Building a More Nutrient Rich Diet for Kids
I’ve talked about getting your kids nutrition through the green smoothie, and so far that’s my favorite way to go. The nutrients are dense, the whole fruit or vegetable is consumed thereby giving more fiber, and a multitude of healthful foods can be hidden in there. But there are some other ways to get otherwise “yucky” or hard-to-eat (read “chew” for younger ones) foods into your kids.
Try chopping dark leafy greens very fine and stirring them into your spaghetti or other sauces. Kale or spinach shouldn’t alter the flavor, and both are full of vitamins and minerals.
Replace regular pastas with whole grain. (We actually enjoy the whole grain more because it has more flavor.)
For the morning oatmeal, sweeten it with 1/2 a mashed banana instead of the usual brown sugar or maple syrup. My son eats a large bowl of this every morning with a couple teaspoons ground walnuts and some chopped dates. He loves it!
Check back tomorrow for some more ways to add an extra boost of nutrition to your childrens’ diets. Got some ideas of your own? Leave a comment here and share!
March 4th, 2008 at 10:58 am
[...] you read yesterday’s article on building a nutrient rich diet for your kids, you’re probably ready for some more ideas about giving your kids healthy food. So here they [...]
March 4th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I like the idea of a green smoothie. Although I think I would need a few more recipes to try, I’m not sure I’m familiar enough with all the different green combinations of things.
March 4th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Coming right up, killashandra! I’ll do a smoothie post soon - I promised one awhile back and haven’t gotten to it yet, but I would love to share some ideas. We’ve been drinking one for breakfast every morning with orange juice, banana, parsley, spinach, and flax seed. It’s so good!
March 5th, 2008 at 12:17 am
We LOVE the green smoothies. My kids and I have been making and eating them every morning for the past week! It is now part of our routine and always a surprise to see what else we can throw in the blender. Thanks!
March 5th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
I’m glad you like them Laura! My son goes nuts for them, and it’s nice because he’s at that age when sometimes he just plain won’t eat his lunch. I make a smoothie and know that at least he’s getting something healthy in there! I don’t tell anyone he drinks his lunch because that could get me in trouble…
March 6th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Ha-Ha! I guess that I shouldn’t mention to others that my kids (and myself) have a “drink” for breakfast! What a great way to sneak all those nutrients in.
March 8th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
[...] Healthy Oatmeal: I mentioned this one on my post about adding more nutrition in your diet. Mash 1/2 banana in a bowl (I smash with a fork - easy peasy), and stir in about 1/2 - 3/4 cups [...]
March 12th, 2008 at 1:28 am
this is really good! i have to check out that “green smoothie”!