Ingredients:

• 100g chorizo, diced
• 4 soft tortilla wraps
• Leftover chicken, shredded
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• Grated cheddar and/or mozzarella
• 100g sweetcorn
• Rocket and cherry tomatoes, to serve

Method:

1. In a small pan, sauté the chorizo for 3-4 minutes. Drain and remove to a plate.
2. Put a large pan or griddle pan on over a medium heat
3. Now it’s time to create your quesadillas. Lay a tortilla wrap on a chopping board and combine a mix of chicken, chorizo, pepper strips, corn and cheese to one half of the wrap.
4. Fold the other half over, and use a spatula to carefully lift the quesadilla into the pan. Cook on each side for several minutes, pressing down with the spatula to keep the quesadilla flat.
5. Cut into thirds and serve.

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Latkes are a Jewish potato pancake or fritter served with sour cream and traditionally prepared to celebrate Hanukkah. This recipe for classic potato latkes from The New York Times has more than 3,300 5-star reviews.

Top tip: always make more than you think you’ll need, they go fast!

Boxty potato pancakes are a traditional Irish recipe that varies from region to region, but they all use grated raw potato. This boxty recipe from Donal Skehan is his family’s favourite, and they are great with a full Irish breakfast.

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So simple and easy to make, these crepe-style savoury pancakes from Taming Twins can be on the table in 10 minutes. Use some grated cheddar, ham and an egg for something very satisfying, or change up the fillings as needed.

Korean seafood pancakes, known as Haemuljeon, are a delicious mix of fresh seafood and spring onions, with plenty of flavour from chilli, fish sauce and sesame oil.

This hugely popular recipe from Maangchi shows you step-by-step and in video how to make your own haemuljeon, which are delicious served with rice (or just on their own!).

Crispy duck pancakes are such a family favourite, but can be an expensive and often unhealthy option to order. This recipe from BBC Good Food shows you how to make your own, using duck breasts and a delicious honey and Chinese five-spice marinade with a plum sauce. And making your own pancakes doesn’t need to be a chore. Serve with shredded spring onion, cucumber and carrot and let everyone make their own.

Dosa is a popular South Indian thin crepe made with a fermented rice and lentil batter. Dosas are traditionally served for breakfast, but are substantial enough for dinner when served with this spiced potato masala filling from Swasthi’s Recipes.

Crisp, aromatic and packed with flavour, these dosas are very more-ish!

Inspired by the classic Greek dish Spanakopita, this delicious savoury spin on traditional pancakes is an exciting new way to fill your pancakes with Mediterranean flavour.

Whip up a batch of these Spanakopita-style pancakes from Tesco Real Food and load them with this gorgeously creamy spinach, ricotta and pine nut mixture.

Use leftover roast chicken for these creamy chicken, spinach and pancetta pancakes from Delicious – they are are the absolute definition of comfort food and just need a simple salad or some green veg for a complete meal.

Not all desserts mean lots of calories!  Check out some of our healthy ideas for rainbow desserts without the guilt factor and a fun way to get extra fruit into reluctant kids.

These little fruit tacos from Sugar Dish Me are cinnamon sugar tortillas stuffed with honey cinnamon cream cheese and all your favourite fruit. They are easy to prepare and work well as party food or a fun after school snack.

Vitamin-packed fruit skewers are a simple, colourful and fun way to get kids to eat fruit, and they’ll love helping to make them too. Clean Food Crush uses raspberries, strawberries, melon, mango, pineapple, kiwi, grapes and blueberries for these.

You could try serving new fruits, alongside familiar fruits to introduce new flavours and textures in a fun way.

These whole fruit and veggie rainbow popsicles from Yummy Mummy Kitchen are as delicious and nourishing as they are pretty. They have no artificial food dyes or added sweeteners, and those distinct rainbow layers are made with blended whole fruit and veggies.

This healthy rainbow chia pudding from Girl Phat is perfect for breakfast, snacks or dessert – and packed with fruit and delicious goodness!

Okay, so this isn’t a quick fix smoothie to make on a busy morning, but it would make an epic Vitamin C boost on the weekends or special occasions.

We love the suggestion from The First Year Blog to make this rainbow smoothie an unforgettable treat – stick a gold chocolate coin in the bottom of the glass before adding the smoothie. That way when someone is finished drinking it, they find gold at the end of the rainbow!

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Transform a traditional vanilla pudding into a showstopping rainbow dessert, like this one from Makezine, your whole family will love.

Top with cream and sprinkles or just leave the beautiful layers to speak for themselves!

This no-bake rainbow cheesecake tart from PS I Made This is perfect for showcasing all your favourite fruits. Swap the Graham Cracker crust for crushed digestive biscuits or chocolate chip cookies if you prefer.

Pancakes are a popular choice for breakfast, but these rainbow pancakes from I Am Baker can be transformed into a dessert with the addition of some sweet toppings. Perhaps even a scoop of ice cream?!

