Green your Eats

As every parent knows a healthy diet is crucial to growing kids, but knowing the theory and putting that into practice are often a universe apart. Some kids are naturally fussier than others, but modern parents are reluctant to force a child to eat something; even if that something is good for their health.

Most of the vitamins minerals and nutrients kids need to think, grow and develop a healthy immune system are found in fruits and vegetables but getting kids to eat enough fruits and vegetables is a daunting task, yet it is not as hard as you might think.

It is hard enough to feed a family of four adults without including something that someone does not like. Traditional comfort food can be very unhealthy; dishes such as Macaroni cheese have very high fat levels and if you buy them readymade they can contain high sodium levels as well. However there are lots of ways to increase the vegetables in your kid’s diets without them noticing that their food has become healthier.

Get the Kids to Eat More fruit and vegetables

Often kids find eating fruit and vegetables unpleasant because they are not exposed to a wide range of different textures. Add a bowl of chopped apple, julienned carrots, cut grapes to the center of the dinner table. If this does not tempt them then add a dip.

To get the kids curious about different textures; it is a lot easier to get them to eat one julienned vegetable than a plateful. Start small and work up to the bigger picture. Modern research indicates that it takes about fifteen times for the kids to see a vegetable before they want to try it.

Involve the kids in meal planning talk to them about the importance of healthy eating. Get them to make a colored chart and color in the foods as they eat them this does not have to complicated the color of the foods will do. This makes the kids competitive as they can see what others in the family are eating at a glance.

Don’t make the table a battlefield; you want to win the long game not the battle. Forcing children to eat food does not achieve anything. However they will be more receptive in long term if you are seen to eat fruit and vegetables, be a good role model.

Add fresh fruit into their diet every day. Cut up a mixture of fruit such as apples, pears and bananas and add it to their cereal.

Make a smoothie for breakfast. Use different types of fruit frozen berries are perfect as long as they do not have added sugar. Whizz (liquidise) a thick Greek type yogurt with the fruit and add a touch of honey if it is not sweet enough.

Add vegetables to pasta sauces and to meatballs or meatloaf. Good choices are vegetables that are naturally sweet such as sweet corn, red bell peppers, carrots or zucchini.

Serve at least three vegetables at dinner time, a lot of the vegetables cook in minutes, but if you have time constraints add a tin of sweet corn to the meal.

Get the kids to sign an agreement that they will try a different fruit or vegetable every week.

Make a homemade soup and add vegetables and pulses for added health. Modern research indicates that soup keeps you feeling full for longer so if any adults are on a diet this is a healthy additive to all the families’ menus.

Encourage the kids to make their own salads and christen them and add them to the centre of the table. If the kids have made it they are more likely to try it.

Take the kids to a fruit and vegetable farm, this is great because you get to pick fresh fruits and what child can resist eating fresh strawberries as they pick.

Cut vegetables and fruits into shapes that make them look more interesting.

Make textures more interesting add a chocolate sauce to bananas and chopped hazelnuts, cashews; pistachios or almonds and dried apricots or cranberries and serve as a healthy but unctuous dessert.

line of carrots

Baked Bananas, With Added fruit

4 Large Ripe Bananas
100 g Dried Apricots, chopped
75g orange juice
45g Nutella
½ lemon juice
80g Chocolate, cut into pieces
50g Chopped, Toasted Hazelnuts, almonds, cashews or pistachios.

Preheat the oven to 220c /Fan 200c.

Skin the bananas and cut them in half diagonally and place in an ovenproof dish.

Mix together Nutella and lemon juice and pour over the bananas.

Place the apricots in the orange juice and heat in the microwave on half power for about four minutes until they plump up and scatter them over the bananas.

Bake for 20 minutes, occasionally basting the bananas with the syrup.

Make deep slits into each of the bananas and push in the chocolate and pop back into the oven until the chocolate has melted. Top with toasted nuts.

Article provided courtesy of Professional Cookware - a consumer guide to cookware.

Copyright © 2000-2020
Hints and Things
All Rights Reserved.

No portion of this site may be reproduced or redistributed without prior written permission from Hints and Things. All trademarks & copyrights throughout Hints and Things remain the property of their respective owners.

Hints and Things cannot be held responsible for any information given on this site nor do they necessarily agree with, or endorse, the views given by third parties.