Easy, Healthy Recipes for Kids to Start on Wholegrain

Wholegrain Foods For Toddlers and Teens

Open up your child’s world to wholegrains and spice up their meals with extra fibre and nutrients. Try using various types of wholegrain food when you prepare dishes for your child.

When your baby turns one, he is ready to try solid food including wholesome whole grains.

To get your child to eat wholegrain foods and enjoy them, introduce whole grain to them. Share with them the benefits of wholegains, look out for and buy wholegrain foods for toddlers and teens, and whip up healthy meals for kids using our wholesome and delicious recipes.

What are wholegrains?

Wholegrains are natural grains that are less processed than refined grains - which have their bran and germ removed after the milling process. Wholegrains retain their original proportion of bran, endosperm and germ even after milling.

Examples of wholegrain and wholegrain foods are brown rice, oatmeal brown rice vermicelli, wholemeal bread and crackers and whole-wheat and oats breakfast cereals.

What’s in a wholegrain?

Wholegrains consist of three parts:

Why are wholegrains better for your kids?

• They contain fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals that work together to lower the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

• They help control snacking as your child will feel “full” from the extra fibre in wholegrain.

How much should you provide?

Making Wholegrains Part of Healthy Meals for Kids

Try these tips and enjoy the nutty flavour and goodness of wholegrain with your children.

Sandwiches

Making a sandwich? Use wholegrain bread from the start. If your child is used to white bread, start making sandwiches with 1 slice of wholegrain bread and 1 slice of white bread.

Rice

Start with mixing white rice with brown rice. For example, you could fill half of the bowl with brown rice and the remaining with white rice. Over time, increase the proportion of brown rice.

Snacks

Low-fat yoghurt is healthy food for kids. Get some wholegrain breakfast cereal and top up the yoghurt with the cereal to make it a crunchy snack. You can also buy muffins, scones and bread with oat and wholemeal flour.

Aside from relishing these wholegrain foods together, cook or bake together using ingredients made from whole grain.

Sandwiches, pizzas, muffins and cookies are easy to make. As you use these ingredients, reinforce the benefits of wholegrain.

Need some recipes to get started? Try out new recipes using wholegrain food such as the ones below.

Easy, Healthy Recipes for Kids

Double Decker Sandwiches

(Serves 4-6)

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 6-9 slices of wholemeal bread^*

• 100g skinless chicken breasts - cooked and shredded

• small carrot - peeled and grated

• cup cabbage - grated 2 cups of milk^* - warmed

• 2 tablespoons of white flour

• 1 tablespoon of margarine^*

• 4 slices of Cheddar cheese^*

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 2-3 pinches of pepper

• 1 teaspoon of sugar

^* Choose products with the Healthier Choice Symbol.

Method

1. Heat margarine in a pan and mix it with flour.

2. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the milk gradually. Make sure no lumps are formed.

3. Return the pan to the heat and keep whisking until the sauce thickens.

4. Add the cheese, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well. Keep aside.

5. Divide the sauce into two bowls.

6. Add the chicken breasts to one of the bowls. Mix well.

7. Squeeze out the water from the carrots and cabbage. Add the vegetables to the other bowl. Mix well.

8. To assemble, spread the chicken on one slice of bread and cover with another slice.

9. Spread the vegetables on the bread and cover with another slice.

10. Cut the sandwiches diagonally.

11. Serve.

Vegetarian Beehoon

(Serves 4-6)

Soaking time: 10 minutes
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 80g brown rice beehoon^*

• 2 pieces of baby corn - slit lengthwise and cut in half

• 80g bak choy - cut into bite-sized pieces

• piece firm tofu^* - cut into cubes

• 60g bean sprout

• 60g cabbage shredded

• medium carrot - peeled and grated

• 4 pieces of dried Shitake mushroom - soaked, washed and chopped

• small onion - peeled and sliced

• 1 clove of garlic - peeled and chopped finely

• teaspoon of light soya sauce^*

• 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce (vegetarian)^*

• 2 teaspoons of oil^*

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

• 1 pinch of pepper

^* Choose products with the Healthier Choice Symbol.

Method

1. Soak the beehoon in water for 10 mins. Drain.

2. Mix the beehoon with soya sauce and oyster sauce. Keep aside.

3. Pan-fry the tofu cubes with half a teaspoon of oil until light brown.

4. Stir-fry the garlic and onions with oil for 30 seconds.

5. Add baby corn, bak choy, mushrooms, tofu, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrot, salt and pepper. Stir-fry for a minute.

6. Add the beehoon and stir-fry until the beehoon is soft. If the beehoon seems dry, sprinkle some water.

7. Serve

So Remember....

• Wholegrains contain fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals thathelp to reduce the risk of certain diseases.

• Include the recommended portion of wholegrain in your child’s rice and alternatives servings.

• Mix part of your refined grains (e.g. white rice) with wholegrains (e.g. brown rice).

Download the HealthHub app on Google Play or Apple Store to access more health and wellness advice at your fingertips.

Read these next:

• Banish Nasty Nibbles With Healthy Snacks
• Fill a Quarter of Your Plate with Whole Grains
• Healthy Eating and a Balanced Diet with Wholegrain Foods