins Recipe

-Anne Dolce, The Daily Meal

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