If you think your children don't like broccoli, then try roasting it! Roasting broccoli at a high temperature brings out all of its sweet flavors, so it tastes completely different than if you normally boil or steam it. If you'd like to add more flavor, then you can zest a lemon over the top before roasting, or sprinkle good Parmesan cheese over it when it comes out of the oven.
We all know that a healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The problem is getting kids to eat it. Some kids aren’t morning people; some want nothing but sugary cereal. Some kids want to eat the same thing every day, and others need some variety. I’ve come up with some creative and healthy new breakfast ideas so my own don’t get tired of the same old things.
These ideas are even more fun if you have your kids help you make them; they’ll enjoy helping in the kitchen, and they’ll be more than happy to eat their own creations.
1. Fruit Pizza
Make a pizza crust and let it cool, or use flatbread. Spread it with a favorite flavor of yogurt, then top with sliced fruits. Bananas, strawberries, grapes… almost any fruit will work.
2. Parfaits
In a parfait cup or a juice glass, alternate layers of yogurt with fruit, and top with granola or cereal. For a rainbow effect, use different flavors of yogurt and different fruits for each layer.
3. Fruit Kabobs
This is as easy as it gets. All you need is some bowls of various sliced up fruits and some skewers. Supervise the kids while they create the fruit combinations they prefer. Have some yogurt on hand for dipping.
4. Make-Your-Own McMuffins
Scramble an egg, and layer it with cheese and a slice of ham on a toasted whole wheat English muffin. For something different, try using Swiss, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese, or use turkey sausage or Canadian bacon instead of ham.
5. Strawberry Pinwheels
Start with a small whole grain tortilla. Spread it with low fat cream cheese – regular is fine, but you can also use cream cheese that comes in flavors like strawberry or blueberry. Top it off with sliced strawberries, then roll up the tortilla and slice it into pinwheels.
6. Put Peanut Butter On It
Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and most kids love it. It’s good for so much more than sandwiches and actually makes a great breakfast food. Spread it on toast or English muffins, or even pancakes or waffles, then top with banana slices, preserves, or raisins. Or make ants on a log by slicing a banana lengthwise, spreading the flat sides with peanut butter, and sprinkling with raisin or dried cranberry “ants.”
7. Breakfast Smoothies
Throw some milk, yogurt, and protein powder in a blender, and then add some frozen fruit, like strawberries or blueberries, and a sliced banana. Blend, pour, and go.
When all else fails, forget the rules. Some people, kids included, simply don’t care for “breakfast food." And that’s okay. What matters is that they get a healthy meal in the morning. A turkey and cheese wrap or an English muffin pizza made with tomato sauce and low fat mozzarella is healthy too. Include a piece of fruit and a glass of milk, and you have a healthy lunch for breakfast.
What are your favorite fun breakfast foods?
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The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
Whether we're rushing out to dance classes, piano lessons or basketball practices, we want to make sure that our children are getting the nutrients they need every day. But preparing healthy, delicious meals on a busy weeknight can be difficult. Sometimes, it's near impossible!
In my house, our favorite quick, healthy and easy meal is tacos with all the fixings. We generally serve them on Tuesdays, and label the dinner "Taco Tuesdays." The kids enjoy the meal and they look forward to celebrating Taco Tuesdays.
The other great thing about tacos is their flexibility. Your picky eaters will enjoy deciding what they want from a buffet of selections.
We put our selections right on the table: soft tacos, hard tacos, cooked rice if we have some handy, canned refried beans (heated quickly in a pot), store-bought guacamole, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese (or vegan cheese) and sometimes a selection of quickly sautéed veggies like peppers, onions and mushrooms. Other options include sour cream (or vegan sour cream) and salsa.
This is a great healthy meal for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. If you have some of each in your family, they can all be satisfied quickly by putting together their own individualized tacos. In my family, we are all vegetarians. Often, in addition to refried beans, we fill our tacos with soy-based veggie crumbles. Meat-eaters could certainly choose to add cooked ground beef sautéed with a little bit of taco seasoning.
Taco Tuesdays have been a life saver for us. Give it a try. With dinner on the table in minutes, you might even find you have time to squeeze in a quick homemade dessert...like Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Hurry, my 10-year-old son's favorite (fast!) cookie recipe.
Image Source: Woman in Real Life
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
To avoid battles with picky eaters, many moms get stuck in the rut of making a separate, guaranteed-to-be-eaten dinner for their toddler and a “grown up” meal for the rest of the family. But as Alena K. realizes, preparing multiple meals for dinner can easily become a very time-consuming routine: "I'm trying to avoid being a short order cook in the future!" To help you break the two-dinner habit, here are six tips for creating meals that'll be approved by toddlers, adults, and everyone in between.
