Food that is both healthy and fun seems like an oxymoron to many people. How can healthy food be fun? Many times, food that is considered fun is associated with being unhealthy or a guilty pleasure because of low nutrition content and high caloric value. A few modifications to regular family favorites can make them both healthy and fun.
Pizza Alternative
Pizza is a fun and convenient food since it is often already prepared or delivered and can be eaten with your hands. A less than healthy option, pizza is high in calories and fat grams, and it is normally made with white flour dough, which does not provide any fiber to the diet. Instead of ordering in pizza, make a healthy variation at home. Pick up some whole-wheat tortillas, pizza sauce and an unlimited array of toppings at the grocery store. Have your family members create their own; bake it in the oven and fold it in half like a tortilla before serving. This option is still a finger food, fun and interactive.
Spaghetti Alternative
Children love to slurp up long spaghetti noodles and make a mess while eating this dish. White pasta is made with white flour and does not contain any fiber, much like pizza dough. One way to alternate spaghetti to increase the nutritional value is to cook with whole-wheat pasta. If you are feeling adventurous, try cooking a spaghetti squash to replace the noodles completely. When cooked, spaghetti squash tears easily into long strands that resemble spaghetti noodles. By trying out this option, you completely replace the heavy carbohydrates in the pasta and instead consume a bed of "pasta" that is completely vegetable. Still stringy and fun to eat, the spaghetti squash also contains beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that helps develop and maintain eyesight.
Other Quick Replacements
Burgers are an easy dinner that many families like to enjoy. Replace white buns with whole wheat to increase fiber, or swap the bun completely and wrap your burger and toppings in lettuce. To significantly lower the calorie intake as well as increasing the fiber content of the meal, lose the bun. Breaded chicken fingers and fries are a quick and fun food for children since they enjoy dipping them in sauce. Change this dish around and offer them grilled chicken fingers and home-cut yam fries with the skin on for less fat grams and calories, more vitamins and nutrients and a higher amount of fiber grams in their fun-to-dip dinner.
Snack Food Ideas
Instead of serving potato chips and dip in front of the television, consider some healthier alternatives. Make your own trail mix or cereal mix. Combine your favorite nuts, seeds, raisins, whole grain cracker bits and whole wheat croutons. Instead of adding salt to the mixture, add spices for a different flavor. A diet that is reduced in sodium is healthy for the heart and cardiovascular system. Vegetable bits and a yogurt dip are an often ignored yet obvious and easy snack to offer. Chip dip is higher in fat than yogurt dip, and yogurt contains natural bacteria cultures that benefit the digestive system. Cheese and crackers are a fairly healthy snack as long as light cheese and whole-grain crackers are used. Some cheeses can be high in fat and cholesterol, and regular crackers often contain trans fats and high amounts of sodium. Healthy alternatives are available for most foods in your grocery store.
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