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Healthy New Year Series
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Hide and Go Eat!
Hiding
healthy foods into favorite foods
As we discussed in our last blog,
encouraging kids to eat a good variety of healthy foods consistently can be an
issue. Some kids will eat, or at least try pretty much anything that’s
introduced to them. That’s the ideal solution.
However, even if a child TRIES
broccoli, it doesn’t mean they’re going to KEEP eating broccoli. Getting kids
to regularly eat healthy foods sometimes requires imagination and creativity. Thankfully,
there are many imaginative ways to introduce new foods into your child’s diet.
We’ve included a few ideas and recipes
below that include good-for-you foods HIDDEN inside everyday favorites. If you give this ‘
hide and
go eat
’ experiment a shot, let us know how it works.
Breakfast
-
You can steam and puree cauliflower
and mix it with scrambled eggs.
Cauliflower adds fiber and vitamins every kid needs.
Pumpkin or butternut squash can
be added to pancakes. Make sure to include a little cinnamon, too! Cinnamon adds many healthy benefits, like
having natural anti-inflammatory properties… and it tastes great!
Breakfast smoothies are a great
way to hide healthy foods in yummy concoctions! Adding spinach to a smoothie
adds iron and other important nutrients.
Try blending 1 cup of almond milk,
1 frozen banana, 2 cups of spinach and 1 tablespoon of nut butter of your
choice.
It tastes great and is a very cool
bright green color!
Lunch -
Most kids LOVE grilled cheese
sandwiches
(most adults, too). Add some spinach or tomato to that fave
sandwich for extra nutrients. Tomatoes are a super food that have loads of
lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant. For more antioxidant goodness, add a
few cubes of watermelon as a side dish!
Most folks eat bread every day.
Try baking some fruits and veggies into bread! Banana bread and zucchini bread
are delicious and you can easily add more fruits and veggies, along with nuts,
into these
favorite breads.
Peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches are a lunchtime staple. Try using different nut butters, like almond
or cashew. Also, give honey a try instead of jelly. Raw honey is a natural
antioxidant and actually aids in sleep management…perfect for nap time
relaxation. Try serving a PB&J on the delicious homemade bread you made!
Dinner -
Quesadillas are a big winner
for kids of all ages, including pre-teens and teenagers. You can serve this
cheesy, crispy yumminess with a side of
raw cucumbers, carrots, red and green peppers, or cut them up and put them
inside the quesadilla!
You can also add onions, spinach,
black beans, pinto beans or corn.
Pasta and pasta sauce is an
easy and effective way to add veggies and extra nutrients in a stealthy way.
Not only can you add veggies to the sauce…you can add it to the pasta itself!
You can make or
purchase pastas that have the veggies
built right in!
A simple and healthy pasta dish is to
serve spaghetti noodles tossed with a bit of garlic and olive oil, topped with
broccoli and sliced grape tomatoes. Add a simple white sauce or red sauce to
the top, if you’d like.
Fries are a favorite of
EVERYONE! Fries are a fun way to play
with yummy healthy options. First, bake the fries instead of deep frying them.
That will decrease calories and unnecessary fats. Second, try making the fries
out of more nutrient rich vegetables like sweet potatoes, zucchini, or carrot.
Use delicious spices like salt, pepper, garlic salt or paprika. And of course,
ketchup is great for dipping, as is a ranch dressing made with low fat yogurt.
Pizzas are another simple way
to hide much needed good foods into a favorite food. You can mix veggies into
the sauce or as a topping. Chopping veggies up very finely and hiding them
under the cheese works great.
And remember, any of these recipes can
be made WITH your kids! Kids love to help in the kitchen! It helps them learn
to cook, and it creates a bond between you.
So, as you can see, with just a little added effort
and a few more ingredients added to the foods you’re probably making already,
you can create a more healthful menu for the entire family.