Bring Your Appetites to Disney Eats!
The morning was spent rushing around making bagged lunches, collecting left-behind text books, cleaning up the mess the dog made of the kitchen garbage overnight, and spilling your perfectly made hot coffee all over the floor of the car. Your co-workers have done an exceptionally great job of not doing their jobs correctly, meaning you have to stay late to correct their mistakes. You return home to find the dog has gotten sick all over the floor from her night spent garbage-diving, and your husband and kids have conveniently ‘not noticed’; you’re breaking out the Lysol for the second time today when your kid says “Mom I’m hungry what’s for dinner? “. Dinner. The last thing you feel like worrying about. You wish your 8 and 14 year-olds had a bit of kitchen know-how to help you speed the prep along….but no such luck. Until now…
What’s New? Something to Chew!
Last week, Disney announced an all-new TV channel called Disney Eats. The channel is set to launch chock-loaded with programming geared towards kids. The programming on the show aims to teach children how to shop, cook, and ultimately eat wholesome, nutritional foods- something Disney has not been known for advocating in the past. One show promises the appearances of celebrity chefs who will showcase tried and true kid-friendly recipes while another program called “Must Be Science” will focus on the science behind the foods we eat. Instead of flipping channels to the next mindless cartoon, Disney is hoping to teach their youngest viewers a thing or two about food while still capturing the (short) attention spans of American children.
In the theme parks, each of the restaurants with kids’ menus (that’s all of them!) showcases at least one kids’ entree that is ‘Mickey Checked’. That doesn’t mean Mickey Mouse gave his thumbs up before the dish left the kitchen, it simply means that without substitutions, the meal meets the Disney Nutrition Guidelines with limited sugar, sodium, and fat. Disney Eats seems to be falling right in line with last weeks’ announcement, promising to teach children the importance of nutritious eating.
(A Little) Something Sweet
For me though, Disney isn’t Disney without their amazing treats. They do it better than anyone, though Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bars, churros, Mickey Pretzels, specialty cupcakes, and krispie treats are what come to mind when I think of Disney foods. Although it promises to showcase healthy meals, Disney Eats seems to acknowledge the brands’ undeniable association with desserts. From the teaser, it’s apparent that there will be some air time dedicated to Disney sweets. Although the programming may be limited, I think it’s important to teach children that sweets aren’t an enemy and can absolutely be enjoyed as part of a healthy diet. Plus, baking a cake or frosting a cupcake with a parent or loved one is a great way to form both kitchen skills and family bonds at an early age.
So parents, are you ever wishing for your kids’ help in the kitchen? A better question might be: when are you not wishing for your kids to help you make dinner? Disney Eats might just be the solution you’re looking for. With a few tutorials under their belts, your children will be eager to lend a helping hand the next time you’re hosting a party, cooking Saturday brunch, or simply tossing a salad! The only question that remains is this: which recipe from the new Disney Eats channel will you try first? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below!
Special thanks to Maria Salerno for writing this article: Hiya pal! I am a NYC-based writer/musician thrilled to be bringing you all things Disney! I’m a WDW Annual Passholder, so you can find me in the parks regularly throughout the year. In addition to being a Disney Parks loving girl, I’m also a Disney toy and merchandise collector, a runDisney enthusiast, and Disney music and movie aficionado. You can follow me on Instagram: NYCtoAP and find me on YouTube: NYCtoAP. Thanks for reading, hope to see ya real soon!