If you plan on trying all the colours of the rainbow, make these pancakes in small bite-size amounts so that you can indulge!

Do you prefer a thinner pancake? Try these rainbow crepes from The Proper Blog and serve with some of the accompanying key lime whipped cream, fruit in a variety of rainbow colours, or whatever takes your fancy!

Perhaps not the breakfast of champions, but definitely a fun treat for special occasions. You can learn how to make your own jam-filled treats with this recipe for rainbow pop tarts courtesy of Tastemade.

tbd

There are lots of tasty ideas like this no-churn rainbow ice cream over at Creamish for making really quick ice creams – no ice cream machine required, and it can be done in a matter of minutes.

It’s lots more fun to make your own and comes without all the added extras found in shop-bought ice creams.

These soft-baked rainbow cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction are deliciously chewy and very more-ish! Great for a party (or a Monday…), they are sure to be very popular.

Use candy melts to create rainbow popcorn, like this version from The Decorated Cookie. While this would definitely brighten up a family movie night, it also makes a fantastic addition to a party food menu.

These sparkly fruity rainbow gummies from Our Best Bites can be coloured and flavoured as much as you like, and the recipe will show you just how to get started.

Crazy For Crust shows you just how to make these slice-and-bake rainbow cookies using a classic sugar cookie recipe. Add some little cookie dot clouds for extra cute factor!

Made in minutes, this rainbow candy bark from My Name is Snickerdoodle is a really fun idea for treats or parties.

Use whatever sprinkles, sweets and candy you can find to make this bark as colourful as possible!

Layer up different colours to create a jello rainbow of wobble – Made By a Princess shows you how to perfect the layering.

You could make individual servings, or create one big glass bowl of wondrous wobble for the kids to enjoy.

Another great jello idea is to give these rainbow jello orange wedges from Tablespoon a try. How fun would these be for a kids party?!

If you love a waffle, just think how much more exciting a rainbow one will be like this one from Tablespoon! And just look at those whipped cream clouds…

Candy melts in a range of colours can transform anything into a rainbow treat! Just look at these chocolate-covered strawberries from Dash of Sanity that are sure to be gobbled up in no time!

Cakes are the ultimate way to create a rainbow dessert the whole family will be wowed by.

Keep it quick and simple, and decorate your favourite cake with some Smarties or M&Ms in a rainbow pattern like this one from Taste.

This rainbow Swiss roll is a show-stopping twist on the classic and would be perfect for a party.

While this recipe from Tablespoon uses a box cake, any Swiss roll recipe, coloured and cooked the same, would work just as well.

Take it to the next level with a multicoloured rainbow layer cake. Imagine slicing into this and seeing the reactions when a rainbow appears! Cupcake Jemma shows you just how to create your own with this step-by-step video.

Amp up the rainbow colours! This stunning cake from Land O Lakes features rainbow layers and is adorned with beautiful rainbow buttercream roses for a really eye-catching finish.

These playful rainbow cupcakes from Dessert Now, Dinner Later are making us drool! The bright colours, in perfect layers, peaked cupcakes, and whipped cream cheese frosting – so much goodness going on in one cupcake!

Give any cupcake (homemade or shop-bought) a rainbow makeover with this really effective rainbow buttercream. Panko Bunny shows you how to create the effect with a how-to video.

Create your own rainbow with cupcakes, thanks to this clever and deceptively simple idea we found on Pinterest!

These heart-shaped watermelon, cantaloupe and pineapple fruit kebabs from Life in Wonderland are super cute and kids love eating bite-size things on sticks.

What a simple clever fruit display idea – to make a heart using rainbow coloured fruits. The kids will gobble this up!

For each colour you could use:

• Red: berries such as strawberries and raspberries
• Orange: cantaloupe or tangerine slices
• Yellow: mango cubes or banana slices
• Green: kiwi or green apple chunks
• Blue: blueberries
• Indigo: red grapes (cut in half)

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How cute are these emoji fruit slices from What Moms Love?!

Using slices of pineapple or mango to create the face, and then watermelon or strawberry for the heart eyes is genius! And I’m pretty sure the kids would gobble these up in no time…

Happy Together by Jess cores apple slices with a heart cutter for another of our favourite fruit Valentines treats. You could then let your child make apple slice sandwiches with peanut butter and other healthy toppings. Yum!

Such a simple idea but also very cute. These strawberry sticks from Catch My Party just involve cutting your strawberries into slices lengthways, to get the berry’s natural heart shape, and popping them on a skewer.

You could thread other fruit in between to make them even more colourful.

Aren’t these strawberry and grape Valentine heart kebabs from Modern Parents Messy Kids super cute? You could also use blueberries or satsuma segments in between the strawberry slices.

These oven baked apple chips from Bren Did are a healthy, low calorie snack both parents and kids love. The secret to perfect apple chips is baking at a low temperature which perfectly dehydrates the fruit.

