I have found that making kabobs are a lifesaver in the kid friendly food department! The boys get excited when we make them! So we tried a new variety today!! French toast bites and fruit!! We don't add any extra butter or sugar to the bites, the fruit is our added treat and the kids love them! While I don't always have fresh fruit on hand I do always keep frozen fruit. I get a little something extra too! I'll show you! Don't these look so yummy! Now, I use frozen fruit so I have to first thaw my fruit to get it on the kabobs (in case you missed the last post with the fruit kabobs- those are again dry spaghetti noodles in place of skewers). I thaw my fruit in water, it takes about a minute or two. The strawberries can take about 5 mins. I then take my fruit infused water and we have a tasty drink. The berry water can still be a bit tart for the kids, so sometimes I'll cut it with a little lemonade. We end up getting the most out of our juice and cutting down the sugar our kids get. I haven't gotten my kids to *love* the water infusions by themselves but with a touch of juice or lemonade they are a hit. This is my blueberry infused water! It does look dark in this light but it isn't quite as strong as it appears. Coming soon I will have a whole post on our summer drink recipes! We've been experimenting with mocktails, water infusions, and lots of refreshing concoctions!
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Changing the dietary habits of a family is not a small undertaking. Not only is it challenging for the adults, it can be especially difficult with children. I've been doing some research to find healthy foods that kids will eat. From my own experience as well as some interesting articles on health foods that children will allegedly consume. This article for example: http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/nutrition-101/healthy-foods-kids-00412000068618/ #1) Flaxseed- Very very healthy for the kiddos- However, you have to sneak this one in. They suggest sprinkling it on cereal or cutting it into pancakes. I have my doubts that this would fly with the boys. I am however, tempted to try it. Do you think your kids would be willing? #2) Tofu- I haven't tried a Tofu smoothy- I harbor doubts. #3) Sweet Potatoes!!1 YES! Finally one I can point to and say "YES! My kids love SWEET Potatoes!!" We make Sweet potato fries with a bit of Greek seasoning- they LOVE it! This article also included yogurt (they love it), hummus (they don't), salmon burgers (ew), avocado (well, I like it), and finally mangoes (big yes). Do your kids enjoy any of these foods? The: "Decidedly no" face.It isn't always easy trying to introduce something new. Sometimes, we're met with obstacles like the "unequivocally, most decidedly, absolutely NO!" face. There are different approaches to encouraging children to eat healthy. One idea is to make the food very pleasing to the eye. If you have the talent like this mom I applaud you! http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/samantha-lee-pop-culture-food-art-instagam Below image is found in the above link Yeah, I'm not that awesome. However there is a happy medium! There are options, all is not lost! Check out some of these ideas: http://www.parenting.com/gallery/fun-recipes-for-kids?pnid=112461 below image from above link This is a little more my speed, even adding some peanut butter to this- or raw honey! A little messier yes but very yummy! You could make it into a cool kiddie faux fondue! Here's the bottom line though, it takes experimentation. Through experiments with new foods, unique or attractive presentation, or fun ways to eat the food- it can help children as well as parents, start making positive changes to their diet! I know this photo doesn't totally fit context- but I love it so it had to be put in!! His face matches his brother's above!! HA! Hope you found some good ideas! I'll let you know what works for us!Skeeter Bronson: [to his sister] I don't know anything about plants except that *you* make cakes out of them! - "Bedtime stories"I really want to make positive eating changes in the diets of my family, however it's not an easy adjustment. Not only does it mean budgeting more carefully, it means more consideration into meal planning. Another thing that must be considered is that I have two young children (and a husband) who are also less willingly to make adjustments as well. So how does it work? Slowly. I've found that adjusting our diet is like putting a new fish in a fish tank. You can't drop it all in at once, you have to let the bag sit in the water a while. the devil isn't walking tacos!so, we had to start small. I try to menu plan as much as possible, it maximizes my grocery budget. (Below is a blank menu document I use to meal plan! You're welcome to try it!) What I have found is working best in our family are these little changes. Here they are: *Fresh Locally Grown Foods! *Meat Market-meats *Twice a month Gluten Free *Once a week Vegetarian * Avoiding Dyes and MSG *Checking ingredients at the store! Just these little changes! It's already making a difference. Soon I'll post a menu and receipt from the store. I understand a draw back of healthy eating is the expense- as well as the time it can take to prepare. In future blogs I'll be addressing this! Personally, I don't think strict limitation especially with children is the best option. We try to promote healthy eating habits as they grow but give way for treats and easy meals as well. The Devil isn't Walking Tacos- however promoting a healthy lifestyle is still very important! I'm excited to have you grow with my family as we take the journey to a better all over diet! Some other sources on nutrition! http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/8-foods-we-eat-in-the-us-that-are-banned-in-other-countries http://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/23-ways-eat-clean-natural-foods/1-apples http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/gluten-free-diet/my01140 http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/harmful-effects-of-monosodium-glutamate-msg/ Below is the previously mentioned blank menu! If you would like this in Excel form- feel free to contact me and I can send it via email! Hear that a lot too? Chicken is an easy pleaser but it gets boring after a while. This chicken bake is great, and it's quick and easy!!!! I started with frozen chicken and boiled it. I didn't boil them totally cooked, it made them soft and workable- I just hate raw chicken. So, Then I put it in my caserole dish and make a slit in the middle of the chicken breast. Then I put mild cheddar cheese in the middle and topped it with parmesan. On top of that i put in a breading of italian bread crumbs, with Nature's own seasoning, Greek Seasoning, Garlic powder, Paprika, onion powder, and some pepper. Then I place this on top and bake it at 350 degrees. When it's done it should come out of the oven looking like this. I'm one of those terrible cooks who doesn't time things. I know it's done by how it smells. I served this with a lovely green salad and mac and cheese. Which we're going to talk about in a minute. Can we talk about mac and cheese for a moment. There is a right way and wrong way to do mac and cheese. If you do it wrong- honestly, you're family doesn't love you as much as they could...
First- boil it with milk and water. Second- add a fair amount of butter or butter subsitute. Third- and this really the most important part- add shredded cheese. Simple and wonderful- extra cheese. I love stir fry! I just do, I've always loved vegetables and this is one of the first meals I ever learned to cook. I learned this dish when I was about 10. I've put differnt spins on it but this is a tried and true favorite! Start with your meat, here I used turkey keilbasa, I think it has the best flavor. I've used sausage, chicken, and shrimp too.
This you can just throw right in, other meats need to brown or boil first. Then I pop in packages of frozen vegetables. Yes, fresh is always better but I don't always have the time to chop and cook all my fresh stuff. I add a tablespoon of oil and cover- stirring continually. You'll know it's down your larger veggies are softer (not mushy, you still want them firm.) Then you need a carb or starch. I do either rice or pasta. Today I boiled pasta. Once my pasta was cooked I added a touch of olive oil and garlic to the noddled. Then put my veggies over it! Spices I add: this is the crucial part. I like garlic zeesty stir fry, not orientail stir fry. I use garlic, basil, oregano, morton's all purpose, and Greek seasoning. Italian seasoning is another good one to add and if I want it to kick, I add cajun when i brown my meat. (Sometimes I'll do this over rice. When over rice I start by boiling chicken (or browning saucage both work for this) and then sauteing it with shrimp in butter garlic and cajun makes this super awesome!!! Then I stir fry the veggies in and put it all together. Tons of flavor. This version is milder. |
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