Healthy Eating for the Family!
I have noticed lately that my 2 year old loves to ask for bananas or grapes as a snack, but she also has a habit of asking for cookies or chips (especially in the grocery store when we are going down the snack aisle). Here are some great suggestions for healthier foods for your child. It includes some classic favorites and fun alternatives:
• Create fresh fruit kabobs on skewers.
• Roll a banana in orange juice and coconut. Freeze and enjoy.
• Wrap sliced turkey or ham around pineapple chunks. Spear with toothpicks.
• Layer fruit on a flat serving dish in colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple.
• Use veggies on a plate to make a face: cucumber eyes, carrot stick eyebrows, cherry tomato nose…anything you can come up with. A slice of cheese can act as the backdrop for the veggies.
• Treat your kids to frozen 100% fruit juice bars or sugar-free fudge pops.
• Make mini ice cream cones with frozen yogurt.
Make sure you are choosing proper portions for your family too! Below is what your healthy servings should resemble:
A 4 ox of beef/pork = size of deck of cards.
1 cup of pasta/cereal = size of baseball
1 medium baked potato = size of computer mouse
2-3 oz of luncheon meat or cheese slice (for sandwiches) = size of compact disc
2 tablespoons of peanut butter = size of table tennis ball
Interested in additional help for your family’s nutrition? Here are some great reads that will send you on your way. All of these books are available on Amazon.com
- The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine. This book helps you get your kids to eat their veggies, include 75 recipes and much more.
- Weight Watchers Family Power by Karen Miller-Kovach. This book gives parents 5 simple rules in creating a healthy-weight home and practical, hands-on advice.
- Conquering Childhood Obesity for Dummies by Meghan Beecher, Michelle Hagen and Kimberly A. Tessmer. This book is packed with helpful advice and effective strategies for getting on the right track to a healthy future.
- The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Dr. Sear’s 10 Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track. This book gives parents advice on how to shape young tastes to crave healthy foods in the right portions.
Courtesy of AP
