By Lynn Fredericks author of Cooking Time Is Family Time

Kids Meal Home

Lynn Fredericks gives new meaning to the ABC's. Each installment will focus on a new ingredient beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. G is for grains features recipes, fun and family activities with grains.

• whole grain cereals
• whole grain flours for making pancakes, waffles etc.
• brown rice
• quinoa
• bulgar

With all the recent media attention surrounding colon cancer and its prevention, why not help your kids develop an appreciation for whole grains as a delicious source of fiber when they're young? Eating whole grains is a healthy habit that will benefit your whole family -- physically and gastronomically!

Here are some ideas for exploring unusual grains with your family as well as some intriguing recipes using whole grains.

Fun

A Grain a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

A visit to the grain section of a health food store offers a plethora of new items for family exploration. Why not take the kids on 'The Great Grain Scavenger Hunt?' Here's how it works:

1) Before you go off to the store, print the following names of grains on individual (but identical) 2 x 3-inch pieces of paper.

• amaranth
• barley
• buckwheat
• bulgar
• wheat
• millet
• quinoa
• rye

2) Fold each paper so the names are on the inside of the folds and place them in a cup.

3) Have each child draw 1 or 2 papers from the cup.

4) Now you're off to the health food store. The mission: each child should select the following two forms of their grain(s):

package of the whole, raw grain

prepared food or mix (chips, pancake mix, breakfast cereal) that has their grain as an ingredient

5) At home, assign days when each kid must prepare a simple dish using the whole grain and a serving using the prepared food product containing their grain.

6) Have your family vote on their preferences: the highest voted grains should become new grain staples for the family!

Below are some proven family-friendly recipes from my book, 'Cooking Time Is Family Time.'

Let's Cook!

Recipes

• Antonia's Dill-lightful Bulgar Stew
• Quinoa Breakfast Cereal
• Muesli

Check out other recipes that bring the whole family together:

--Buy This Book