Cooking Healthy - Education on Eating Public-health study urges parents to teach children good nutrition habits early

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Parmesan-crusted chicken fingers have the appeal of fast food but are baked in the oven.

By: By Jim Romanoff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 04, 2009

Television and peers can trump parents when it comes to influencing what children eat, but that doesn't mean that families can't fight back.

A Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health study found that parents have waning influence over what their kids eat. But it also found that the best defense is to start teaching healthy eating habits early.

These Parmesan-crusted chicken fingers have all the flavor and appeal of the greasy fast-food classic, but are baked using an "oven-frying" technique that uses hardly any oil.

Adding Parmesan cheese and tangy Dijon mustard to crunchy, Japanese-style breadcrumbs (panko) gives these easy-to-prepare chicken fingers a sophisticated coating the whole family will enjoy.

Look for panko breadcrumbs in the Asian section of your market. For even more kid appeal, serve the chicken fingers with a homemade honey mustard sauce, or a sweet-and-sour sauce made from apricot jam, cider vinegar, salt, pepper and a drop of hot sauce.

Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Olive or vegetable oil cooking spray

⅔ cup panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 egg whites

1 pound chicken tenders

1. Place a rack in the top third of the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat the rack lightly with cooking spray.

2. In a shallow bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley (if using) and pepper. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard and egg whites until frothy and opaque.

3. Dip each chicken tender in the egg white mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture to coat all sides. Place on the prepared rack.

4. Spritz the top of each tender lightly and evenly with cooking spray, then turn and repeat on the other side. Bake until the crumb coating is golden brown and crisp and the chicken is no longer pink at the center, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition information for one serving (values are rounded): 204 calories; 24 calories from fat; 3 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 72 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 32 g protein; 0 g fiber; 339 mg sodium.