Healthy Meal and Snack Alternatives
These suggestions work for everyone, but particularly moms, searching for ideas to provide healthier meals and snacks for their children, will find a wealth of information. The best thing you can do as a parent is to be a good role model by setting a good example - they do what you do much more than what you say!
First of all, skipping breakfast and physical inactivity have been shown to be risk factors for overweight and obesity in adolescents - the factor that had the strongest correlation to overweight was skipping breakfast. So, I'd like to share some suggestions and ideas (and I'd love to hear yours!) for making meals healthier and still appealing to kids:
Breakfast ideas:
Smoothies are always a fast, easy and tasty idea. You can use whey protein powder (I like Designer Whey French Vanilla, which is the only flavor sweetened with stevia) mixed with water or almond milk; add a banana, some berries and blend.
To bump it up a notch nutrition-wise: mix whey (or pea, rice or hemp) protein powder with water, add a scoop of Food Science of Vermont Superior Reds, Superior Oranges or Superior Purples. I add in a banana and with the Reds I add some frozen cherries; for the Oranges, frozen peaches and for the Purples, frozen wild blueberries. Adding a scoop of chia seeds, ground flax seeds, lecithin granules, 1/2 tsp. of l-glutamine powder and a pinch of cinnamon bumps up the nutrition even more. This smoothie is highly nutritious and delicious - the kids will love it and so will you.
A green drink is not always a kid's first choice simply because of the color. However if you mix a scoop of All Day Energy Greens Fruity Zing (from Institute for Vibrant Living) with water and a scoop of whey protein, they won't realize how much protein and nutrition they are getting!
You can also use Organic Barley Green Juice mixed with Nutrition Now Meal Option in either Creamy Vanilla or Sweet Strawberry and blended with half water and half organic apple juice - these products are available from Purium Health Products (see the link on our site to order).
Oatmeal is a great breakfast idea. Use steel cut oats (soaked overnight with one tablespoon of kefir or yogurt and one cup of water) or old fashioned oats. Excellent add-ins are fruit, berries, nuts (walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, almonds), cinnamon, sesame seeds, chia seeds; adding some quinoa flakes bumps up the protein content and some oat bran makes it creamier and bumps up fiber content. Sweeten with either stevia or Lakanto for a satisfying and nutritious start to the day.
If your child likes cold cereal, look at the ingredients carefully and avoid anything that is sweetened, particularly with high fructose corn syrup or any artificial sweeteners. The fewer the ingredients on the side of the package, the better. Shredded Wheat, Shredded Wheat and Bran and Grape Nuts are good choices. You can add some Lakanto or stevia to sweeten if desired and top with fruit and almond or hemp milk.
A fruit and granola parfait is another great idea. Use organic granola, organic plain kefir or yogurt (plain Greek yogurt is especially thick and creamy); sweeten with a few drops of stevia and flavor with cinnamon and vanilla extract and layer in a pretty glass with whatever fruits your child especially likes.
High Protein Muffins: You can make regular sized or mini muffins and flavor them any number of ways. By substituting 3/4 cup of quinoa flour and 1/4 cup of coconut flour for white or even wheat flour, 3/4 cup of quinoa flakes and a scoop of whey protein you increase protein content. Here's the entire recipe:
Ann's High Protein Muffins:
Dry:
1 cup of flour: (use any combination you like)
3/4 cup quinoa flour and 1/4 cup coconut flour;
½ cup quinoa flour, 1/4 cup millet flour & ¼ cup coconut flour or 1 cup whole wheat (I also like spelt flour which is a type of wheat)
¾ cup quinoa flakes or old fashioned oats,
4 tbsp rapadura (unprocessed sugar) or Lakanto; 4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, Pinch sea salt, 3 tbsp ground chia seeds/flax seeds/sesame seeds, 1 scoop whey protein
Wet: 3 bananas mashed
3 eggs lightly beaten
4 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
Mix wet ingredients into dry just until mixed. Possible add ins: frozen wild blueberries, frozen cherries, chopped nuts, dark chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes for mini muffins – 20 minutes for regular sized muffins (3”). 12 regular and 12 mini muffins.
Variation #1:
Substitute ½ to ¾ cup of apple sauce for the bananas.
Variation #2:
Substitute 16 oz pureed pumpkin for bananas, increase rapadura to 5 tbsp., add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice – add ins could be dried cranberries and walnuts!
Variation #3:
Substitute ¼-1/2 cup of oat bran for part of the quinoa flakes or oatmeal. I do this for my husband’s muffins since he has cholesterol issues. I also add ground flax and chopped walnuts for the omega 3’s.
Eggs are absolutely the best breakfast item - a perfect protein - whether hardboiled, scrambled, sunny side up or an omelet brimming with vegetables, most kids love eggs. Try making a "toad in a hole" - use a piece of whole grain bread or sprouted grain bread; cut a hole out of the middle; melt coconut oil in your pan; put the bread in and toast for a minute or two; break one egg into the hole in the center and cook to desired doneness. You can even decorate it with slices of cheese, veges or berries. You can toast the cut out or save and make small snack sandwiches with them.
