March is National Nutrition Month and it’s a terrific time to teach our children about the importance of healthy food and proper nutrition.
This recent study looked at the ties between the food offered at school and at home, and how teachers and doctors can work together to help create healthier choices. The study found that we can all do better at giving children a healthy variety of foods and beverages and make sure the adults in their lives are modeling positive behaviors around meal and snack times.
An important, often underutilized resource to the entire family with education about healthy diets and nutritional information is your child’s pediatrician. Florida KidCare offers little- to no-cost health and dental insurance making it easier than ever to connect with an established pediatrician. To learn more about Florida KidCare and the many benefits of its health and dental insurance programs, visit https://www.floridakidcare.org/.
In addition to having a network of role models to encourage a strong nutritional foundation, my best advice for nurturing healthy habits is to provide fun, stress-free mealtimes where adults and children can be together. This helps build social skills and creates a sense of security and stability. Eating and talking together helps to build family unity, bolster success in school, improve nutrition and promote healthy weight for all.
This is also an opportunity to let your children discover foods they enjoy. Take the kids to the grocery store and, within reason, let them make their own choices. This encourages children to feel comfortable in exploring a variety of flavors and foods from different cultures and cuisines. Families can share an appreciation for healthful food, lovingly prepared and shared with each other.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to ensure your child is getting all their necessary nutrients in one sitting or within the confines of a meal. With children, snacks are non-negotiable so rather than fighting the snacking, try offering easy, healthy alternatives. Here are 10 of my kid-approved recipes
Ants on a Log
This is the snack that reminds me most about my childhood. This snack is simple, budget-friendly, quick, and has been a hit for decades. Ants on a log is a snack your toddler or small child can help prepare themselves. My almost-two-year-old practices counting by counting the number of raisins on the log. Peanut butter is plant-based, a great source of protein, and rich in fiber, vitamin B3, magnesium, folate, and vitamin E.
Sometimes for a treat, we will do “spots on a log” and replace raisins for chocolate chips. Another tasty alternative is “snow on a log?” where you swap peanut butter for cream cheese.
Zucchini Bread
I shred the zucchini with its skin to add fiber, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc into our bread. Zucchini is packed with vitamin C, K and B, and folate to help boost kids’ immune systems and their growing brains! To make zucchini bread a bit healthier, I use half oil half applesauce. I also use less sugar than the recipe calls for.
I love this recipe.
Yogurt Bark
Yogurt bark is so much fun to make with your kids and they’ll love breaking and eating the bark when it comes out of the freezer. It’s packed with protein and only requires 5 minutes of your time. Have your kids help measure 1/2 cup of yogurt into 3 bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl.
Harper, my 4-year-old loves pink and purple so we did red and blue mixed for the first bowl, added red to make pink for the second, and left the third white. Add the yogurt in drops to the baking dish lined with parchment paper, swirl the yogurt, add sprinkles (or fruit) and move to the freezer. Freeze for roughly 4 hours. Break the pieces of bark apart and serve. I find it best to leave out for 10-15 minutes to soften up before giving to your child. Store the remainder in the freezer.
Homemade Fruit Rollup
Getting my four-year-old to eat berries can be a struggle. I’ve tried them in pancakes, yogurt, and smoothies but when I made these fruit rollups, she ate them by the handful. These fruit roll-ups are so simple…they just take a while for the finished product.
Trim the stems off 8 oz of strawberries, 1 tbsp lemon juice, and 3 tbsp of stevia or sugar. Add to a blender or food processor until fully blended. Transfer the strawberry puree to a saucepan and add the lemon juice and sugar, if using. Turn the heat to medium-high, and cook the mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and jam-like. You want to cook out the moisture. Next, pour onto parchment paper on a cooking pan with lips. Spread about 1/8 inches thick. Cook on 170 degrees for 3-4 hours. Cool and use kitchen shears or a pizza cutter to cut with parchment paper and roll up.
PBJ Strips
When traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just aren’t cutting it, serving them in different shapes usually does the trick. Strips are the easiest alternative but if you want to get extra creative, cookie cutters offer another world of customization for your picky eater.
I like to use whole wheat bread and natural peanut butter and jelly. I slice it into strips with a pizza cutter. Whole wheat bread is the best option because it provides a higher amount of nutrients. Peanut butter is a good source of protein and healthy fats. Be careful with jelly – it is naturally high in sugar so use it in moderation.
Almond Butter Fudge
This two-ingredient treat is one of my best-kept secrets. Melt chocolate chips, add to a bowl, and stir in equal parts creamy almond butter. Pour into a dish lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for two hours. Slice into small squares. My two-year-old cannot get enough.
Cottage Cheese and Crackers
The simplest and most delicious snack. It offers a mix of salty and creamy. I’ve been hooked on cottage cheese since childhood and thankfully the addiction was passed on to my two children. Cottage cheese is packed with protein, high in vitamins, it helps build their muscles and its filling. I let them dip chips into cottage cheese. They have cottage cheese on bagels or toast.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies
Oatmeal is high in fiber and nutrients that supply a steady stream of energy to your kid’s brains and bodies. My kids love making banana oatmeal cookies. We add flax seed, chia seeds, chocolate chips, or mini M&M’s. Just pop them in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes and enjoy!
Turkey and Cheese Roll-up
Whole wheat wrap, turkey, cheese and roll it up! You can always add mustard, mayo, cream cheese, avocado, or any other extras you like.
Protein Pancakes
Protein pancakes aren’t just for breakfast. My go-to is Kodiak Cakes because they are made with 100% whole grains and 14 grams of protein per serving. They are great tasting and give my kids nourishment throughout the day. I often add First Defense from Childlife Essentials.
Pancakes are a great way to sneak in other nutritional ingredients such as applesauce (a favorite), diced apples, blueberries, grated carrots, strawberries, chia seeds, and more. I serve with low sugar syrup or yogurt.
These are just a few of my favorite kid-friendly recipes. When you’re considering what to serve your little ones, get creative and keep an open mind. It takes time and consistency to develop healthy eating habits.
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