Kids Cuisine

Cooking meals at home from basic ingredients is usually healthier than picking up processed and pre-packaged convenience food. But kids (at least my kids) seem to have an intrinsic preference for food that comes in packages.

So I wasn’t surprised at the shear excitement my 6- and 3-year-old sons displayed when they saw the stash of frozen meals for kids from Amy’s. I had high hopes because our go-to dinner when we need a quick meal that pleases everyone is Amy’s Frozen Pizza.

The kids were really intent on trying the Mac N’ Cheese. It was well-received and they both asked for more (I had them share the meal). I can’t say they were as excited about the side dishes - broccoli, focaccia bread, and little baked apple treats. I found the broccoli to be pretty well done considering what it has to go through as part of a frozen meal, but my kids weren’t impressed with the subtleties of well-prepared veggies. The focaccia was pretty dry, and my picky eaters just weren’t into the apple treats.

The other kids’ meals we tried were baked ziti with broccoli, focaccia bread, and an apple dessert, and also Mexican quesadilla with rice and beans and a chocolate cake. The meals came with a tattoo or a coloring page on the inside of the carton.

Like all of Amy’s products, the ingredients in the kids meals are vegetarian, organic (90% or more) and natural. Plus, the packaging states that there are 0g trans fat, no added msg, no preservatives, no GMOs — all big concerns about the processed foods available today. The baked ziti is also dairy free and gluten free!

The bottom line on these kid-friendly frozen meals is that on nights when you need a quick meal, you won’t have to give up quality and healthy ingredients.