Earlier this week I wrote about 5 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin A. This is a very important vitamin especially for growing children. It is required for their eye health, immune system, healthy skin, bone development, brain development and development for blood cells. A severe deficiency is known to cause night blindness.

As a follow up, I decided to scan a few of my favorite recipe sites for kid-friendly and easy-to-make recipes rich in Vitamin A. Check them out and be sure to visit these blogs for more great recipes.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Bisque on Chow and Chatter

This recipe has a tripe-dose of vitamin A rich vegetables – sweet potato, carrots and butternut squash! Strictly speaking, bisque is a thick soup, but this recipe could easily be turned into rich, creamy dip for french bread or baked chips. I would skip the wine, of course, when offering it to your kids! Check it out.

Sweet Potato Quesadilla on Fix Me A Snack

This is such a cool idea for a quick snack rich in vitamin A! It uses sweet potato, applesauce and optionally cranberry sauce and of course cheese and tortillas. Our twins love crunchy quesadillas, so we are definitely going to give it a try!

Chili Mac ‘N Cheese with a Healthy Makeover on Meal Makeover Moms

Kids love Mac ‘n Cheese, but the problem is the fat and refined carbs from the usual ingredients – pasta, milk and cheese. The Meal Makover Moms did  a simple and clever ingredient swap to make this a healthier option. Vitamin A comes from the milk, cheese and the vegetarian chili.

Börek – Spinach Pastry on Binnur’s Turkish Cookbook

This is our family favorite! Spinach filling and a liquid mix made up of milk, egg and olive oil are added between layers of phyllo pastry and the whole stack is baked in the oven for a crunchy, yet soft spinach pastry. It is a great snack or an appetizer before a meal.

Butternut Squash Soup on Littlestomaks

We have made this recipe several times now and it has become one of our favorites. It takes a little longer to cook, but it is very good! The good thing is that you can make enough to last for a couple of days. Butternut squash is a great source of vitamin A and other vitamins.

Enjoy these recipes and let me know what you think!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This is a great recipe for a wholesome hot soup on a cold fall day! We stumbled on it in Recipes from the Heart, a cookbook we recently purchased to support the Operation STEM-ulus from the U.S. Foodservice to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to needy families. We adapted it slightly to match the ingredients at hand.

Ingredients

1. 1 medium butternut squash, cut into cubes (we bought it from Costco)
2. 1 small onion, finely chopped or crushed in a food processor
3. 1/4 cup all purpose flour
4. 3 cups organic chicken broth
5. 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6. 1 cup whole milk
7. Chopped parsley or cilantro
8. Salt and pepper to taste
9. Pure honey
10. Unsalted cashews

Method

1. Place squash cubes on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, slightly greased with olive oil
2. Roast in oven at 350 °F for about 45 minutes, remove in a glass container when done and allow to cool
3. Add olive oil to a large pan and saute onions over low heat until softened
4. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste. Skip the salt if chicken broth has high salt
5. Add roasted squash and flour, mix well
6. Add chicken broth, mix well gently pressing the squash cubes
7. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer covered for 20 – 30 minutes stirring occasionally
8. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or a standard blender until smooth
9. Add milk and honey and let it simmer some more until desired consistency is reached. Add hot water if necessary
10. Garnish with chopped cilantro and unsalted cashews and serve hot!

About butternut squash

Source:Wikimedia Commons

Butternut squash is a type of winter squash with a sweet, nutty taste similar to a pumpkin. It has a very high nutritious value – rich in dietary fiber, A, B and C vitamins, and minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Roasting is a common way of preparing butternut squash for soups and desserts.

A word of caution – some people may get contact dermatitis when handling butternut squash skin. Wear rubber or latex gloves while cutting or peeling. The allergic reaction is usually temporary and can be treated by over the counter cortisone cream.

©2009 Littlestomaks.com