Getting children to eat healthier foods is easier if you get them to want to eat nutritious foods, rather than force them to eat anything you serve. One way to get kids interested in a healthy dinner is by letting them prepare, cook and serve the meal. Start with their favorite foods, then substitute healthier ingredients for high-fat, high-cholesterol items. Involved your children in menu planning, shopping, prep work and cooking for fun, nutritious dinners for the family.
Christmas in July
Instead of baking a whole turkey, buy a lean turkey breast to serve as the entree for an off-calendar Christmas or Thanksgiving feast. Skip the fatty green bean casserole and serve fresh, steamed green beans. Make dressing from whole grain bread and add veggies and walnuts for added nutrition. Cranberry relish makes a sweet side dish and is a good source of vitamin C. Serve mashed sweet potatoes, or use white potatoes without the butter and milk. Use a low-fat butter substitute with no trans fat or skim milk to moisten the potatoes. Serve baked apples and raisins with cinnamon for dessert.
Pasta Bar
Let your kids mix and match their pastas and sauces with a pasta bar. Start with an antipasti plate with fresh vegetables and low-fat cheeses. You may want to skip the marinated artichokes and roasted peppers and garlic cloves in favor of more familiar items like carrot sticks, celery, radishes and broccoli. Serve a healthier version of a classic Caesar salad, using romaine lettuce, baked, whole grain croutons, low-fat cheese and low-fat or fat-free dressing. For the main course serve several different types of pastas in shapes kids like, such as shells, tri-colored elbows, bow ties and spaghetti. Serve a marinara sauce with tuna instead of hamburger to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol while adding healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Make meatballs from ground turkey and put in another marinara sauce that's filled with large chunks of diced vegetables. Toss one pasta in extra virgin olive oil and add pepper, garlic and your favorite herbs for a lighter pasta. Add shrimp for low-fat protein. Finish with gelato for dessert.
Taco Bar
Let kids build their own tacos, using low-fat soft and crunchy shells. Use lean ground turkey and have plenty of diced veggies from which to choose. Traditional favorites include lettuce, tomatoes and onions--add diced avocado instead of serving high-fat guacamole. Salsa is a fat-free condiment. Serve Spanish rice and either refried or black beans. Add low-fat sour cream and cheese. Serve flan for dessert if sugar is not a health concern for any of the children.
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