1. Change the Texture
Many moms have a tendency to worry about whether their children will like the taste of a particular food, but a food's texture can actually be more important than its taste to a toddler, especially if the toddler only has a few teeth. For toddlers who are still better with mushy food raither than chunkier pieces, Circle of Moms member Steph advises throwing the contents of their plate into the blender. Here's one of her favorite meals that tastes good on the plate and out of the blender: "Chopped cooked chicken breast very lightly seasoned, gently boiled fresh veggies, egg noodles, and a tiny bit of salt and pepper."
2. Add Color
As Monjay S. says of her girls, toddlers often "eat with their eyes first." As a result, adding a splash of color can make any meal look more appetizing. Monjay relays: "I add bright colored things to them which adds to the flavor as well...I use the green stuff and colorful veggies (peppers, tomatoes, etc.) as the bottom of the dish, then add their favorite fruits to the dish."
3. Serve Fun Shapes
Other moms note that their toddlers are more likely to eat foods that have interesting shapes. Rebekah S. recommends you "make it fun" for them by cutting bread or veggies into interesting shapes, while Victoria says her daughter handles spiraled rotini pasta better than other noodles.
4. Spice It Up
Although baby food is usually quite bland, some Circle of Moms members say their young children actually prefer lightly seasoned or even slightly spicy food. Marina F., for example, had a tough time feeding her kids when they were toddlers until she discovered they preferred spicier food: "Low and behold they loved the spicier Mexican foods that I loved, and not the American foods like fries or burgers and hot dogs." To start experimenting, try separating your toddler's portion before you season the meal for the rest of the family, and experiment to see how much salt or pepper they really like.
5. Let Them Dip
Many toddlers love to dip their food. As Circle of Moms member Kirsten T. recalls, she began giving her son a variety of dipping sauces when he started to get "funny with food" at around the age of two: "Then every meal was fun. He could dip his food, make a mess, etc." Similarly, Bethany L. gets her toddler to eat more veggies by giving him ketchup or Ranch dressing to dip them in.
6. All-In-One Recipes
Sometimes the easiest way to get everyone to eat everything (meat, veggies, etc.) is to make an all-in-one casserole or crock-pot style meal. Here are a few recipes from the Circle of Moms communities that are great for toddlers and grown-ups.
For more crock-pot recipes, check out 7 Easy Crock-Pot Recipes, 7 Easy Make-Ahead Casseroles, or this discussion Q&A, with recipes for everything from chicken to pork, beef, meatloaf, stew, and chili.
Image Source: jessicafm via Flickr/Creative Commons
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
With a new school year around the corner, we'll all soon be trying to come up with packable lunches our kids will actually eat. To help, we've rounded up fresh lunch box ideas from real moms, including tempting kabob-style lunches and tasty pizza "scrolls.
How do I love chopped salads? Let me count the ways:
1. Variations are endless.
2. They're ready in a snap.
3. No cooking required, perfect for hot, summer nights!
Let your kids make their own salad. You'll be surprised how many colorful, healthy ingredients go in when they're in control!
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
For the dressing:
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp agave syrup (or regular sugar)
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tbsp shallot, finely minced
For the salad:
2 hearts of romaine, finely shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
4 oz goat or blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup green onions (scallions), sliced
1 cup diced chicken
1/2 cup candied walnuts
Preparation
To make the dressing, place the vinegar in a mixing bowl with ¼ tsp. salt and fresh grinding of pepper. Whisk in the agave syrup or sugar. (If using sugar, make sure it dissolves before adding the other ingredients.) Whisk in the Dijon mustard to combine, then slowly whisk in the oil until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in the shallots and set aside.
Combine the lettuce, carrots, apple, cheese, green onion, and any other ingredients you’re using in a large salad bowl. Pour ½ of the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Taste and add more dressing if you’d like. Serve immediately.
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her latest writing collaboration is with renowned chef Todd English. The book, Cooking in Everyday English, is loaded with family-friendly recipes. Amanda’s own cookbook, Real Family Food, is now available for pre-order from Amazon and will be released in the Fall of 2012
Image Source: Amanda Haas
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
Let's just say I am not a new mom. I suppose I am a "been there done that mom" (which sounds so much better than "older mom"). I have learned so many things I wish I had known back then, and here are eight of them. I learned these with my first and they have served me well through the years.
1. A Poem That Soothes
Memorize Wynken Blynken and Nod. It is an old, soft, absolutely lovely poem that every momma should know by heart to soothe and/or entertain her child.
