It can be tough to feed kids, especially if they are finicky. Here are some creative tips to help you feed your kids get a dose of nutrition in each meal.
Breakfast
• Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, black beans and salsa wrapped in a brown rice tortilla and a glass of orange juice
• Toasted English muffin, a hard boiled egg, a glass
of milk and a bowl of strawberries
• Bowl of whole-grain cereal with milk and a
banana
• Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup, a bowl of
melon and a glass of milk
• Bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and milk and
glass of orange juice
• Yogurt, a slice of whole wheat toast and a
handful of raisins
• Piece of spinach quiche, a slice of whole wheat
toast and a handful of blueberries
Lunch/Snacks
• A quarter or a half sandwich is just one of the many
choices you can offer your child.
• Dried fruit – there is a huge variety of dried fruits
available today - apricots, raisins, dates, cranberries,
blueberries, etc
• Nuts – peanuts, cashews, pecans, almonds and walnuts
• Fresh fruit pieces or a piece of whole fruit – apples, pears
melon, mangoes, pineapple and grapes are just a few!
• Applesauce (no sugar added)
• Celery sticks filled with cream cheese and raisins or white
bean dip and pine nuts
•Sugar snap peas, baby carrots or green beans with Ranch
dressing for dipping
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Yogurt or a smoothie
• Lunch meat roll-ups with cream cheese and a cooked
asparagus or green bean in the middle
• Whole wheat or brown rice tortilla wrap with tuna salad,
chicken salad, or egg salad
• Hard boiled egg
• Cheese cubes, slices or string cheese logs
• Peanut butter (or sunflower butter) with apple slices or
crackers
•Hummus with carrots and mini pita breads
•Whole grain crackers or pretzels
• Trail mix made from cereal, nuts and dried fruit
Dinner
• Home cooked meals are best. Restaurant, fast and
take-out foods are higher in fat, salt, sugar and
calories.
• Feed your child the same meal as the grown ups.
• Avoid “kiddie” foods and meals. They fall short in
nutritional value and are high in fat, salt and sugar.
• No need to have dessert every night. It is more
“special” when it is not as frequent.
Dinner time is a great time of the day to get to know
your child and teach social skills:
• Turn off the TVs and put down the newspapers.
• Sit at the dinner table to enjoy a great meal.
• Teach your child good table manners.
• During the meal, ask your children about the day at
school and share something about your day too.
About the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children and founders of Fresh Baby ( www.FreshBaby.com ). They are the creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit and Good Clean Fun Placemats, available at many fine specialty stores and national chains including Target and Whole Foods Markets.