My SD Moms It can certainly be a struggle getting your child to love healthier foods, from vegetables to whole grains and drinking water over their favorite juice. But you can help them grow to love healthy eating but making it fun. Here are some ways to help your children love a healthier lifestyle:
- Set themes for your evening meal as a family. For example, make each day of the week a color day. Monday can be “red” day and include fruits and vegetables of the red color – tomatoes, bell peppers, and beans. Add strawberry yogurt for dessert with a cherry on top.
- Sing songs or make rhymes about healthy foods to make them seem more appealing.
- Add a whimsical touch to your presentation: star-shaped sandwiches, fruit kebabs, funny-faced vegetable arrangements.
- Read stories that instill messages about good nutrition. Read books like “Potter the Otter: A Tale About Water.”
It’s always easier to get children to eat healthy when they are introduced to healthy foods in infancy. If your child doesn’t seem to like the taste at first, try again a different time. Also, set an example for your child by eating healthy foods every day.
Healthy eating can be fun for the entire family with a little imagination. Try this easy, healthy, and fun recipe from the First 5 California Yummy for Your Tummy Cookbook (Click Here):
Veggie Dippers
Kids love dipping. Colorful fruits and vegetables can be fun “dippers” for children, and they provide powerful nutrients that will help your children stay healthy.
Ingredients:
½ pound eggplant
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 avocado
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ lime, juiced
2 large carrots, peeled, cut into sticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into sticks
2 yellow squashes, cut into sticks
½ pound green beans, cleaned, tips cut off
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice eggplant into ¼-inch rounds. Place eggplant and garlic on aluminum foil-lined pan. Drizzle with olive oil and place in oven. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes. Once cooled, remove and discard skin from eggplant. Cut avocado in half, remove pit and scoop out with a large spoon. Add eggplant, garlic, avocado, olive oil, salt and lime juice to food processor and puree until smooth. Serve with the fresh vegetable sticks.
