Don’t Let the Kids Know It’s Healthy (with recipes)
Pasta is high in fiber and kids love spaghetti, macaroni even lasagna noodles. Finding ways to increase the vegetable quotient in these dishes is easy when you hide the vegetables in their favorite foods. Add rich vegetables sauces to these favorite dishes to create a healthy meal for kids and the entire family.
Below are some fun and sometimes sneaky ways to get veggies from the grocery store into their mouths. If everything else fails, hide the vegetables in the pasta sauce.
Healthy Pasta Sauce
Ingredients:
*1 clove garlic
*1/2 purple onion
*2 cups tomato sauce
*1/2 teaspoon oregano
*1 teaspoon of brown sugar
*Kosher salt to taste
*1/2 bell pepper – red or green with seeds removed
*1/2 cup broccoli florets
*1 carrot
Instructions:
1. Slightly coat a skillet with extra virgin olive oil
2. Sauté garlic and onion in a skillet until onion becomes translucent
3. Add tomato sauce and spices
4. Allow the mixture to simmer for around 15 minutes
5. Puree bell pepper, broccoli and carrots in blender until smooth
6. Add the puree mixture to the tomato sauce
7. Simmer the mixture an additional 15 minutes
8. Cook pasta according to label directions
Add a salad bar and garlic toast to this kids healthy meal.
Healthy Kids Salad Bar
Ingredients:
* Romaine, iceberg Lettuce
* Sliced tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
* Cucumber
* Shredded carrot
* Red, yellow, and green sliced peppers
* Sliced beets
* Chopped olives
Allow the children to build their own salad. Let them know that whatever they put on their salad plate and since they are choosing they must eat what they pick.
Set out a choice of salad dressings & toppings. Top the salad with croutons and shredded cheese. Some kids may not eat cooked vegetables because of the “smooshy texture," however the color and texture of raw vegetables may appeal to them.
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