Raising Healthy Kids

With all of the processed foods we ingest today and the speed in which we try to live our lives, it is obviously difficult to keep our kids healthy. When you think about it, we have to balance out the amount of exercise they get with the right amount of sleep and good nutrition. Lately, I have found good nutrition to be the most difficult.

Most kids just don't like to eat vegetables! At our house, we have the rule that you eat what has been prepared and served to you, or you simply do without. This house rule has the potential to make my kids unhappy to say the least. Although I strive to offer a combination of 2 vegetables and 1 fruit at each meal, it just isn't easy. So I thought I would share some tricks and tips that have worked for me.

How to Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables
(Also Works on Husbands)

1. Hide vegetables in everything! If you make macaroni and cheese, use your food processor to finely chop up a few veggies to mix in. I use carrots and onions. When I fix spaghetti, I use the food processor to add zucchini squash and carrots.

2. Recycle your left-overs! If you have baked chicken with steamed vegetables on Monday and you have left-overs on Tuesday, make what I call a "left-over pizza". You take a loaf of French bread and brush on tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce, add your chopped up left-overs, a few spices and top with cheese. Everyone is sure to love this!

3. Offer rewards! My youngest has a difficult time with fruit. So I will make a fruit salad and offer him one minature marshmallow for each piece of fruit he eats. I have also made frozen fruit pops by pureeing fruit and then freezing it in Popsicle containers for a healthy, yummy treat.

Tips for Quick Healthy Meals

1. Cook ahead! If you are making a yummy casserole, make two and stick one in the freezer.

2. Some delivery services, like Schwan's, offer quick healthy meals like Beef Broccoli or Chicken Fajita Flatbread Melts. Add egg rolls to the beef broccoli meal or chips with salsa to the chicken fajita flatbread melts, and a fruit salad and you have a quick meal that beats eating at McDonalds hands down.

3. Have a quick "Go To" meal for when you only have about 10 minutes to throw it together. Ours include easy and delicious menu items like Refried Bean Tostadas, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Nachos, and Stuffed Baked Potatoes.

What Works for YOU?

Share Your Ideas!