Making Fruit Fun - How to Turn a Mango into a Hedgehog

Do your kids love to eat fruit? At momstown Mississauga one of the 6 pillars of our programming is  Nutrition. We offer a program each month called Junior Chef, where our momstown our kids (aged 18m- 6yrs) get cooking in the kitchen dishing up some fabulous snacks and easy meal ideas. This experience  gets them excited about healthy eating.

Make a mango an extra special treat by following these easy steps to turn a mango into a fun and fabulous creature - a hedgehog! No special tools are required!

Finished Hedgehogs

Supplies:
Mango (s)
Knife

Step 1. Make sure the mango is ripe. It should not be too firm; press the mango lightly and see if it springs back.   

Step 2. Wash the skin of the mango

Step 3. Holding the Mango on a cutting board slice down from the Stem along the middle of the fruit, just to skim the pit in the centre. Slice the other side next. You will end up with 3 pieces. Two can be hedgehogs!

 

Step 4. Holding the cut side in your hand gently run your knife in a pattern inside the mango skin being careful not to pierce the skin. Make a pattern of squares.

Step 5. Gently push on the skin side to puff up your hedgehog. Place it on a plate and decorate with eyes. Use cut up grapes, cherries, strawberries etc.

Step 6. Enjoy! My kids ask for hedgehogs for dessert! It's messy though! 

While mango isn't a tough sell for lots of kids since its so sweet, turning the fruit into something fun can inspire consumption in those who are harder to convince!