One of the simplest ways to get them into Veg. is to mix it in to pasta sauces or use on pizza as toppings. You can make a delicious pizza with toppings such as red and green peppers, sweet corn and tomatoes mixed in with cheese.
And a tomato based pasta sauce with mushrooms and butterbeans is a much tastier and healthy alternative to a plain tomato sauce.
Encouraging your kids to help you in preparing their dinners is also a fantastic way of encouraging them to eat more healthily. They are much more likely to eat something that they have had a helping hand in and it’s a great learning experience for everyone too!
Mashing parsnips and carrots together with a knob of butter is a wonderful way of getting your kids to eat vegetables and the bright orange colour adds an extra dash of vibrancy to the plate.
If your child isn’t a big a fan of fish, why not mix the fish in with some mashed potato and turn it into a fishcake? That way it looks far more appetising and is easier for them to eat too.
Get your kids eating the sweeter variety of vegetables if you think it might make it easier for them due to the sweeter taste. Ones to try include sweet potato, carrots and parsnips.
And when it comes to drinks, we all know how much kids love juices so why not try giving them deliciously fruity fruit smoothies. Not only are they an excellent source of vitamins but they also come in a great range of colours. If you’re not up to making your own then pop down to your local shop. Most now stock a range of healthy kids smoothies will all natural ingredients. A really excellent and tasty way to give your kids their five a day!
Another great alternative to desserts loaded with artificial flavourings and colours is to make your own ice lollies from natural diluted fruit juices. Simply pop them in the freezer and then use them for dessert as a tasty and healthy treat.
For most parents, the easiest thing to give your child when they start moaning between mealtimes is a bag of crisps or a chocolate biscuit but there are other much healthier snacks that will do the trick just as well.
Try giving them rice cakes or breadsticks to stave off the hunger until mealtime or give them some raisins. Raisins are a great healthy snack because they are sweet but don’t do the damage that sweets and chocolate do. So your child gets their sugar fix without harming their health.
So there you have it. Try all of these tips and see which ones work best for you and your child. They’ll thank you for it later on in life.
Time Saving Tips:
The majority of parents in today’s world both work and often they come home from a hard day at the office and are straight into preparing dinner for their youngsters. Not only is this stressful and tiring but often the children’s diet can suffer due to unhealthy convenience foods.
Here are some quick time saving tips when it comes to making dinners so that you can use the minimum amount of time and fuss and not compromise your or your kids’ diets.
- An old-age trick is to make double the recipe. That way you can freeze half and use it for another day, giving you one less day to cook a meal.
- If you make too much mash, put it in the fridge and then use another day to make bubble and squeak by frying up a few sausages, or mix it with a little fish to make homemade fishcakes- delicious and healthy too!
- Left-over veggies can be used for making delicious healthy soups perfect for those winter evenings.
- Using frozen Veg is a quicker alternative to fresh Veg. and gives you the same nutritional value.
- And remember when cooking roast chicken or duck, cut off the legs to make cooking time quicker.
Recipe Ideas for Lunch and Dinner:
For Lunchboxes a twist from the usual sandwiches can always brighten up a day.
- How about a homemade slice of pizza with topping such as tomatoes, tuna, peppers and some cheese? That’ll give them a lovely lunchtime surprise.
- Banana and almond muffins are not only healthy but extremely tasty and a great substitute for that bar of chocolate.
- Or try a granary bap filled with hummus, grated carrots and salad. It won’t just fill you up but make you feel good about yourself all day too.
Our week night recipe ideas are designed to help you plan your mealtimes and to get you inspired when it comes to cooking dinners for the family.
- Family Fish Pie is healthy, filling and delicious though make sure you remove all those bones first! You can liven up your pie by adding spinach or celeriac or broccoli to the fish and mashed potato. Tasty! This is a firm family favourite.
- A simple tomato based pasta dish can become a culinary delight when you add some peppers, fresh coriander and butterbeans to the mix. Add a dash of lime at the end and no one can ever accuse pasta of being a boring dish again!
- Or why not cook a deliciously meaty casserole? Add whichever vegetables take your fancy and warm up your winter nights with this healthy comfort food.