Lunch ideas:
Nut butter (organic and unsalted) sandwiches - peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter - on whole grain bread are always a winner. You can add a bit of no sugar added organic jam or jelly or slice up a banana. You can make a "faux" peanut butter if your child has an allergy to nuts. Mix Aktivated Barley, Rice Bran Solubles and Organic Tropic Coconut Oil (from Purium Health Product) and spread just as you would nut butter. Cut out with cookie cutters and they're irresistable. Instead of bread try whole grain english muffins; put spread on and make a face by decorating with fruit slices, raisins or whatever your child likes. My only caution here is to be sure whatever brand of Rice Bran Solubles you use does not contain arsenic. Some brands do.
Yogurt is always a great choice. Stoneyfield Farms and Horizon Organic have yogurt in a tube the kids will love. Pair this with fruit and some nuts or seeds.
Other good lunch choices are hard-boiled eggs, cheese sticks, hummus and raw vegetables (try jicama sticks, Jerusalem artichoke, celery, bell peppers, baby carrots); whole grain crackers (look at the ingredients - the shortest list wins - Original Triscuit are good) and guacamole or salsa; cottage cheese and vegetables; some mini high protein muffins, a handful of nuts and seeds and a small piece of dark chocolate (what a treat!).
Any left-overs from dinner work well. Something as simple as a turkey, chicken, tuna or salmon sandwich on whole grain bread and some baby carrots, celery sticks or sliced peppers provides protein and fiber. An egg sandwich or burrito are also excellent choices. Just be sure the wraps you choose are whole grain. A thermos of soup (lentil, vegetable, split pea) and whole grain crackers is a great option. You can puree cauliflower and add it to soup to bump up the nutritional value even more.
Salad is another great lunch (or dinner) idea. Top lettuce and whatever sliced or chopped fresh veges your child especially likes (cucumbers, grape tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, shredded carrots) with chick peas (or any other bean), peas, sunflower or pumpkin seeds and provide a healthy dressing. You can purchase a container especially made for salads that even has a reservoir on top to store the dressing so the salad doesn't get soggy and has it's own ice pack in the lid to keep everything fresh. They're sold in supermarkets and make it easy to carry a salad to school or work.
Dinner Ideas:
To ramp up the fiber and nutrients in your dinner meals consider the following add-ins:
Pureed cannellini beans, 1/2 cup pureed peas, a few tablespoons of Benefiber, shredded carrots, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup frozen, thawed, chopped spinach, pureed sweet potato or cauliflower can be added to marinara sauce. They'll never know it's there!
Shredded carrots, sweet potato puree, shredded zucchini can also be added in to meatloaf, hamburgers and meat balls. Cooked, pureed cauliflower can be whisked into cheese sauce for mac and cheese.
I've been told adding baby food prunes or pureed blueberries to ground beef also works well, although I've never tried it myself.
Try making vegetables more inviting - roast brocolli, cauliflower, asparagus, peppers, green beans, root vegetables like turnips, carrots and parsnips and brussels sprouts - instead of steaming. Simply arrange on a baking sheet, coat with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes - turning once halfway through.
Better mashed potatoes: Drain 1 cup of cooked cauliflower florets; puree with a little milk or water until smooth and mash with equal parts potatoes. You can combine pureed cauliflower and celeriac or parsnips with potatoes as well.
Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld gives you even more ideas on how to sneak healthy ingredients into your child's foods.
Substitute ground chicken, turkey, lamb, veal and even buffalo for beef when making burgers. Add in chopped Baby Bella (cremini), white button mushrooms or chopped and sauteed shiitake mushrooms and shredded zucchini to keep burgers moist and add flavor.
If you are breading chicken fingers - try substituting crushed whole grain crackers (Original Triscuits) or ground up nuts to increase the protein and fiber content.
Snack, Dessert and Beverage Ideas:
Avoid anything sweetened with high fructose corn syrup or any artificial sweeteners - so soda, Kool Aid and Crystal Light are out. Celestial Seasonings Zingers are powdered drink packets made with green tea and other high quality ingredients in several flavors which are sweetened with stevia. They have absolutely no high fructose corn syrup. Stevita brand also makes these packets to go in several flavors that you may be able to find either at your health food store or at www.stevitastevia.com. Simply add one pack to 16 oz. of water.
If your children like the fizziness of soda, try Zevia, a natural, sugar free alternative to diet soda. Visit www.zevia.com to learn more.
The old standby snacks of apples or bananas and nut butter are always good. Ants on a log have always been my oldest son's favorite: Stalks of celery filled with nut butter and topped with raisins. Frozen grapes is an old favorite.
You can make popcorn healthier by sprinkling freshly popped organic kernels with either Organic Spirulina or nutritional yeast. It's really delicious.
You can add 1 tablespoon of Purium's Apothe-Cherry to 1-1/2 cups of organic applesauce and then add in any other dried or fresh fruit your child likes.
You may have some great ideas I haven't covered here - I'd love to hear them. Please share them with me and I will add them to this list.
Ann Musico
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