Children who are active, healthy and receive proper nutrition from their food are more likely to regularly attend school and be motivated to learn, according to research conducted by Tufts University and the Journal of School Health and reported by the California Department of Education. Despite the benefits of healthy eating, it is not always easy to get kids to regularly consume healthy foods. Get kids to eat more foods that are healthy by providing them with health foods that they love.
Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes
Most children enjoy pancakes, but traditional pancakes offer few health benefits. Making healthy pancakes for children will allow them to eat a food they love, while gleaning increased nutritional benefits. Pancakes made with whole grain flour will provide a number of healthy vitamins and minerals and a high amount of fiber. Mixing blueberries into the pancake batter prior to cooking will enhance the flavor of the pancakes and provide even more nutrients. GreatSchool.org reports that blueberries are rich in antioxidants that help with a child's memory and cognitive functioning.
Limit the amount of syrup children use with their pancakes and try to avoid using butter. Instead use blueberry spreads that have little to no added sugar.
Homemade Veggie Pizza
Pizza is a favorite food of many children, but traditional pizza is generally high in calories and unhealthy fats. Families can make healthy, homemade veggie pizza that children will love. Use a whole grain pizza crust, which can be found premade in many grocery stores. Cover the pizza with store-bought pizza sauce. Then add chopped vegetables that the child loves. Possible vegetables that a child might enjoy include tomatoes, all colors of peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives and/or spinach. Add pineapple slices to the pizza if the child likes pineapple. Make sure to use pineapple that has no added sugar if it is bought in the can. Sprinkle the pizza with low fat cheese or use no cheese at all. Avoid smothering the pizza with cheese. Using a moderate amount of cheese will provide the cheesy flavor, but will reduce the fat and cholesterol level. The cooking instructions for the pizza should be listed on the back of the premade crust.
Homemade veggie pizza will provide children with a food that is high in healthy fiber and contains an assortment of vegetables.
Peanut Butter on Different Foods
Peanut butter is a food that children usually find very enjoyable. By itself peanut butter is considered a healthy food because it provides kids with a variety of vitamins, minerals and proteins, but it also contains healthy unsaturated fats that aid in a child's healthy development.
Allow children to spread peanut butter on healthy foods such as apple slices, banana slices, whole grain crackers, whole grain bread and celery. Using peanut butter on other healthy foods will help children increase their fruit, vegetable and whole grain intake. If a child has an allergy to peanut butter, other nut butters such as almond or soy butter can be used as a replacement.
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