By Carol Church, Writer, Family Album
Reviewed by Linda Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, Department of Family, Youth, and Community Sciences, University of Florida
This post is part of a series in honor of “Fruits and Veggies—More Matters!” month. Visit the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest!
In yesterday’s post, we talked about the importance of getting kids to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables every day—and how that’s sometimes (often!) a challenge. Today, I want to share a list of easy, kid-friendly ways to get more of those servings in at every meal and snack. I’ve tested many of these recipes on my own kids, and am excited to try out more. I hope you’ll enjoy these suggestions, and maybe add some of your own in the comments. We also hope you’ll visit the Pinterest board we developed to complement this series: Kid-Friendly Fruit and Veggies. It has all these recipes and many more, too!
Breakfast Ideas:
- Try a yogurt and frozen fruit smoothie. Add banana for thickness and natural sweetness. My kids love frozen pineapple in theirs. Some people swear by green smoothies for kids! Here’s one with spinach and blueberries that’s purple, not green.
- Or, how about a yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit parfait? You can even prep these the night before. Add cereal or granola if you like.
- Or, if you want to go all out, check out this healthy yogurt “banana split” for a breakfast treat. It looks amazing!
- Did you know you can make oatmeal (using rolled oats) in the microwave in just a couple of minutes? Here’s how. I add bananas or lots of frozen fruit before cooking. It takes a little longer to prepare individual bowls this way, but there’s no sticky pot to wash.
- Or, try this no-cook overnight oatmeal–great for summer. Top with lots of fresh or frozen fruit. If you have enough jars (they are inexpensive) you can prep several days’ worth of breakfast in advance!
- For an overnight oatmeal in cool weather, try these steel-cut apple-cinnamon oats made in the slow cooker.
- Or, how about this pumpkin pie oatmeal? Sounds delicious—and it’s vegetables for breakfast!
- If your kids prefer savory breakfasts, try throwing some bagged spinach and/or diced tomatoes or salsa into their scrambled eggs. Really easy.
- One of my favorite breakfasts is avocado on toast with olive oil and salt. You could also try this with premade guacamole.
- As a Floridian, I can’t help but be tickled by the idea of giving my kids a healthy popsicle for breakfast!
Lunch Ideas:
- This sandwich made out of a cucumber looks really fun.
- Older kids (and maybe some younger ones) can appreciate a tossed green salad with chicken or other meats and sweet fruit. Include a small container of dressing.
- Kabobs make fruit or veggies more visually appealing. This salad on a stick would be hard to resist.
- Get creative with sandwiches. PB and banana is one old favorite, but strawberry-sunbutter is worth a try. How about grated carrots, raisins, and cream cheese? Here are some more healthy, kid-appealing sandwiches that highlight produce.
- If your child likes egg, tuna, or chicken salad, include diced or grated fruits and veggies, like apples, celery, raisins, or carrots. Here’s a healthy chicken salad recipe and a tuna-avocado salad.
- For younger children and toddlers, try a muffin tin lunch, with small amounts of many foods in each cup of the muffin tin. It’s a great way to encourage “bites” of new foods.
- Here’s a fun weekend lunch we have at home for variety: fruit smoothies, veggie sticks, and popcorn!
Snack Ideas:
- No-sugar-added applesauce is a hit with my kids. To make it special, warm it up, try a little whipped cream on top, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- You’ve heard it before, but it’s true: kids love to dip. Beyond the obvious ranch dressing and hummus, try white bean dip, edamame hummus, cashew cream cheese, cream cheese dips, or all kinds of simple yogurt dips. Here are some great, healthy, kid-friendly dip recipes.
- I started giving my kids frozen peas and corn straight from the freezer when they were teething, and they still enjoy them this way. Frozen grapes and blueberries are also delicious and fun, especially in summer.
- This apple-peanut butter-granola “sandwich” would be a hit with my kids! I make a slightly different version—just apple slices with peanut butter and raisins.
- Though they’re a bit of work, kale chips are delicious—and your family might just eat an entire bunch of kale in 10 minutes.
- You can get some fruits and veggies in with healthy muffins. Try pumpkin, blueberry, banana, or pineapple. I make a double batch and freeze them. You can reheat them in the microwave, or send them in lunchboxes. Here’s a kid-tested veggie muffin recipe with broccoli! And another with carrots and zucchini.
- These cheesy, crispy edamame are a fun, nutritious alternative to popcorn.
- Don’t forget about dried and freeze-dried fruit—no prep at all. Mix them with low-salt roasted nuts and a few dark chocolate chips for a cheaper, healthier trail mix.
Dinner Ideas:
- Roasting vegetables accentuates their natural sweetness and may convert reluctant eaters. Try these carrot and zucchini “fries” or this amazing roasted broccoli (my kids go crazy for it).
- Vegetable soup is sometimes accepted by kids who otherwise are veggie-skeptical, especially if it contains pasta, cheese, or croutons. Here’s a cheesy vegetable soup that looks very kid-approachable.
- Make-your-own “bars” give kids control over their plates and make them feel grown-up. Try a salad bar, a baked potato bar, or a burrito bar, with plenty of veggie options.
