As a mom, I want to make mealtime fun for my kids, but I also want the meating nourishing food that is good for their bodies. This can sometimes be a challenge as they are often apprehensive about trying such foods. We recently had a cold go through our house and it seemed like the perfect time to make chicken soup. Unfortunately, my kids have balked at chicken soup in the past. I think the addition of too many vegetables they were not fond of, such as onions and garlic, kept them from enjoying the goodness of a bowl of chicken soup. So how do you get kids to try foods that are new and good for them? I told my kids I would be making some soup for dinner and after their protests, I asked them what they would like in their chicken soup. Their first response was candy, but that was never going to happen. I suggested some vegetables that people normally put in chicken soup and they approved of carrots and celery. Okay, now we were on to something! I decided the simpler I could keep the soup, the more likely they would be to eat it.
The kids were curious about the yummy smell of the soup as it was cooking. This is where keeping the onion and garlic out of the soup really helped. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying you should forever strip meals of ingredients that kids don’t like. I mean one way kids learn to like new things is by exposure. However, once kids try a meal without the ingredients they dislike and enjoy it, you can start adding those other ingredients back in small doses. Here’s another tip for making mealtime more fun for kids. Serve up new foods in fun plates, dishes and bowls. I used these bright Zak bowls rather than our regular white bowls that we use all the time. This is a subtle clue to my kids that this mealtime is going to be special!
Serve your soup in a fun colorful Zak Designs bowl! I wish you could smell this chicken soup through the screen! It was so warm and hearty that just eating it made me “think” I was feeling better. What about the kids, you ask? See for yourself. They ate the soup! They did want some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, but veggies were eaten and bowls were cleaned. I am thinking next time I make chicken soup I may even be able to sneak in some some onions and garlic.
This chicken noodle recipe is very kid-friendly
Kid Friendly Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe Instructions
kid friendly chicken soup
By Zak Designs
As a mom, I want to make mealtime fun for my kids, but I also want them eating nourishing food that is good for their bodies. This can sometimes be a challenge as they are often apprehensive about trying such foods.
Ingredients
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 cups of cubed cooked chicken
- 2 cups egg noodles (uncooked)
- 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups of chicken broth
recipe instructions
- In a large pot or saucepan, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add chopped carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes while stirring.
- Add chicken, egg noodles, parsley, bay leaf and 5 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Coverpot and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and remove bay leafprior to serving
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Yield: 4 bowls of soup
