Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets
by Alice Currah on Apr 23, 2014
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Most American children and their parents know on some level that fast food is generally not healthy. Convenience and momentary happiness lure us in like flies to fly paper, leading some families down a slippery slope to an unhealthy place. As long as the meal promises to make young kids "happy," it might seem worth it. I get it - families are busier than ever with sports practices, dance rehearsals, piano lessons, etc. We are a culture that can overbook time, sometimes at the cost of taking care of ourselves.
But if we could slow down just a little, and stair step our way up that slippery slope by consciously feeding our kids more healthy foods even our kid's favorite foods, and help them to develop a taste for real food, would we? I ask this not to judge but more to challenge parents (as gatekeepers) to slow down long enough to consider what we're feeding our children and the long-term benefits.
Today, I have a recipe for Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets. In no way do they taste the same as the fast food restaurants' version. However, they do taste remarkably good with a thin crisp outer coating seasoned with a blend of spices that most kids I've fed them to love. I, like many of you, am trying to just get my kids to eat a balanced diet and to appreciate real food. I want to know what's in the food I feed my family, and I think most of you do too. This recipe is pretty easy to prepare and can be made in under 20 minutes. Not quite the 5 minutes you may be used to in the fast food restaurants, but more importantly you will know exactly what your child is eating and can have peace of mind about it. Enjoy!
Seasoned Baked Chicken Nuggets
Recipe by Alice Currah
Ingredients
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts (or tenders), cut into small bite sized pieces (1/2-inch by 1-inch)
- 3 teaspoons canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
- Cooking spray (Misto cans work best)