A Family Friendly Nutrient Packed Brunch Menu for Kids & Adults

Written by Dietitian & Food Stylist, Elis Halenko

Dutch Baby with Asparagus, Ham & Burrata Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1/2 cup of flour
2/3 cup of milk
2 tbsp of cornstarch
2 tbsp of butter (1 reserved for cooking in dutch oven)
1 pinch of salt
1 bunch of Asparagus (about 5 stalks per person)
A drizzle of olive oil
Medium sized burrata (half per person)
4 pieces of ham (1 per person)
Lemon zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place a cast iron pan in the oven at 400 for 20 minutes.
Blend the eggs for 1 minute in a blender, add the milk and butter and continue to blend until frothy. Add the dry ingredients and blend until just incorporated. Set aside and cook asparagus on medium heat on the BBQ or a skillet with about 1/4 cup of water until cooked slightly and still crunchy, about 4 minutes. Drain any leftover water if using a skillet, top asparagus with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Once the cast iron pan is ready, add remaining 1 Tbsp of butter, let it melt slightly then pour the batter immediately after, and place in the oven to bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and top with: cooked asparagus, burrata, and ham. Optional to top with some black pepper and more lemon zest.

Rainbow Tea Sandwiches for Kids

To ensure that the kids are happy and well fed, I created a charming assortment of rainbow tea sandwiches even Ella’s picky eater stuffed chicken was curious about . Using natural food coloring agents like beet juice for red, turmeric for orange, pesto and spinach for green, and cabbage for blue, they are not only naturally dyed with real foods they are tasty and beautiful to look at.

A note about picky eaters and supporting your picky eater to try new foods;
I find that most kids love eggs, so introducing potentially new vegetables like beets and red cabbage to little ones is more likely to be accepted and enjoyed when paired with foods that are already considered safe. Plus, it’s a rainbow… so it has that going for it.

If one of the less accepted foods happens to be eggs, you can pair this food with our other recommended family friendly brunch menu items below… Almost all kids love avocado, and fruits.

Other items on the Family Friendly Brunch Menu:
Fresh fruit
Guacamole and toast
Smoothies

Involving Kids in Menu Planning and Food Prep
Another way to encourage kids and picky eaters to try new foods is having them get involved in the menu planning and food preparation; this not only nurtures their culinary skills but also instills in them a sense of ownership and pride in the meal, which makes them more likely to eat it.

Ella loves eggs and was happy to try the tea sandwiches! Pink was her fave.

Pink Tea Sandwich Recipe

(makes 3 tea sandwiches)

1 hard-cooked egg mashed with
1-2 Tbsp of grated boiled beets, a pinch of dill and salt.
3 slices of whole wheat bread, crust removed (and dried out to blend into bread crumbs if you wish), and cut in half to make 1 tea sandwich.
1 tsp of Mayo, spread on each side of bread

Yellow Tea Sandwich Recipe

(makes 3 tea sandwiches)

1 hard-cooked egg mashed with 1/4 tsp of each turmeric, curry powder and smoked paprika
3 slices of whole wheat bread, crust removed (and dried out to blend into bread crumbs if you wish), and cut in half to make 1 tea sandwich.
1 tsp of Mayo, spread on each side of bread

Green Tea Sandwich Recipe

(makes 3 tea sandwiches)

1 hard-cooked egg mashed with
1 Tbsp of finely chopped spinach
1-2 tsp of store bought (or homemade) pesto
3 slices of whole wheat bread, crust removed (and dried out to blend into bread crumbs if you wish), and cut in half to make 1 tea sandwich.
1 tsp of Mayo, spread on each side of bread

Blue Tea Sandwich Recipe

(makes 3 tea sandwiches)

1 hard-cooked egg mashed with
1 Tbsp of finely chopped boiled red cabbage with 1 tsp of vinegar
1-2 tsp grated carrot and parsley
3 slices of whole wheat bread, crust removed (and dried out to blend into bread crumbs if you wish), and cut in half to make 1 tea sandwich.
1 tsp of Mayo, spread on each side of bread

How to make the perfect hard cooked egg:

Method:

Boil a pot of water and gently pour eggs into the pot. You can do this by eggs, one at a time, in a small bowl and slightly submerging bowl to make the egg drop, while keeping your fingers safe.
Boil eggs for 8-10 minutes for a hard boiled egg. Remove from heat into a strainer and run under ice cold water for a few minutes (or place in egg bath).
To remove the shell, feel for the air bubble which is a space between shell and boiled egg, crack the egg in this area hitting it with a little pressure over a hard surface and use your fingers to gently pull away the shell. Set aside.

Watch this reel for the recipe video here!

Encouraging Nutrient-Dense Foods

Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse, providing high-quality protein, essential vitamins, and minerals crucial for a child’s growth and development. Encouraging the consumption of nutrient-dense foods like eggs from a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Mind you, if your kids have egg allergies there are other ways to get the nutrient goodness from other sources.

Our lives revolve around our kids’ lives often; this is a beautiful thing. A family-friendly brunch centered around nutrient-dense foods like eggs is a wonderful way to promote family bonding and instill healthy eating habits in children. By creating a menu that both involves kids and the adults, it satisfies everyone’s palate without unnecessary compromises – you can have your eggs your way and so can your kids!