Are your kids picky eaters? Do you not have enough time or money to come up with fancy healthy meals for your kids? Well here are a few great options to mix in with your normal dinners to give your kids a few more servings from the daily nutrition pyramid!
1. Spaghetti Squash
Spaghetti Squash is a very easy and tastey alternative to noodles. A great tomato sauce with meat will help trick kids into eating “spaghetti” without the calories! If your unsure about only using spaghetti noodles, a lot of my friends use 1/2 noodles, 1/2 spaghetti squash to help better mask the flavors.
2. Add broccoli to pizza or pasta sauce
Chopping up broccoli into little bits and adding them in soups, pasta sauces, and pizza will help add extra fiber to the dish. Often times if you add larger broccoli florets, little ones will refuse to eat the entire thing because of the biter taste. But chopping them up a to 1/2 or 1/3 of the size into foods they already love~ is a great way to get them to eat healthier!
3. Add Quinoa to Chili
Adding Quinoa to Chili is a fantastic way to bulk up a normal dish with a little extra fiber without drastically changing the flavor or texture. Add a little chopped broccoli if you can as well, to really help make a healthier dish!
4. Tell a story with the food!
Some children need a little entertainment to eat their food. Instead of telling your kids to ‘stop playing with their food’, you could easily make it fun! Help them to make their own sandwiches, their own california rolls, customize their pizzas, or even make food in the shape of interesting characters! When I was little, my mom would let us make pancakes in whatever shape we wanted or mold pot stickers into any shape. It helped us learn new tactile skills as well as make eating fun.
5. Add raisins/nuts to baked goods
Adding sweet raisins or crunchy nuts to favorite desserts/breakfast items helps add extra nutrition to each serving. Raisins/nuts go well in muffins, cookies, pancakes, and brownies! You can give your kids delicious treats they already love without any of the guilt!