Congratulations to Maddux Franklin, the winner of our 2022 Healthy Kids Cooking Contest, sponsored by Shape Your Future Oklahoma! For the contest, entrants had to create and submit a recipe using using fruit, vegetables or whole grains.
Maddux is an 8-year-old third grader at Fairview Elementary School in Moore. He plays basketball and soccer, enjoys playing board and card games and, of course, loves to cook, with his specialties being cherry bars, guacamole and smoothies. His mom, Missy, has encouraged each of her four kids to cook with her since they were little.
Missy’s advice to other parents who want to get their kids involved in cooking: “Try to make it fun. Step back from the busyness and rush to get dinner on the table and enjoy the time together.”
Maddux says cooking encourages him to try new things, problem solve when something doesn’t work the first time and use his creativity.
Maddux’s Tortilla Spins are perfect for a quick breakfast or creative after-school snack, with the added benefit of practicing social-emotional skills as kids create a face out of fruit to mirror what they or someone else is feeling. The Franklin family has been practicing identifying and naming emotions with a set of “feelings flashcards,” which Maddux drew inspiration from for his recipe. Both the cards and the tortilla spins have helped the Franklin kids feel more confident discussing their own emotions and recognizing each others’ feelings, too.
Tortilla Spins
by Maddux Franklin
Ingredients
- Whole wheat tortillas
- Peanut butter (or nut butter of your choice)
- Fruit (apples, strawberries, bananas, blueberries and/or raisins)
Directions
- Place a tortilla on a plate.
- Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on the tortilla.
- Cut up the fruit(s) of your choice and place on the tortilla.
- Be creative and add nuts, coconut or other healthy options.
- For even more fun, create a design with the fruit or make faces like I did!
Find even more ideas for healthy back-to-school snacks, easy family dinners and much more from our partners at Shape Your Future.
