As a natural foods chef, it is hard enough trying to get adults to eat
healthy. Getting children to eat fruits and vegetables seems almost
impossible. If all your child wants to eat are chicken nuggets, grilled
cheese, pizza, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes-don't fret and don't
beat yourself up! It isn't too late to undo some of the damage. You just
have to be a little bit creative, a little bit sneaky and very patient.
If you take the time now to incorporate healthy foods into your child's
diet-you'll save them from a lifetime of difficulty trying to create a
healthy lifestyle. Plus, children who are on a healthy diet have more
energy, more focus and are more even-tempered-which is giving yourself a
gift too. Here are my suggestions for some fun and healthy eating.
Instructions
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1
Puree small amounts of spinach and add to ground beef in
hamburgers, gradually increasing the amount each time. When topped with
cheese and low sugar ketchup, there is very little taste difference.
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2
Serve with oven-baked fries by thinly slicing potatoes,
tossing in olive oil and salt and pepper and baking at 400 degrees F for
30 minutes until crisp.
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3
When making mac and cheese, use rice or wheat pasta with
lots of cheese, but buy a brand that isn't very dark brown so they won't
catch on.
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4
Cut up cubes of fruit and provide skewers, marshmallows and melted chocolate to make fun fondue.
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5
Prepare a taco bar, but let kids decide what to put on their
tacos. Provide cheeses, salsa, guacamole, lettuce. You can encourage
them to make good choices, but letting them do the actual work makes
them feel included and independent.
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6
Incorporate well-cooked cauliflower into mashed potatoes by
combining with butter, milk and salt. Mash really well for a healthy
starch that will fool anyone.
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7
Finely chop red peppers and tomatoes and mix into meatloaf
and Sloppy Joes. Kids won't even notice the added vegetables, but will
notice the added FLAVOR!
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8
For a healthier pizza, puree cooked vegetables into marinara
sauce and top with shredded mozzarella on a store-bought pizza dough.
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9
Mix corn kernels with finely chopped cooked yellow squash, add butter and salt and revamp a kid's favorite.
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10
Add healthy elements to foods your child already eats. There
are many kid-friendly foods that have the potential to be much
healthier.
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11
Blend bananas and antioxidant-rich blueberries into smoothies.
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12
Mix real fruits and vegetables such as bananas, berries and
mashed sweet potatoes into muffins, and serve with a real fruit spread.
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13
Use whole grain bread for grilled cheese sandwiches and toast well so your children won't notice the darker color.
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14
Make healthy french toast using whole grain bread dipped in egg and covered with fruit, powdered sugar and maple syrup.
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