This post is from contributing writer Mary Voogt of Just Take A Bite.
As a homeschool family learning is incorporated in all things. To help my four-year-old learn her letters we do one lunch a week that we call a “letter lunch.” We make something that starts with the letters she’s working on.
For letters C and D we did Crazy Designs. I gave my kids an assortment of veggies, cheese, dips, etc. and let them make a design on their plates. For letters S and T we did Sea Turtles. I used half of an avocado flipped upside down to make a turtle shell and added veggies for legs and a head. Some cooked ground beef around it made sand.
I guess you could say we like to play with our food.
If you’ve never tried it, you should! It helps those reluctant eaters feel safe around new foods. They might even surprise you with what they are willing to try. Though my four-year-old was still adamant about NOT eating avocado.
You can’t win them all. To be fair she’s got histamine issues right now and avocados are high in histamine. Picky eaters need encouragement to eat…but they also can be insanely in tune with their body’s needs.
Playing with food also helps with creativity. Making sea turtles out of avocados led to our creation of these super fun grain-free avocado taco bowls.
Not only are they fun to eat, but kids can also make them 100% independently if they are learning how to cook.
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Kid-Friendly Homemade Taco Seasoning
My big kids (ages 10 and 7) are confident both cooking at the stove and using sharp knives. My son is actually our go-to taco maker. He created his own taco seasoning recipe that is super kid friendly (i.e. not spicy…we’ve got oral sensory issues that dictate nothing spicy). On taco night he makes sure he is in the kitchen when it’s time to make dinner.
We like to make a big batch of taco seasoning so it’s ready whenever we’re in the mood for tacos. All of my kids love it.
According to my four-year-old, “It’s gooder than everything!” She has had feeding issues since she was a baby. And sometimes we struggle with getting her to eat meat. But she kept sneaking more taco meat out of the pan!
This can also be a super fast meal. If you forget to thaw your meat or soak your beans use your Instant Pot! Yes, you can cook frozen ground beef in it. So next time you forgot to plan dinner…taco night it is. I’ve got a way to make it even easier without shells!
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A simple, delicious homemade taco seasoning with added liver!
Ingredients
- 3 tsp. unrefined salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a jar.
- Shake or stir to mix.
- Use 1 Tbsp. of taco seasoning per pound of ground meat or 3 cups of cooked beans.
Notes
You can add 1/2 cup bone broth to the cooked meat and simmer for a few minutes if desired.
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Grain-Free Tacos
Typically we use hard corn shells or homemade soft tortillas for taco night. Leftovers are always served as taco bowls with corn chips for scooping.
But we all know that corn chips and corn shells aren’t exactly health food. Plus you just don’t always have time to make tortillas. So we came up with an easy way to do grain-free tacos that are loaded with healthy fats and are super fun to make and eat.
Although it can be helpful for healing, not everyone needs to eat grain free. But it doesn’t hurt to skip the grains sometimes. It gives you more room for the good stuff. Honestly, most of the time my kids would rather have their taco bowls without chips anyway. They just eat it with a spoon.
Avocado Taco Bowls
Avocado Taco BowlsIn my opinion, you can’t have a taco without avocado. So why not make the avocado the star of the show?! Turn the avocado into a bowl and add your favorite toppings. It’ll stretch your meat since you can only fit so much inside the avocado. Keeping your food budget in check is always a bonus.
These grain-free avocado taco bowls are great because you can make as many or as few as you like. They are very allergy friendly and adaptable for individual likes and needs.
We use pureed squash or pumpkin in place of cheese and plain coconut yogurt in place of sour cream for my dairy-free kid. You can even make them work for Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and GAPS! If you are vegetarian simply replace the taco meat with your favorite beans. Heat them with the taco seasoning for a boost of flavor.
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Avocado taco bowls make a filling, brain-boosting lunch for kids. Pack up the ingredients in a lunch box for a super healthy version of a Lunchable. Simply put the avocado face down in the lunch container. Flip, fill and enjoy. The skin stays on the avocado, so you just hold it in one hand and scoop with a spoon with the other hand.
Sharp Knife Skills for Kids
My oldest is ten. She is quite skilled in the kitchen. I can tell her to go bake muffins and a bit later we have muffins. But she’s been hesitant to use a chef’s knife. She got her own knife set last Christmas. But the really sharp knives are a bit intimidating.
Making avocado taco bowls gave her a chance to face her fears. She used her chef’s knife to halve, pit and slice the avocado. She was very proud and excited.
My three oldest kids all use knives regularly to help with food prep. Even my four-year-old chops food like asparagus, zucchini, carrots, and potatoes. Since they have all learned knife safety and how to properly cut from Kids Cook Real Food I can be confident letting them use sharp knives.
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Yield:Description
A simple taco lunch that kids will love to make.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef, chicken or turkey OR 3 cups cooked pinto or black beans
- 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (recipe above)
- 3 avocados
- unrefined salt
- Desired taco toppings: grated cheese or pureed squash/pumpkin, sour cream or plain coconut yogurt, salsa, guacamole or smashed avocado, sliced olives, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced peppers, avocado chunks, beans
Instructions
- Cook the ground meat or beans and add the taco seasoning.
- Halve and pit the avocados.
- Scoop out a small amount of the avocado to make the hole bigger. Set that aside to smash for guacamole.
- Slice the avocado both directions, into chunks, in the skin.
- Season the avocados with salt.
- Fill each half with taco meat and add toppings.
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I have to almost trick myself into getting it right sometimes…like this:
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Help for Picky Eaters
Even though my four-year-old didn’t want an avocado taco bowl, she was so eager to help make them. She enjoyed scooping avocado and mashing it for a topping. It gave her a no-pressure chance to work with avocado. And she was very proud of helping make food for her siblings.
Who knows, maybe next time she’ll want some. She did eat her own “taco bowl” from a bowl. Just the meat and toppings with some pepper slices on the side. And that’s ok. She had a fun experience with food.
If you have a picky eater, getting them in the kitchen is one of the best ways to encourage them to try new foods.
Are you ready to add some fun and nutrition to taco night? Give these super easy grain-free avocado taco bowls a try. Better yet, take the night off and let your kids make them!
Need more avocado inspiration? Watch my kids make guacamole!
Clare says
My mouth is watering. I absolutely LOVE avocado and am always on the look out for new recipes. I have never done this, so I think this will be included in our homeschool week next week.
Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says
Wonderful! I hope your family enjoys it.