- Speaking of salad, have you tried adding fruit, nuts, and cheese to green salad? Including these tempting tidbits may make salad more tempting to children. Look at this gorgeous Strawberry Spinach Salad,with Blueberries, Mango, Avocado, and Cashews.
- The jury is out on whether it’s a good idea to “hide” veggies in accepted dishes. I don’t conceal that they’re in there, but I do serve some of these foods because we like them. I prefer this butternut squash mac and cheese to regular mac and cheese. We also like this recipe, which has a whole head of cauliflower AND a whole squash!
- Speaking of cauliflower, it’s a surprisingly versatile and mild veggie. Have you tried cauliflower “rice”? You can serve it just as you would rice. What about this popular cauliflower cheesy “bread”? One mom I know says her kids are crazy about it. You can even use cauliflower as a pizza crust.
- Do your kids love fries? Switch to simple baked potato fries or baked sweet potato fries, and see how they do.
- Many kids like pesto, especially when made at home to be mild. It doesn’t have to be basil-based. You can make it with broccoli, spinach, or even super-veggie kale. The nuts, cheese and olive oil make the flavor appealing. Here’s a broccoli pesto recipe.
- Homemade pizza can be healthy. Use store-bought crust or dough to save on time, and a light hand with cheese. Have kids pick the veggies they want; you can try personal pizzas, too. This is fun for a Friday night.
Finally, let’s not forget desserts!
- A version of this super-simple pineapple whip is served at Disneyworld. It’s refreshing, sweet, and healthful. (You can use coconut milk or regular milk, too. And try it with frozen pineapple from a bag.)
- If you’re of a certain age, you may remember Orange Julius at the mall. This drink is still awesome and can be easily made at home with fresh juice.
- These watermelon “milkshakes” (no ice cream involved!) are SUPER cold–great for a really hot day in Florida.
- Fresh berries and sorbet are a highly enjoyable and very easy way to fit in one more serving.
- I’ve been dying to make fruit pizza! It’s so gorgeous and looks delicious.
- Lower-sugar fruit-based popsicles are available in stores, but it’s also quite easy to make your own, using store-bought molds or paper cups. Some recipes are here and here. Think you can get away with these green popsicles?
- Fruit crisps can be made low-sugar and low-fat and still be delicious. Here’s a peach crisp that looks great and nutritious.
- Baked apples are naturally delectable. They can even be made in the microwave.
- This banana “ice cream” is kind of amazing. It’s actually just frozen bananas, but when you process it in a blender or food processer you get a great soft-serve texture. You can add in cocoa, peanut butter, or other fun options.
So, there you have it. That’s more than 50 ways to “make more matter” and get more fruit and vegetable servings into your family’s day. I hope you enjoy trying these tips and recipes out as much as I enjoyed finding them. If you have ideas and recipes of your own, we’d love it if you’d post them below so I can add them to our Pinterest board–Kid-Friendly Fruits and Veggies.
(Photo credit: Strawberry snatcher by Kelly Sikkema. CC BY 2.0. Cropped.)
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Comments:
December 10, 2019
I love using a bread machine, too! Thanks for the recipe, it's great finding something new to experiment with. I mostly use the basic cycle because I love basic white bread but, from time to time, it's nice trying something new.
March 20, 2017
Very interesting information, thank u grosir obat herbal
November 17, 2014
This recipe is amazing and delicious and you don't have to knead it. You can sub in whole wheat flour for about 50% of the flour, but may need to add more water, and the loaf will be flatter. The long rise and high water content give it amazing flavor and texture. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0 I also use this recipe, which makes two loaves and is sort of similar, but not the same. Again, you can sub in whole wheat flour for about 50%. I also like to add sesame seeds. I make this one in traditional loaf pans with a silicone liner (otherwise it will stick) so it can be used for sandwiches more easily. I used to make this recipe every week but haven't been getting around to it lately. http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/five-minute-artisan-bread
November 11, 2014
I am sharing this blog with all of my students' families. Beautifully written!
October 15, 2014
I've never seen meat on BOGO! I've seen sales on cost per pound, but how do they provide them as BOGO? Would like more information about this as that would be a tremendous savings and a do have a freezer.
October 15, 2014
And then there's the snack provided to the kids after the game! (I can go for fruit and water, but that is not what tends to be provided) Fortunately, the stand turns out to be not that visible to the kids...they didn't notice it, at least this first time.
October 15, 2014
Thanks for sharing this Carol. Those concession stands were always a concern for me, as a nutritionist and mom interested in healthy eating for my family. We almost never bought anything, which made me feel a bit guilty that I was not supporting the team, but I figured that our health was more important than a few dollars for the team. Not only do those foods provide more fat, sodium, and/or added sugars than most people need, they tend to fill you up so that you may not eat a healthy dinner after the game. Of course, that was the other annoying part of soccer games ... the team always wanted to stop at McDonald's after the game! Oh my ...
