Teaching kids to eat well encourages lifelong healthy eating habits. One of the best ways to instill a love for healthy food is to make healthy meals fun. It's good to incorporate fruits, vegetables, grains, milk products and meats into your child’s diet. But also add a dash of creativity to spark a desire for healthy eating.
Healthy Breakfasts
Start the day off right with a well-balanced breakfast. AskDrSears.com reminds parents that nutritious breakfasts contain a blend of complex carbohydrates and protein. Try to include grains, dairy and fruit into breakfast every day. Examples include granola cereal sprinkled with berries with a side of yogurt, or an egg omelet stuffed with vegetables, accompanied by a bran muffin and yogurt with diced fruit. If you’re in a hurry, offer your little one a slice of whole-grain toast covered in melted low-fat cheese and a banana. If you have some extra time, arrange the food in a fun way. For example, prepare a whole-grain pancake and arrange berries on the pancake in the shape of a smiley face. Serve with a glass of milk to add some dairy to the meal.
Pita Buffet
Giving your child a say in her meals will help her feel important and in control. Prepare a buffet starting with whole-wheat pitas. Fill bowls with sliced vegetables and a variety of healthy cheeses. Give your child a pita and allow her to choose between grilled chicken or slices of lean turkey. Finally, let her fill the rest of the pita with her own choices of veggies and cheese. Baked potato chips and fruit salad round off the meal.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Almost any dinner can have a healthy spin. By thinking outside the box, you can turn a traditional meal into a healthy food choice. Most kids love spaghetti and meatballs. Instead of ground beef, make meatballs with lean ground turkey and use whole-wheat bread crumbs or bulgar mixed with water as the filler. Make your tomato sauce by simmering cherry tomatoes and adding a little water. Finally, use whole-wheat noodles. Sprinkle the spaghetti with freshly sliced Parmesan cheese and you're set.
Tasty Snacks
A sure way to attract your child to healthy foods is to invite him to help you prepare them. KidsHealth recommends tasty frozen yogurt pops that are easy to make and fun to eat. Allow your child to select his favorite yogurt. Give him small paper cups and have him spoon the yogurt into the cups. Cover the cups with plastic wrap and let him poke a wooden ice-cream stick through the plastic wrap and into the yogurt. Freeze the yogurt pops for a few hours. Then pull them out of the cups and enjoy. For added creativity, let him drop berries into the yogurt before the yogurt freezes. They become tasty treasures for your child's health.
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