…and finally, if you don’t have sticks, skewers or a heart-shaped cutter you could always arrange your colourful fruit artfully in a heart shaped bowl!

Children should eat between 2 and 3 snacks a day to help keep energy levels up. Offering healthy snacks is important, not only nutritionally but also to help your children as they grow.

Kids look for snacks for a variety of reasons so here’s some things to consider before deciding what to offer them:

• Length of time to their next meal and length of time since their last meal
• They may actually be thirsty so is a drink of milk or water what they need?
• Will a light snack like a piece of fruit keep them satisfied until mealtime?
• If they are hungry after school or physical activity, you may need to give them a more filling snack

Having a range of healthy snacks to offer when hunger strikes is the best way to ensure you are offering good choices. So next time you go shopping, include these in your basket so you are not caught out when the kids proclaim they are starving!

Lighter snack options can include:

• Fruit
• Chopped raw vegetables
• Glass of milk or water
• Small portion of nuts or seeds
• A kids-sized yogurt
• 1-2 crackers, oatcakes, rice cakes or bread sticks
• Small portion of air popped pop corn

For more filling healthy snacks try:

• Small portion of cheese and crackers
• Sliced apple or pear with nut butter
• Hummus with raw vegetables for dipping
• Kids-sized yogurt with fruit
• Mashed banana and wholemeal toast
• Boiled egg with a slice of wholemeal toast
• Homemade soup
• Small bowl of cereal with milk
• Egg muffin
• Slice of cooked meat
• Small wholemeal pitta with cheese or cooked meat or dip
• Slice of wholemeal bread toasted
• Pizza soldiers
• Wholemeal scone with a little butter
• Air popped popcorn with grated parmesan
• Baked oat bar

For more ideas and recipes on healthy snacks check out MakeaStart.ie

Next time you make a batch of muffins consider freezing some so you have a handy, healthy snack ready when the kids are looking for a pick me up. Here are a couple of healthy muffin recipes ideal for a quick snack between meals or as an after-dinner treat.

• Quick and easy blueberry muffins
• Protein-packed egg muffins

Oats are filling and nutritious and we love these homemade oat bars. Best of all they will last in an airtight container for a week and can be frozen to use at a later date too.

They have just 6 ingredients and are ready to eat in about 30 minutes. Get the recipe here.

For many, treats are a part of our daily diet and it can be difficult to say no or not reach for a treat when everyone is tired, ‘hangry’, upset, busy or you are on the go. But treat foods provide very little in terms of nutrition and can leave us feeling more tired more hungry and less fulfilled than we want.

Making healthier decisions around food and forming good habits with your kids will benefit them for life. The START campaign has a range of tips to help you give treats in smaller amounts and less often.

Green Isle has teamed up with ambassador Derval O’Rourke and put together a range of summer inspired recipes that are full of goodness for all the family to enjoy – including the little ones!

Serves 4 as a snack

Ingredients:

• ½ bag of Green Isle frozen peas
• Handful of fresh mint leaves
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• Coarse salt and pepper

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Method:

1. Cook peas in salted boiling water until tender, 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
2. Pulse peas in a food processor with mint, lemon zest and juice, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and tahini.
3. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle with oil. Serve with veggie batons and crackers.

Makes 12 potato cakes

Ingredients:

• 200ml milk
• 2 eggs
• 75g flour
• 450g potatoes, peeled and grated
• 225g onion thinly sliced
• 225g cooked chicken, finely chopped
• Small can of sweetcorn, drained
• 1 tbsp chives, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Butter and vegetable oil for frying

Method:

1. Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre and drop in the eggs.
2. Using a whisk gradually pour in the milk whisking all the time until combined and smooth, set aside.
3. Blanch the onion and grated potato in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain and squeeze out as much water as you can from the potato and onions.
4. Stir the chicken, sweetcorn, chives, and the potato and onion mixture into the batter, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat a tablespoon of butter and oil together in a frying pan, once hot drop in spoonfuls of the batter, flatten and cook on each side for 4 minutes. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.
6. To make a dressing for the pancakes combine natural yogurt with lime juice and drizzle over the pancakes.

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Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 235g Flahavan’s Super Oats
• 2 eggs
• 120g apple compote
• 240mls skimmed milk
• 15g ground flaxseed
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 90g blueberries
• 40g brown sugar

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Method:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C
2. Mix Flahavan’s Super Oats, eggs, blueberries, apple sauce, brown sugar, skimmed milk, flax seed, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl; pour into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven until the moisture is absorbed and the oats are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Cut portions into 12 equal portions.

Aoife and Flahavan’s have teamed up to show you how to incorporate oats, a budget-friendly and healthy super food, into your family’s diet. Don’t miss Aoife’s expert tips for feeding your family nutritiously and how a healthy breakfast for kids can really affect their mood!

Credit: Baked Berry Squares recipe and image extracted from Aoife Hearne’s cookbook The Plan: Eat Well, Lose Weight, Transform Your Life, published by Gill Books.