Bringing Up Foodies

Sunday – Every Sunday, I share a recipe that is inspired by a book with diverse characters. At a community event, while waiting for his turn to eat, Johnny learns the importance of putting the needs of his community before his own. Throughout the book, Johnny has his heart set on the delicious sweet rolls that his grandmother has brought to share with the community. When it comes to frosting, instead of the traditional icing (which is made with a base of milk and powdered sugar), I opted for a healthier and even more delicious cream cheese frosting which is made with just 4 ingredients and has no added sugar.

I’ve found this book to be a great jumping off point for teaching the kids to become aware of cultural differences for the first time. While I wasn’t able to find matoke or plantains locally, I used bananas to make this Ugandan matoke-inspired stew that our family absolutely loved. This stew was such a hit that even our 2.5 year old, who has pretty strong food preferences, asked for a second helping. As we were enjoying it, Ava (my 4 year old) exclaimed, “we don’t live in Uganda, but we are eating food from Uganda!” which made me smile.

This is one of the ways that I hope to continue to use Bringing Up Foodies as a place for us to stay engaged and educated on how to raise healthy, adventurous, and *inclusive* little foodies. It’s a sweet, simple story about Peter, a young Black boy exploring his neighborhood on a snowy winter’s day. I chose to make chocolate coconut bliss balls to resemble the snowball that Peter attempts to save in his pocket for later. Fill a bowl with the shredded coconut, then use your hands to form balls with the mixture and roll them in the shredded coconut until well coated.

Sunday – Every Sunday, I share a recipe that is inspired by a book with diverse characters. This week, I’m excited to share a recipe inspired by the book I Am Enough, written by Grace Byers and illustrated by Kemurah A. Bobo. The plate that I created this week is inspired by the beautiful cover art of the book, depicting a child with a calm and confident inner self. I chose to feature a chocolate chip cookie because it is one of those foods that doesn’t need any dressing up (no icing or fancy sprinkles)