Healthy Foods for Kids and How to Get Them to Actually Eat It!

When it comes to our children, we want them to eat plenty of healthy, natural foods. The trick is to get them to actually choose and eat those foods!

One way to get children to eat their vegetables and other healthy foods is to disguise them as “fun” foods. Kids love bright colors, faces, funny tricks and thinking that they are eating something they aren’t supposed to!

Top Tips to Make Your Kids Choose Healthy Foods

We’ve compiled a list of some creative ways that should get your youngster interested in eating healthy foods without them ever knowing it. Just don’t let them in on your little secret.

1. Breakfast “Candy” Bars

Tell your children that these are usually only allowed after dinner, but you are making an exception and allowing them to eat them for breakfast and watch how fast they eat these up. You can make these easily by mixing about ¼ to ½ cup of a variety of seeds and nuts, such as cashews, pumpkin seeds, and almonds, with 1 cup of peanut butter or nut butter of your choice, along with 1.5 cups of rolled oats and ½ cup of honey or agave nectar. You can even add a handful of chocolate or carob chips if you like. Mix everything together, then press into a casserole dish. Put in the freezer for an hour and you are good to go!

2. Blueberry Shake

This is a great choice for busy mornings when you don’t have time to cook. To make 2 servings, add one peach (leave the skin on), about 3 mandarin oranges, a cup of frozen (or fresh) blueberries, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and a ¼ cup of honey or agave nectar in a blender. Mix well and pour into glasses. You can use other fruits if you prefer.

3. Flag Special

This is a creative idea that older kids will love to make themselves. Simply make some whole wheat toast and spread a thin layer of cream cheese on top. Now put about 9 blueberries in one corner where the stars should be. Put a small layer of strawberry jam on the rest of the toast, then cut up a banana and make white “stripes” on top of the jam. These are fun and taste great!

4. Cheddar & Egg Bowls

Be sure to put your finished product in a smiley face bowl or a mason jar that your kid has decorated themselves to get them interested in this healthy breakfast. Simply cook two slices of bacon, allow it to cool and break it into pieces, Now, put a few torn up leaves of baby spinach, about half an ounce of shredded cheddar cheese and a handful of green chiles in a jar. Add two eggs, a tablespoon or two of milk, along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Shake the jar, then put in the microwave for 1 minute. Add the bacon, along with another half an ounce or so of cheese and a tablespoon of chives on top and microwave at 15-second intervals until the cheese is melted and the eggs are cooked.

5. Love Toast

You can use almost any cookie cutter to make this special type of toast that your kids will love. We used a heart, but you can use stars, horses, footballs, or unicorns. If you have a cookie cutter, you can make sunshine toast, unicorn toast, etc.

Spread some mayo on both sides of 2 pieces of bread. Use your cookie cutter to cut out the center of the bread. Melt a bit of butter in a skillet and add the bread (as well as the cut-out center). Cook on one side for about 3 minutes or until lightly brown. Turn the bread over and break an egg into the cut-out. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes over a medium-low flame. Use a spatula to remove to a plate.

Healthy Snacks For Kids… And For You!

While most dentists will tell you not to snack between meals, we want to say that we don’t know anyone who doesn’t!

When those afternoon or mid-morning hunger pangs hit, you gotta answer the call! If you aren’t prepared, however, you might find yourself standing in front of the vending machine trying to decide between potato chips and a candy bar.

Be ready by having healthy snacks on hand so that you won’t be tempted to eat foods that are not good for you and tend to pile on those pounds.

Want to know which snacks are really satisfying, but are still healthy? Keep reading! Every single snack in the list below is less than 100 calories.

• Frozen Grapes (1 Cup) (Try dipping them in sugar-free jello mix before freezing!)
• Melt 2 teaspoons of dark chocolate, then dipping half of a cut up banana in the chocolate. Freeze for later.
• Sprinkle cinnamon over orange slices
• Slice two pineapple rounds and grill them for about 2 minutes on each side
• 3 squares of dark chocolate (at least 72% dark cocoa)
• 1 Cup of berries mixed with half a cup of Cool Whip Free
• 1 Fig Newton dipped in 1 teaspoon of nut butter
• Sugar-free jello
• 1 Cup of unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon
• ½ Cup of plain, nonfat yogurt mixed with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons of prepared pumpkin
• Sugar-free pudding
• 1/3 cup of sliced banana + ¼ cup of Greek yogurt + 1 handful of ice in a blender = a terrific, low cal smoothie
• 2/3 Cup of Rice Krispy cereal and 1/3 cup of low fat milk
• 5 Unfrosted animal crackers with 1/3 cup of low fat milk
• Purée 1 banana and freeze for several hours to make banana “ice cream”
• 25 pistachios
• 2 Cups of air popped popcorn sprinkled with 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast (tastes very much like cheddar cheese)
• 1 Ounce of smoked beef jerky
• 2 Slices of smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
• 8 Large olives
• 12 Baby carrots dipped in 2 tablespoons of hummus
• 1/3 Cup of black beans mixed with 1 tablespoon of salsa and 1 tablespoon of nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 Slices of honey ham mixed with two teaspoons of Dijon mustard, rolled up in a large lettuce leaf
• Half of a medium apple dipped in ½ a tablespoon of nut butter
• 1 Celery stalk filled with 1 tablespoon of nut butter
• ½ Cup of nonfat cottage cheese topped with ¼ cup of pineapple and ¼ chopped mango
• 1 Plain rice cake topped with 2 teaspoons of nut butter
• 8 Cacao roasted almonds
• 5 Wheat Thins dipped in ½ tablespoon of Nutella
• 1 Cup of shaved carrots mixed with 1.5 tablespoons of raisins and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
• ½ of an apple and 1 mozzarella cheese stick
• 38 Goldfish crackers
• 10 Baked (not fried) tortilla chips and ¼ cup of salsa
• ¼ Cup of Wasabi Peas
• ½ of an English muffin topped with 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese and 3 slices of fresh cucumber
• 8 Large shrimp with 2 tablespoons of cocktail sauce

Reference

1. https://www.helpguide.org/
2. https://www.cookinglight.com/
3. https://kidshealth.org/
4. https://www.delish.com/cooking/
5. https://www.healthforlifes.info/
6. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/