Healthy Recipes for Kids
We all want the best for our children.
There are certain principles we simply must follow for health. We all know the rules: Exercise, eat right, get enough sleep, don't smoke, don't do drugs, etc. etc. etc. We know that making smart food choices can have positive long term effects on our health; as well as, the reverse for poor food choices. When Phil & I were raising our kids, I went to a variety of extremes in understanding healthy eating: We juiced veggies, Ate only vegetarian meals, Shopped at expensive health food stores to buy only organic foods, Avoided nitrates & nitrites; you know the drill :) I went so far as to even question immunizations for my kids! I read books on health & incorporated certain practices into our diet. It seemed to make sense at the time, and I'm not saying it doesn't make sense at all. We found it was restrictive & bordered on excessively extreme. Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid of extreme; hey, we're missionaries! A lot of the world thinks we're crazy to have moved our family to a 3rd world country. So, extreme is comfortable; but, over time I reached a balance in our food choices, which was sustainable & pleasing to most :) I would say we eat healthy about 90 - 95% of the time, with the occasional treat. I don't freak out if we eat a fried bologna sandwich every once in a while. The world won't end, and chances are it won't kill us. Isn't life all about balance? And that's what we want to teach our kids -- a healthy balance to life, which includes our food choices. Balance is healthy. :) With that said, the best time to start teaching good eating habits is when your kids are young; because frankly, they believe anything you say. It's a beautiful thing, isn't it?! :) We may as well capitalize on this wonderful kinship & teach principles of value. And of course, the obvious is true too. You will help your children establish healthy eating patterns for life. :) If you've just turned over a new leaf towards healthy eating, and are teaching teens; don't despair, start slow and explain the value of healthy eating. Hopefully, they will respect your honest and wise approach. As my brother-in-law says, "It's never too late to make the right decision." I think that's a swell saying & philosophy. Not all young ones are cooperative, and want to try our "healthy recipes for kids." Sometimes we get a stubborn one who does not want to eat broccoli or peas. My answer to that is.....Ranch dressing! Seriously, it will make those veggies taste pretty awesome. :) Another answer is.....have your kids eat the veggies they like, so food is not a constant battle. Let them know, "You need to eat some vegetables," but let them choose which ones (within reason, of course). "Do they really need to eat every vegetable known to man?" No. Let's get them eating some vegetables, and start with the ones that don't taste like bark or moss. How about sweet carrots, or watery cucumbers? Start there and branch out as their tastes mature. And, buy a bottle of Ranch dressing. :) We need to exercise grace within these healthy recipes for kids & food choices in general. Flexibility, within reason, should deliver success for even the pickiest eaters. For instance, I was introducing lentils to my kids, and had a slam-dunk delicious recipe for lentil soup. I couldn't understand why they wouldn't like it; dare I say, love it. It was chock full of yummy tomatoes, celery, onion, and flavor, and of course, lentils. My second child didn't respond well; she actually gagged it back into her bowl. Bless her heart, she tried. :) In those cases, start with something that really appeals like hummus or get the beans in through yummy chili served alone, or over baked potatoes. Use your creativity and the healthy recipes for kids on this page to get you started, or add these healthy recipes to your repertoire. Tips to incorporate healthy recipes for kids: 1. Keep fruit and veggies in the house; let that be the go-to snack. Always offer it as their first snack option. Running out of fruit because everyone is eating it, is a good thing. Read this :) I just found this great health tip from Dr. Arthur Agatston, the creator of the South Beach Diet from their newsletter, The Daily Dish, "Research shows that eating two apples a day can slow down the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and help prevent plaque buildup. The protective antioxidants are in the apples' skin, so don't peel them." It's true, "An apple (or two) a day, keeps the doctor away." 2. Only buy cereals with little or no sugar. We reserve "sugar cereal" for vacations, not for everyday. They won't miss what they don't know. Keep the sugar bowl away from the breakfast table, so your kids aren't tempted to add sugar to their cereal. Keep their tastes for sugary foods to a minimum. 3. Try to avoid buying pop/soda, and high sugar juices. We simply don't keep it in the house. Drink water. It will save you a lot of money too. 4. Cook at home. Avoid eating out at fast food restaurants, and developing tastes for high fat foods. 5. When buying certain treats, avoid the ones with extra sugar. For instance, if you decide to buy Pop Tarts; buy the ones without frosting. That's a simple one. 6. Use whole wheat bread, and whole wheat tortillas. Again, a pretty simple practice, but it makes a difference. Whole wheat products are delicious. 7. That's a principle in itself: Limit their options. Keep only those food items in the house that are healthy choices, and you want them to eat. They'll cooperate when they get hungry. Try to make those choices as pleasing as possible. We are trying to teach that eating healthy tastes good too. :) 8. Substitute ground chicken or turkey for ground beef. If you don't tell your kids, I doubt they will notice the difference. My family prefers ground chicken now; even, my husband and son, and they're the meat & potatoes kind of guys.
9. Bake potato wedges or sweet potato wedges instead of french fries. Peel & boil potatoes for 10 minutes; drain. Cut into cubes or wedges; place in roasting pan. Stir olive oil, salt, pepper & taco seasoning to coat potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender. YUM! The goal of "Healthy Recipes for Kids" is to provide healthy options that are also kid-friendly. Plan ahead, and have healthy options at home, so your kids can make good choices. FOOD STUFFS TO HAVE ON HAND: 1. Raisins 2. Peanut Butter 3. Popcorn 4. Granola Bars 5. Applesauce 6. Unfrosted Pop Tarts 7. Healthy Cereal or granola 8. Pretzels -- dip these in ranch and they are so yummy. 9. Cinnamon Swirl toast -- tastes great toasted with peanut butter. 10. Whole wheat tortillas -- spread these with peanut butter & sprinkle with raisins; roll up. 11. Yogurt 12. Cheese sticks 13. Bags of baby carrots or other ready veggies. This makes it easier for the kids to choose veggies. My kids loved snap peas. 14. Hummus -- we are huge hummus fans, and it's a perfect snack with whole wheat pita bread. 15. Bagels & cream cheese. Be sure your kids know these snacks are available, and what to do with them, so it doesn't go to waste. :) Blessings, Julie Now to the specific healthy recipes for kids. Breakfast, Snacks & Sides: Berry Biscuits Bagel Recipe Eggs in a Basket Fruit Smoothie Granola Bars Granola Healthy Banana Bread Homemade Popsicles Hummus Recipe Oatmeal Bake Parfait Raisin Bran Muffins Healthy Dinner Recipes: Alfredo Noodles Baked Chicken Nuggets Baked Ziti Broiled Salmon Caesar Chicken Salad Chicken Cacciatore Cilantro Chicken Wrap Easy Meatballs for Spaghetti Pasta Primavera Ranch Chicken Taco Salad Tortilla Soup Recipe Turkey Burgers Twice Baked Potatoes Find more healthy recipes at the links below. Easy Dinner Recipes Easy Recipes
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