Just whisper the word “pizza” in our house and Kenya will look up from whatever he’s doing with unbridled excitement in his eyes. Luckily, my 2 1/2 year old isn’t picky about how or what his pizza is made with or on, so whether it’s a weelicious portobello pizza or a slice from our local pizza joint with tons of veggies on top, he’s game for anything.

Pita pizzas are the perfect recipe when you want something healthy to serve your kids, quick for you to prepare and not expensive for your budget. I can cook them up in minutes and everyone in our house feels like they’re getting a special meal. And now that Kenya’s getting ready to head off to school for the first time, I guarantee these will be in the lunch box rotation!

Pita Pizzas (Serves 4)

1 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Italian Herbs
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
4 Whole Wheat Pita (I used mini pita from Trader Joes)
1/3 Cup Black Olives, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl to combine.
3. Cover the pitas with 1/4 cup sauce, 1/4 cup cheese and slices of black olives.
4. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Cut and serve.

We used these to make this recipe:

Oxo Good Grips Box Grater

Every time we go to a Mexican or Middle Eastern restaurant with Kenya, the first thing he grabs for are the chips. He loves them but I don’t want his taste buds to get too used to the super salty and fried flavor of them. So, I decided to come up with a recipe for pita chips that are healthy, delicious, really easy to make and Kenya can snack on them all week.
I used just a sprinkle of parmesan for a nutty salty flavor and some garlic powder to kick them up a bit. He devoured these like you can’t imagine. I made “Baby Ghanoosh” at the same time and he had a blast trying to dip the pita chips in the eggplant spread and licking it off before taking bites of the chips. I love a fun culinary activity for kids that’s also actually healthy for them.

Crisp-wee Pita Chips (Makes 72 Chips)

3 6 inch Whole Wheat Pita
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut the pitas in half and then into pie shaped pieces or strips
(you can cut them into any shape you want).
3. Place the pita pieces on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil.
4. Sprinkle with garlic powder and parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they start to turn a golden color.
6. Cool and serve.