October 10, 2014
Hi Selina, You may be looking for a point of contact with the UF FYCS department? I will send you an email with the appropriate info. :)
October 10, 2014
Hi, We need you in the community for purpose of educating youth on your resources. Is this the source of contact to participate in an upcoming event. Please reply at e-mail if so. Agriculture Dept has participated in a previous event with our organization. Thanks so much for the plethora of info that comes from your letters. we appreciate you. Selina Lee
October 9, 2014
My family is totally converted to no-cook overnight oatmeal, whch we had never tried before this post! My daughter loves banana-peanut butter with a tiny bit of chopped dark chocolate, and my son likes apple-cinnamon. I am not a morning person, so I love that I can make it the night before!!
September 25, 2014
I appreciate and agree with your comments, Kevin. Martial Arts are a special way to develop special talents that have gone by the wayside because we are too busy to slow down and realize that past practices, in many instances, still work well in our modern society -- especially with youth.
September 25, 2014
You raise a nice set of points there and maybe I can help expand them. I've studied for a long time, and one thing that is earned in training is a sense of community developing from common goals and collective perseverance. It is struggling together. It is setting unattainable goals, but then getting to them. "Special training" sessions are weekends of intense training that is awful. But you survive it and come out stronger. Nobody is a star. We're reminded that we can always do better and strive for perfection. You are always a student and learning, even when you're teaching. Those are some of the best lessons that can be learned and why kids should be involved in martial arts.
September 17, 2014
These are great suggestions. Wish I had time to try more of them than I will be able to try! Thanks for putting these together in one place ... great resource.
September 8, 2014
Yes, a lot of people seem to like those flavored waters and sparkling waters. Call me a seltzer purist! Sometimes I do mix seltzer with orange juice or grape juice for a sparkly drink, so I'm not "pure" all the time ...
September 5, 2014
I find that if I carry a refillable water bottle with me I drink more during the day. I also prefer lemon sparkling water, with natural flavors. No calories, no sugar, no fat yet I get the bubbles!
September 4, 2014
I'm actually not a big fan of water either, but I really enjoy seltzer, so that is my beverage of choice for hydration. You might try that and see if it works for you. No calories, no sugar ... great choice for thirst quenching.
September 4, 2014
It should be easy for me to drink more water, but somehow I don't. Thanks for the inspiration.
September 3, 2014
This is a great blog post -- really enjoyed reading about this research and the fact that it demonstrated what I have long thought about this amazing book series -- that it has extremely positive messages and much to teach young people (and adults as well). One only has to be concerned about those readers who relate more to Malfoy or Voldemort than to Harry and his buddies ...
August 28, 2014
Howdy! I'm at work browsing your blog from my new apple iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Keep up the fantastic work!
August 26, 2014
Everything is very open with a clear description of the challenges. It was really informative. Your site is very useful. Thanks for sharing!
August 11, 2014
Excellent! We found some deals from online websites as well. This did require us to order two weeks ago or else we would not have had it arrive in time...
August 11, 2014
Just did my family's back to school shopping--I was able to find a $10 off coupon using a couponing app! :)
August 5, 2014
Good catch! Hopefully readers will still focus on the bottom line of this blog that suggests that consumers should be aware that many so-called super foods do not have super powers.
July 31, 2014
"Antioxidants protect your cells from damage and can boost your immune system." Umm, no. Nothing "boots your immune system", that's just one of those nonsense phrases from the alt-med & supplements community who think scientifical language legitimizes their claim. http://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/boosting-immune-system-sorting-science-myth/ You're right to be wary of "superfood" claims, but also beware of false concepts like immune system boosting.
April 15, 2014
good article, thanks for information
March 25, 2014
Getting a diagnosis is so important so that people can either make changes to reduce their risk of diabetes or begin to manage the disease if they already have it. In either case, lifestyle management can make a big difference in quality of life and long-term health. Thanks for the information about the on-line Diabetes Risk Test -- hopefully many people will take advantage of it.
March 25, 2014
Hey! AWESOME!! Thanks for the great info!!
March 20, 2014
Great addition. It is important that we check charges in bank statement, credit card statements, utilities, everything. Being a good consumer truly takes action on our part.
March 19, 2014
Good post. You mentioned here: "Be alert for bills, mail, or account statements that don’t arrive on time". To add to this, many people do not check their bank statements often enough to catch fraudulent activity in a timely manner. It is always a good thing to be mindful of the charges debiting an account and not take for granted that all charges are going to be legit.
March 1, 2014
This is great especially for people like me that needs financial help and assistance. I'll for sure share this to my friends. Thank you ecourtney. :)
February 13, 2014
Well said, I too have a growing collection of art projects and cards from my kids. I treasure these. In fact my wife still has a poem I wrote for her while we were dating in graduate school. She eventually had it mounted onto a plaque several years after we were married.
February 12, 2014
This is a good reminder about what is really important on this holiday. It made me think about all of those cards I made for my parents when I was in elementary school ....you know the ones with red paper and doilies! My mom kept those thoughtful (and cheap) cards for years and I too have some that my son made for me. Guess it is the thought that counts (although chocolate is really fun to get too, I must admit ...)!
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