finger foods

French toast doesn’t have to be a junky breakfast. In fact, with the protein from the eggs and some fresh strawberries, it can be an energizing start to the day. Serve a small amount of syrup on the side if you want to control how much sugar your kids are getting. They’ll love dipping the “soldiers” into the syrup.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
6 slices Italian bread, halved lengthwise
Cooking spray
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1 cup hulled strawberries
1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 250°. Place a baking sheet in oven.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk; whisk until well blended. Working in batches, dip bread strips in milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 6 coated bread strips to pan; sauté 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place on preheated pan in oven to keep warm. Repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining bread strips.

Place syrup and strawberries in a food processor; process until smooth. Serve with French toast strips. Sprinkle each serving with powdered sugar, if desired.

Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her cookbook, Real Family Food, features this and other delicious family-friendly recipes, as well as simple tips for bringing your family together around the table and a strategy for meal planning, budgeting, and shopping.

Image Source: Courtesy of Jim Bathie

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

Most kids are hooked on breaded chicken of some sort. So here’s a pan-fried version that’s much healthier than
drive-through or frozen-food options. Using chicken breast tenders makes these look like fast food, but you’ll feel so much better about feeding them to your kids. The crispy, crunchy panko breadcrumbs lend incredible texture.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 pounds chicken breast tenders (about 12 tenders)
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1⁄3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preparation

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place eggs in a shallow bowl. Combine panko and cheese in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg; dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of chicken; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned and done. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and chicken.

Image Source: Courtesy of Jim Bathie

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

Why do sandwiches taste so good heated? I’m pretty sure my family will eat anything between two slices of bread if it’s been grilled. Here’s our favorite treat: a peanut butter and banana sandwich taken to the next level on a panini press. Serve it with honey for dipping and you'll be in heaven.

Make this a complete meal by adding a cup of 1% low-fat milk per serving.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
4 slices of bread
1 small banana, halved crosswise
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons honey

Preparation

Preheat panini grill.

Spread peanut butter evenly over 2 bread slices. Cut each banana half lengthwise into 3 slices. Layer banana slices over peanut butter on bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices.

Coat outsides of sandwiches with cooking spray. Place sandwiches on panini grill; cook 1 minute or until golden. Cut each sandwich into 4 sticks. Drizzle sandwich sticks evenly with chocolate syrup. Serve with honey for dipping.

Image Source: Courtesy of Jim Bathie

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

With the flood of holidays fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about what food to serve. Deviled eggs are a classic holiday tradition in many families. Watch the quick tutorial below to learn how easy it is to transform hard-boiled egg into deviled egg perfection. YumSugar Editor, Katie Sweeney, walks through the in four simple steps and even shares ideas for decorating them to fit a particular party theme or holiday.

This video originally appeared on YumSugar.

Image Source: YumSugar

Pulled pork is outstanding, but pulled chicken is a perfect, fast substitute on a weeknight. Everyone will go nuts for this scrumptious sandwich! Top it with cole slaw (home made or store bought) to take it up another level.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 1/3 cups barbecue sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8-10 hamburger buns

Preparation

Combine first 5 ingredients in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 to 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from sauce, reserving sauce. Place chicken on a plate and cool 15 minutes. Shred chicken with 2 forks.

While chicken cools, return sauce to heat. Bring to a boil; boil, uncovered, 15 minutes or until reduced by half. Stir chicken into sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Spoon 1⁄2 cup chicken mixture onto bottom half of each bun. Top each with 1⁄4 cup cole slaw (optional). Cover with bun tops.

Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her cookbook, Real Family Food, features this and other delicious family-friendly recipes, as well as simple tips for bringing your family together around the table and a strategy for meal planning, budgeting, and shopping.

Image Source: Jim Bathie

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.

We all know that a healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The problem is getting kids to eat it. Some kids aren’t morning people; some want nothing but sugary cereal. Some kids want to eat the same thing every day, and others need some variety. I’ve come up with some creative and healthy new breakfast ideas so my own don’t get tired of the same old things.

These ideas are even more fun if you have your kids help you make them; they’ll enjoy helping in the kitchen, and they’ll be more than happy to eat their own creations.

1. Fruit Pizza

Make a pizza crust and let it cool, or use flatbread. Spread it with a favorite flavor of yogurt, then top with sliced fruits. Bananas, strawberries, grapes… almost any fruit will work.

2. Parfaits

In a parfait cup or a juice glass, alternate layers of yogurt with fruit, and top with granola or cereal. For a rainbow effect, use different flavors of yogurt and different fruits for each layer.

3. Fruit Kabobs

This is as easy as it gets. All you need is some bowls of various sliced up fruits and some skewers. Supervise the kids while they create the fruit combinations they prefer. Have some yogurt on hand for dipping.

4. Make-Your-Own McMuffins

Scramble an egg, and layer it with cheese and a slice of ham on a toasted whole wheat English muffin. For something different, try using Swiss, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese, or use turkey sausage or Canadian bacon instead of ham.

5. Strawberry Pinwheels

Start with a small whole grain tortilla. Spread it with low fat cream cheese – regular is fine, but you can also use cream cheese that comes in flavors like strawberry or blueberry. Top it off with sliced strawberries, then roll up the tortilla and slice it into pinwheels.

6. Put Peanut Butter On It

Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and most kids love it. It’s good for so much more than sandwiches and actually makes a great breakfast food. Spread it on toast or English muffins, or even pancakes or waffles, then top with banana slices, preserves, or raisins. Or make ants on a log by slicing a banana lengthwise, spreading the flat sides with peanut butter, and sprinkling with raisin or dried cranberry “ants.”

7. Breakfast Smoothies

Throw some milk, yogurt, and protein powder in a blender, and then add some frozen fruit, like strawberries or blueberries, and a sliced banana. Blend, pour, and go.

When all else fails, forget the rules. Some people, kids included, simply don’t care for “breakfast food." And that’s okay. What matters is that they get a healthy meal in the morning. A turkey and cheese wrap or an English muffin pizza made with tomato sauce and low fat mozzarella is healthy too. Include a piece of fruit and a glass of milk, and you have a healthy lunch for breakfast.

What are your favorite fun breakfast foods?

Image Source: thinkstock

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.