Cooking with your kids helps teach them healthful eating habits, and they might even learn math skills by measuring ingredients. One ingredient that can be used in a variety of meal preparations is a can of crescent rolls. You can buy prepackaged crescent roll dough in the refrigerated section of a grocery store. The rolls come in long perforated strips that you can separate and shape into rolls that resemble croissants or use whole as the basis for other meals.
Breakfast Roll
Your children can use crescent rolls to create their own breakfast sandwiches. It's a healthier and more cost-effective option compared to buying fast-food breakfast sandwiches. Prepare the ingredients in advance, such as scrambled eggs, turkey sausage or chopped peppers. You can even use leftovers from the previous night's meal. Allow your kids to choose which ingredients they would like to place inside the rolls and you can handle baking duties.
Pigs in a Blanket
Update a classic favorite, pigs in a blanket, with healthier ingredients. Instead of using hot dogs, use leftover turkey, diced chicken or even tofu. Let your children choose their favorite low-fat cheese to use and add some fresh vegetables as well. Children might be more likely to eat the foods they create themselves. Let them experiment with new foods that you purchase together.
Vegetable Pizza
Use crescent rolls as a fluffy crust for vegetable pizza. This dish can inspire your child's imagination. Roll out the crescent roll dough whole and place it on a cookie sheet. You may need more than one can, depending on your family's size. Purchase low-fat cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and a variety of fresh vegetables. To save time, buy precut vegetables and shredded cheese. Instead of tomato sauce, let your children decide what sauces they would like to use. Barbecue sauce, salad dressing and salsa are possibilities. Let your kids choose their own pizza toppings from those you've prepared and bake.
Fruit Pie
Your kids can prepare dessert for the family using crescent rolls. Use fresh apples, pears, berries, peaches or let your children choose their own fruits to wrap in the rolls. Sprinkle the fruit with cinnamon and bake. There is no need to use sugar; the fruit will naturally sweeten the pies. If the fruit you're using is too tart, you can drizzle the pies with honey after you remove them from the oven.
Tips
Kitchen safety is especially important when you're working with your kids. You want to involve them as much as possible, but tasks should be age-appropriate. Talk about the ingredients as you use them and explain the importance of each food group. Be patient with mistakes and allow them to wipe their own spills and help with clean-up duties.
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