I don’t know about you, but all of the decisions based around back-to-school this year has my head spinning. It seems like no one can provide a clear-cut answer, guidance is cloudy and social media is a constant tennis match of what is best for our children.
Whether we are sending our kids back to school in person or continuing at-home learning, one thing’s for certain: The way our kids are learning is changing. The one thing that's not changing? Lunch. Kids get hungry and whether it's at home or in school, we've still got to feed them. Thankfully Kraft Heinz and Walmart make that easier for parents and it's one more stressor off our plates (literally).
On a recent trip to Walmart, I picked up some Kraft Heinz products—Delimex Chicken & Cheese Taquitos (and just plain chicken), Jell-o, and Kraft Singles. I also grabbed some fruit and whipped cream earlier at the grocery store and was stocked and ready for the next day's lunch.
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Now I could have just fed them the Delimex Chicken & Cheese Taquitos, some fresh fruit and a Kraft Single, with Jell-o as a special treat. This is what I'd do if they were heading off to the classroom because the kids can pack all of that themselves. But since our home will be our classroom for a few more months, I decided it'd be fun to incorporate some mini-teaching lessons into our lunchtime routine. Lunchtime is a great chance to combine a meal with age-appropriate activities and Kraft Heinz makes both lunch and learning fun for the kids.
Math, Science, Reading & LUNCH
I tasked the older kids with turning the oven to the correct temperature to bake the Delimex Chicken & Cheese Taquitos (you can also microwave them). I also made sure to have our emerging readers try their hands at reading the package directions.
While waiting for the taquitos to bake, we made the roux for the cheese dip (my 7-year-old niece learned what ¼ meant when she added the flour to the recipe). Then I asked my little scientists what would happen to the cheese slices when added and what color they thought the sauce would turn after we added the Kraft Singles. We experimented by adding a little at a time. And guess what? Surprise, the cheese melted and turned the roux orange just like the kids predicted … and we made a delectable cheese dip for the taquitos too.
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Then it was time to dress up our fruit. Hello, Lime Jell-O The kids made hypotheses as to what would happen if we heated up the Jell-O in the microwave and then we gave it a try. We all watched the Jell-O slowly turn from a solid to a liquid (OK, I know it's actually a colloid, but the kids' ages range from 3 to 7, so I stuck to the basics). We took the liquid and mixed it with some whipped cream, and a fruit dip was born.
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When the taquitos were all baked and ready to plate, we asked the kids to cut them in half. Fractions anyone? See how this works?
After the math, science, reading and our life skills lesson (that was the cooking part), the kids were ready to eat! The Delimex Chicken & Cheese Taquitos and the dips were a big hit in this house. The kids enjoyed digging into the things they had a hand in creating and devoured all of it. It just goes to show you that so much of learning is seizing those little opportunities and turning them into teachable moments.
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Thanks to Kraft Heinz and Walmart we were able to keep lunchtime easy to prepare, fun and educational too!
Kelly McIlquham, Berkshires Macaroni Kid Publisher, assisted with this article.
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