As many parents know, children can be particularly picky eaters. It can be difficult to get them to eat at all, let alone to eat healthy meals. However, with the right recipes, you can make healthy meals your children will love. Indeed, many favorites can be made into healthy options with a few simple changes.
Whole-Wheat Pizza
Pizza is usually a favorite of children, as well as their parents, making it a wonderful option for the whole family to sit down and eat together. The KidsHealth website offers a recipe for homemade pizza that is much healthier than offerings from the local pizzeria. The site suggests substituting a whole-wheat crust, low-fat cheese and turkey pepperoni for higher-fat ingredients. This simple recipe only takes 25 minutes to make; two slices have 175 fewer calories and 15 fewer grams of fat than two slices of a traditional pizza. Add a side salad for some extra servings of vegetables.
Peachy Keen Chicken
This suggestion from the Epicurious website uses lean boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinated in a pureed mixture of canned peaches and olive oil. After marinating, add salt and pepper to the chicken and grill it. Substitute chicken tenders if your child would prefer, the site urges, and fresh or frozen peaches for canned. In this case, add honey for sweetness. Serve the finished chicken with peach slices, potatoes and a salad.
Fast Turkey Chili
KidsHealth suggests substituting ground turkey for beef in this twist on a traditional favorite. Combine and cook the turkey, celery, peppers, tomatoes, pinto beans and corn, and add flavor with vegetable oil, onion, garlic, oregano and chili powder. This recipe takes about an hour to make.
California-Style Tuna Salad Rolls
This Epicurious suggestion is versatile enough to be a lunch at school or a meal at home. It only takes 10 minutes to make, and combines seafood and vegetables for a healthy choice. Mix light tuna with mayonnaise and wasabi paste; Epicurious suggests tuna packed in water instead of oil and low-fat mayonnaise as healthier choices. Shred cucumber and carrots, and slice lettuce and avocado. Spread the lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and avocado on a tortilla, and add the tuna mixture. Roll it up and it's ready to serve.
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