The new year is here, and I know I'm not the only mom who is on a mission to lose a few pounds. So, in an effort to eat healthier, I've been making sure my kitchen is very well stocked with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only am I eating healthier, but I'm getting my family on board too.
I'm pretty creative in the kitchen and I'm constantly thinking of easy ways to get myself and my family to eat more fruits and veggies throughout the day.
Here are some things that work for us, and might work for you too:
1) Frozen onions, peppers and spinach might not sound very appealing, but they are some of the easiest veggies to sneak into food. My kids absolutely love veggie and cheese omelets or breakfast burritos packed with spinach, onion, bell peppers and mushrooms.
2) I always have a variety of canned beans in the pantry. It's so easy to make your own Bean Salad by mixing up some canned beans and light Italian salad dressing. When my son was two years old this was one of his favorites.
3) Bake your own muffins or mid-morning snacks with healthy ingredients instead of grabbing the processed stuff. If you think you're too busy to do this, I assure you it can be done. My sister, who works full time and has an active toddler, bakes in bulk on the weekend, then, uses some of her muffins throughout the week, and freezes the rest in single portions. From my experience, your family will prefer your home-made goodies to the sugary store bought snacks
4) Dip, Dip, Dip! It's such an easy way to get kids eating raw veggies. I always make my kids their own little plate of veggies and dip in the late afternoon or before dinner if they're asking for a snack. Their favorite dip is ranch, but sometimes I make my own yogurt dip as a healthier alternative.
Homemade fruit smoothies, spinach dip with whole wheat pitas, and green salads with Ranch dressing are also really popular with kids too. I'm also looking forward to planting more cherry tomatoes this spring, because the kids will eat them straight from the garden.
If you still need more ideas, check out my fun food board on Pinterest or Weelicious.com for more healthy kid-friendly recipes.
What types of veggies do your kids like to eat?