With fantastic flavors and aromas and a few new ingredients mixed in with some new incredible Middle Eastern food can be made in your own home.  You can make food that the whole family will love, including kids, with these tips!

Start with the How To Teach Children To Be World Food Explorers Guide

In the United States, the most commonly associated food with Latin America is Mexican food.  Although many of the countries share similar ingredients and flavors, there is so much more to Latin American food beyond tortillas, tacos, and burritos.

Watch the Facebook live interview with Amanda from My Gluten Free Miami talking about kid friendly Latin American food.

Tips to make Latin American food kid friendly:

Tone down the heat!– Although chile peppers feature predominantly in most Central and South American food, most children would not be accustomed to the heat found in many dishes.  Start small and remember to scrape the seeds and membranes from fresh peppers. This is where much of the heat resides.

Remember the sides!  Rice, beans, and plantains can be prepared in ways to give kids other choices. Salsas and sauces can also be served on the side and with various heat preparations to give kids the options to dip.

 

Top Ten Flavors of Latin America:

1. Beans– Beans are a big staple in Latin American food.  Although black and pinto beans are most commonly associated with Latin American food, other beans are also used throughout Central and South America.  Great northern, lima, kidney and navy beans can also be found in various regions.
2. Rice– Rice is another daily staple of Latin American food.  Rice and beans became a staple because of how inexpensive they are, but they are now very much a key part of Latin American cuisine.
3. Plantains– Plantains are the less sweet, higher starch cousins to bananas.  They can be served steamed, boiled, mashed, baked, and fried.
4. Tomatoes, garlic, and onions– These are the holy trinity of Latin cuisine.  They form the basis for salsas and especially sofrito, which is the base for many beans and stews.
5. Citrus fruits– Although citrus fruits are an imported product from Asia, they have become a central ingredient in Latin American food.  Lemon, lime, and orange are popular for use in marinades. 
6. Chile Peppers– Jalapeno is one of the milder peppers and perhaps the most widely used.  Other favorites include chipotle and serrano.
7. Cumin– Cumin is probably the most used spice in Latin American food.  It’s got a pungent smell and tons of flavor.
8. Cilantro– Cilantro, or coriander as it’s known in some areas, is a member of the parsley family. That might explain why flat leaf parsley and cilantro can easily be confused in the grocery store. Fresh cilantro and ground coriander have very different flavors and therefore cannot be used in place of one another.
9. Maize– Maize, better known to us as corn, are an integral part of Latin American cuisine.  They not only form the basis for tortillas but maize is also used to make arepas.
10. Squashes– like butternut and pumpkin

 

Tools and gadgets for eating Latin American food at home:

You really don’t need any special gadgets or tools for making Latin American food at home.  However, these are some good additions if you are looking for something fun.

Tortilla press– These are a great helper for making tortillas, or for flattening plantains.  

Cast Iron Skillet– Cast iron skillets are one of my favorite tools in the kitchen.  They are perfect for frying foods like empanadas or plantains and they make a great tortilla press in a pinch.

 

Additional kid friendly resources about Latin America:

A big part of getting kids excited about new cuisines is introducing them to other aspects of the culture. Using music, books, and movies help spark children’s interest and open them up to trying new foods.

Music:

• Latin Playground
• Samba Bossa Nova
• Latin Party
• Rumba Flamenco
• Brazilian Groove

Movies/shows:

• Emperor’s New Groove (available on Netflix)
• Colombia Wild Magic (available on Netflix)
• Coco
• Dora The Explorer and Go Diego Go

Books:

• What Can You Do With a Paleta? by Carmen Tafolla
• Tito Puente by Monica Brown
• Drum Dream Girl by Maragarita Engle
• You can find other books listed here: 10 Books Celebrating Latino Culture

Learn the language

Incorporating a new language into meal time is also a good way to engage children with the culture.  Here are some resources:

• Learn to sing Mi Burro Le Duele La Cabeza
• Learn to sing The Little Mermaid’s Under The Sea in Spanish

Want to speak more? This is another great resource:

• Use Spanish at Home
• Use Portuguese at Home (coming soon)

We use this series at home and I love it.  There is no grammar or sentence structure.  It’s learning applicable phrases that your family can actually use.  The first phrase I learned was “necesito cambiar el panal otra vez (I need to change your diaper again)” which has been applicable only about a dozen times a day it seems!

Kid Friendly Latin American Food:

Pineapple Pork Carnitas– the first time we had this was at a Mayan restaurant and we just had to replicate it.  Pineapple makes it an appealing first introduction into Latin American food.

Baked or Fried Empanadas– Variations of empanadas, similar to little hand pies, are found all over Latin America.  This is a very basic recipe that is easily customized to your family’s tastes.

Chicken Enfrijoladas– Similar to enchiladas, these chicken stuffed tortillas are covered with a delicious black bean sauce.  Serving new flavors in a similar way to old favorites is a good introduction for kids.

Mole Chicken Enchiladas– Mole is a rich and savory chocolate and chile sauce.  Tone down the spice in the mole sauce the first few times you make it so that the spiciness doesn’t turn off children.  Once children are used to the dish then you can begin to increase the heat a little.

Chicken Tortilla Soup– This is the Latin Version of chicken noodle soup and it is everything you could want in a soup.  Using some simple pantry staples you can create a soup everyone will love.

Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Burger– A twist on the classic huevos rancheros you have all the flavors but in burger form.

Mexican rice– A Mexican restaurant staple this rice is a popular menu item that pairs wonderfully with many of the dishes above.

Grilled Corn with Cumin Butter– Elote (also known as Mexican street corn) is a crazy flavorful corn on the cob.  This is a slightly lighter grilled version you can easily make at home.

Homemade Horchata– A popular cinnamon rice drink, it is easy enough to recreate at home in a blender.  I’m always surprised at how much kids love this drink.