Tri-Star Alliance, Inc

MEAT/MEAT ALTERNATES IDEAS THAT DON'T REQUIRE A CN LABEL!

• Spaghetti with "meat sauce"
  • Portion each component separately onto the child's plate: Pasta, marinara sauce, ground beef crumbles.
  • As long as you portion these separately, there is no need to have a recipe. Weigh out the appropriate portion size per age group. Put that amount into a measuring cup. For this example, let's say that 1oz of weighed ground beef fits into a 1/8c measuring cup. So the serving size for 1-2 year olds would be 1/8c.
  • You would just document on your menu, the actual serving sizes that you gave to each age group.
• (Un-breaded) Chicken Tenders
  • Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them into strips. Cook them in a skillet or bake them in the oven. Weigh out appropriate serving sizes. Serve with a dipping sauce. You could also use the same method for Chicken Fajitas. Cut up strips of chicken, put some seasoning on them, and weigh them out to determine the serving size. Then serve them with sautéed peppers & onions and a soft tortilla. Pork loin baked in the oven or crock pot. Shred and portion out appropriate serving sizes. Serve plain or with BBQ sauce on the side. (the same could be done with chicken breasts or pork butt)
• Chicken drumsticks
  • You could purchase "similar weight" drumsticks. Bake them, then take the meat off of one of them and weigh it. Then determine how many drumsticks you need to serve each age group to meet the required serving size
• Make your own Tuna Salad
  • Drain the tuna from the can. Weigh out the appropriate portion size per age group. Put that amount into a measuring cup. For this example, let's say that 1oz of weighed tuna fits into an 1/8c measuring cup. So the serving size for 1-2year olds would be 1/8c. Then you could serve the mayo, diced onions and celery, on the side.
• Salisbury steak
  • Use an all-beef hamburger patty, and cover it with gravy
• Fish fillet
  • Bake a fish fillet in the oven with some seasoning on it. You can weigh the piece of fish after it is cooked to determine the serving size. (You could even add some shredded parmesan & panko bread crumbs to make it crispy on top)
• Sloppy Joe
  • Brown hamburger. Weigh out the appropriate portion size per age group. Put that amount into a measuring cup. For this example, let's say that 1oz of weighed ground beef fits into a 1/8c measuring cup. So the serving size for 1-2year olds would be 1/8c. Put the ground beef portion on the bun, then put the "sloppy joe" sauce on top of the ground beef.
• Make your own pizza
  • Give each participant a "crust" (tortilla, English muffin, flatbread, pita, etc.), a soufflé cup of pizza sauce, age appropriate serving of shredded cheese, and any other toppings that you want. (Children eat cold pizza Lunchables® all the time and love them.)
• Sausage gravy
  • Use ground pork, add seasonings. Serve appropriate serving size of ground sausage onto plate and top with "non-creditable" gravy.
• Have "breakfast for lunch"
  • Scrambled eggs, hash browns, toast, mixed fresh berries, milk

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