“When working with families I like to remind them that nutrition habits and food relationships are made over time,” says Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, of Brooklyn-based Maya Feller Nutrition. “Continue to offer nutritious options through the holiday season.” Feller encourages parents to keep nutrition top of mind when deciding what to bake for the holidays and get the whole family involved. “Kids can and should be invited into the kitchen to engage in age-appropriate cooking activities,” she adds. Baking is a way for kids to learn how to create food by using fine motor skills, math, and more, so invite them into the kitchen to make one of these holiday cookie recipes with you. To give you some inspiration, we interviewed three nutritionists (who are also parents) on their favorite holiday cookie recipes to bake with their families. Each recipe is kid-tested, nutritionist-approved!
Ellena’s Peanut Butter Cookies
Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND, created these peanut butter cookies in honor of her daughter, who is a huge fan of the nutty spread. The nutrition expert and mom of three teens has been in the kitchen with her children for years, helping them understand what goes into well-balanced dishes. These cookies, in particular, are made with natural peanut butter, which doesn’t contain any added sugar. Kacie Barnes, MCN, RDN, LD, is a registered dietitian and the creator of Mama Knows Nutrition. Find her in Dallas, Texas, where she is raising her children: Teddy (6 years old) and Emilia (4 years old) Kiran Smith is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and food blogger at Easy Real Food. She resides in Charleston, N.C. and is mom to 17-year-old Jaiden, 15-year-old Deja, 13-year-old Shaela, and 10-year-old Sajin. Amidor says, “As I wrote each of my nine cookbooks, [my two daughters] assisted me in the kitchen and I explained tips and tricks of cooking. My daughter Ellena absolutely loves peanut butter, so I created these cookies for her to have an easy recipe on hand for the holidays.” “Like many families, we love decorating cookies around the holiday season,” Smith says. “When possible, we also like baking from scratch, because you know exactly what goes into the recipe. The ingredients in this cookie recipe are minimal enough that kids can help make the batter, roll them out, cut them, and then decorate them. It’s a recipe that they can assist with start to finish. In addition, these gingerbread cookies are gluten-free, which are helpful for the growing population (including us!) who cannot tolerate gluten.” “I make these every year at Christmastime, and they’re way lower in added sugar than the traditional version,” she shares, noting that the natural peanut butter is lower in sugar than traditional jarred peanut butter. Plus, she doesn’t add any sugar to the recipe. They come together in less than 20 minutes and have chia seeds, which are a good source of fiber and antioxidants. “I wanted to create a cookie that was a step up health-wise from your standard chocolate chip cookie,” Amidor says. “So I added oats, a type of soluble fiber, which most folks—especially kids—don’t get enough of. Although these cookies are a dessert, they certainly have better-for-you ingredients and are rather tasty!” “Many gluten-free flours are refined and therefore not as nutritious as others,” Smith shares. “I specifically used brown rice flour in this recipe since it’s whole grain and a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.” “How many times do you feel like baking but not whipping out all the ingredients that go along with the recipe?” Amidor says of this simple recipe. “These easy-to-make cookies are perfect for a beginner cookie baker.” “As a dietitian, I always like to add nutrient-packed ingredients to recipes when possible,” Barnes says. “My kids and I love the pumpkin chocolate chip bread from our local market, so I wanted to make a version at home with less added sugar, and I thought cookies would be a fun alternative! I chose whole wheat flour and oats to add more fiber to the recipe and reduced the added sugar to make it a better-for-you treat. My kids love to stir the ingredients together, and there’s always a battle over who gets to crack the egg. Of course, adding in the chocolate chips is their very favorite part!” This recipe is another easy winner from the nutrition expert’s “The Best 3-Ingredient Cookbook,” which she also jokingly says is a cookbook that even her teenage son can follow along with. “These simple cookies, like the name suggests, are made by dropping a spoonful of the dough on a prepared baking sheet,” Amidor says. “They also provide oats for whole grains and raisins for some fruit. They’re delicious and simple—that’s what I strive to create.” There was an error. Please try again.