2. Puree and Hide the Veggies
Blend and puree a cup of organic carrots, beets or spinach to add to your fabulous pot of spaghetti, chili or anything else you are making. Your children will never know, and when they do not want to eat their veggies that evening, you will be okay with it.
3. Pick Your Battles
It really just is not the end of the world if little one does not want to eat his broccoli you over-cooked to begin with. It really is okay that his room did not get cleaned today. Relax a little.
4. Ignore Disapproving Glances
Mommas, when your toddler is pitching (and he or she will) a horrible fit in the market, never, never look around to all the disapproving glances of "my child would never do that." It distracts you from your child's needs at the time. They are lying anyway, their kids did throw tantrums, it is also none of their business.
5. Always Carry Snacks
If your child is "acting up", think...what have they eaten in the last hour? A glass of organic milk and a granola bar might just do the trick. This also goes for fussy teens as well, they sometimes forget to eat.
6. Go for Toys that Inspire Creativity
Always, inspire their creativity! What do they like? Not, what do you want them to like. Crayons, art supplies, LEGOs, building blocks and of course fabulous picture books bring out their creativity in ways that nothing else does.
7. Trust Yourself
Think for yourself, you are the mom. Do not always look to "experts" for advice. God gave you maternal instinct for a good reason.
8. Speak to Your Child with Respect
Always talk and respond to your child with love and calmness. Yes, we moms are the busiest people on the planet, but our children deserve nothing less than our best.
Image Source: Kate Ter Haar via Flickr/Creative Commons
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
Picky, picky, picky! Any parent that's ever dealt with a picky eater knows how frustrating it can be. It's a constant battle to force the kids to finish the broccoli on the plate or even eat a few bites of the meal mama preciously prepared. Marta De Wulf, a nutritionist, mother, and cofounder of a nutrition iPad app for parents and kids called Smash Your Food ($3), offers up these tried-and-true tips to help parents learn more about their children's food preferences so the food wars can end once and for all.
When it comes to getting kids to eat and eat well, we'll take all the help we can get. Jenny Rosenstrach — a food writer and editor, mother of two, and founder of Dinner: A Love Story — knows a thing or two about the the subject. And lucky for us, she's offered to share her seven fabulous tips on convincing the kids to eat. Read, learn, and see if your next family dinner isn't just a tad bit more manageable.
Source: Thinkstock
This past year I worked on a cookbook with the chef Todd English. Cooking with him in his home kitchen was one of those "pinch me" moments in life: I couldn't believe I had access to such an amazing chef and teacher. I learned a great deal, and I'd like to believe I taught Todd a thing or two as well. This recipe is one of them! I invented this recipe to show him how I get my children to eat their spinach! (Thank you Todd, for the cheese cracker topping and addition of raisins, both of which make this recipe even more appealing to picky eaters.)
Ingredients
Frozen spinach, 1 (16-oz.) package frozen leaf thawed
Yellow onion, 1 cup diced
Olive oil, 4 Tbsp.
Raisins, 1⁄2 cup
Dry mustard, 1⁄2 tsp.
Long-grain rice, 4 cups cooked
Unsalted butter, 1⁄4 cup
All-purpose flour, 1⁄4 cup
Kosher salt, 1⁄2 tsp.
Milk, 2 cups
Cream cheese, 1 (3-oz.) package softened
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1⁄2 cup shredded
Cheddar cheese, 1 1⁄2 cups (6 oz.) shredded
Fish-shaped Cheddar cheese crackers, 1 1⁄2 cups
Unsalted butter, 2 Tbsp. melted
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Chop spinach.
2. Cook onion in hot oil in a medium-size sauté pan over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until soft. Stir in raisins, dry mustard, and spinach, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes, breaking up spinach as you stir. Remove from heat, add rice, and stir until blended.
3. Melt 1⁄4 cup butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour and salt until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in cream cheese, and cook 2 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat, and stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese until smooth.
4. Stir together cheese sauce and spinach mixture. Let cool 1 to 3 minutes, and stir in Cheddar cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish, and spread in an even layer.
5. Place crackers in a zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal bag, and crush crackers using a rolling pin into pea-size pieces. Pour into a bowl, and stir in 2 Tbsp. melted butter. Sprinkle cracker mixture over spinach mixture in baking dish.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until topping is crunchy and mixture is thoroughly heated. 8 servings
Amanda Haas is a cookbook author, cooking video host, and the founder of One Family One Meal, a website that helps families menu plan, grocery shop, and cook on a budget. Her latest writing collaboration is with renowned chef Todd English. The book, Cooking in Everyday English , is now available on Amazon and is loaded with family-friendly recipes. Amanda’s own One Family One Meal cookbook will be released in the fall of 2012.
Image Source: via Tood English
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, POPSUGAR.
