Eliminating juice with added sugar

Tip- Give your child fruits and veggies with high water content instead of juice

I'm not saying that there aren't any juices out there that don't have added sugar. The fact is that there are
benefits to eating the whole fruit. If you would like to read more on that I suggest this quick read.
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=24
What I like to do at breakfast time is to choose a fruit with a high water content such as watermelon, orange, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, pineapples, ext. to go along with their breakfast. In the afternoon I like to offer them vegetables or fruits again with a higher water content including cucumber, celery, tomatoes, etc. to also help quench their thirst.

Why drink orange juice when you can eat a whole orange! :o) 

Bonus Tip- Make smoothies! Smoothies are a great way to add extra fat, protein, calcium, vegetables, or fruits to your child's specific needs. There are endless combinations that you can create and tailor to your child's likes and needs. Some ideas are whole milk yogurt, nut butter, nuts, spinach, or avocado added to fruits.

Bonus Tips- If your child does not like to drink straight water try adding a lemon or lime to the water. You can add sugar to start and slowly add less and less until your child no longer needs the sugar added. One of our favorite drinks is blended cucumber, lime, and water. Fruit waters are a great start to ween your child off of sugary drinks.         

Yogurt with fruit

Tip- Add fruit to plain yogurt

We have yogurt for breakfast at least once a week. I like to use whatever fruit is in season so that the fruit is sweet enough and there is no need to add sugar. Your choices for yogurt are pretty simple. Depending on your doctor you may want to buy whole fat or low fat plain yogurt. Yup, plain yogurt with no added sugar! Your other choice is regular or Greek yogurt. Greek is firmer and thus holds up better with the fruit in my opinion. I like to fill the bowl 2/3 of the way with cut up fruit then top with yogurt. If the fruit isn't ripe I may add some honey or agave.

Here is Landon's bowl of strawberry yogurt...half eaten. 

Bonus Tip- Add granola to it, but make it a low sugar granola. Some kids will like the extra crunch for a change. I like to use granola that has pieces of nuts in it as well for the good fat that nuts provide. You can also add cereal. I have added cheerios to the top when Maddox asked for granola and I didn't have any. 

Bonus Tip- Don't forget to change up the fruit you use as it is an easy way to introduce new fruits. Some of the fruits we love are pineapple, berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries), mangoes, kiwi, apricots, peaches, plums, apples, pears, bananas, or any combination of these.   

Bite sized snacks

Tip- Cut up veggies and fruits into easy to eat bit sized pieces

This tip may sound easy enough but it takes time and thought. I like to cut up certain fruits/veggies the night before so that I can take my time to get them to a small size and not just cut up fast to get the food to their plates.
Maddox likes to eat celery with peanut butter and cranberries or raisins. I used to cut them into about 3" long strips and he would bite off pieces but found when I cut them into 1" pieces it was easier for him to eat thus he ate more.

M waiting to patiently for me to take a picture before he dug in!

I also like to make a fruit salad with pieces cut up into 1/4"-1"2 inch pieces and add fruits that they may not eat by itself. For example, your child may like bananas and pineapple but maybe not mango as much. If you cut them up small and mix them together your child may eat them all together.

Bonus Tip- Cutting fruit and veggies in different ways may offer your child a fun experience. Something that I like to do is use a melon baller for honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Try using a mandoline slicer to create thin strips or matchstick pieces. Some of our favorites are apples, cucumbers, and carrots.

Bonus Tip- Try freezing grapes, pineapple, blueberries, blackberries, raspberry, melon for a fun frozen treat in warmer weather.      

Peanut Butter and Jelly changed up

Tip- Expand your child's palate by changing ingredients

Here are some of my "peanut butter and jelly" ideas. I will break it down into three parts. The butter, the jelly, and the bread. Changing these three parts on a regular basis will prevent your child from becoming accustomed to one and will expand their tastes.  

Butter
Make sure you are buying natural peanut (or other nut) butter. Meaning its made from nuts only without added sugar. It will separate (the oil will go to the top...so we put it in the fridge upside down and this seems to work for us). Make sure to read your labels! I have made the mistake of almost buying a peanut butter that was labeled natural but when I read the ingredients it read peanuts then sugar. I would also suggest trying almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter, or, if you give your child soy, they make soy butter too.

Jelly
I don't like to give my children "jelly" as most jarred versions have a large amount of sugar in them. Some of the alternatives that I do like are thinly sliced strawberries, bananas, mangoes, or pineapples. I also use fruit butter. They come in so many different flavors and are only called butter if the ratio of fruit to sugar is less then 2:1 which isn't true of jams.

These are the two we currently are using in our house. (Yea for Trader Joe's coming to Miami....soon!!) 

Bread

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that whole grain bread is the best for your child. What I will suggest though is trying different kinds whether oat, wheat, rye, and whatever else you can find. I also like to change it up and use rice cakes, english muffins, or crackers.

Bonus Tip- Try adding in slivered almonds for added crunch and protein!

Breakfast Quesadilla

Tip- Use a tortilla as a platform for eggs

My kids enjoy quesadillas. I use the tortilla and cheese as a base then pile on the protein, fruits, or veggies. I love that the cheese melts it all together to create a perfect little handheld meal! If you child doesn't enjoy eggs, one way I suggest incorporating them into their diet is to start with a small amount of scrambled egg added to a tortilla with their favorite cheese. Once they start eating eggs regularly then I would urge you to incorporate veggies into the quesadilla too. 

This morning I, okay my husband (he normally does breakfast although we usually plan together the night before what they will be eating) started by adding a small amount of olive oil to a pan then throwing in some garlic and onion (cut up small). He cooked for a minute or two until soft. Then added a couple of eggs  and cooked until almost done. At this point he added tomato and yellow pepper. Once the eggs were complete I laid a tortilla on the pan, sprinkled a little cheese, then added the scrambled egg mixture, a little more cheese, and then another tortilla to top it off. I cooked it until slightly toasted.

   

This was my breakfast (with out the top tortilla) as I don't quite put this much on the tortilla for my boys or it would completely fall apart when they ate it. 

One of the best parts about using a tortilla is that whatever you choose to add to your eggs can be slightly hidden. ;o) 

Bonus Tip- Try switching up the veggies you incorporate into the eggs every time. It is an easy way to expand their palate with a familiar base. Some of the things I like to incorporate are onions, garlic, all different kids of peppers, zucchini, all different kinds of tomatoes (green work great because it adds a nice crunch to the soft eggs), broccoli, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and the list can go on and on! 

My personal favorite- Two eggs, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, red onion, garlic, basil, and feta!! So yum!!! 

Bonus Tip- Don't forget to switch up your cheeses and herbs too! If you change up these things your child can become familiar with different flavors. For example, if you use mozzarella and oregano, they can become familiar with these flavors and will be more likely to try other foods that contain these ingredients. Some good cheesy choices are american, cheddar, swiss, provolone, or mozzarella. 

Bonus Tip- Add meats! If you are trying to add more meat into your child's diet you can add it here. Try using torn up turkey slices, sausage, bacon, or chicken too.  

 

Apples and carrots

Tip- Mix a favorite food with a not so favorite food

Although my boys enjoy both of these foods separate it was not always the case. I found that if I take a food that they enjoy like apple and add in a not so favorite food like raw carrots they will get the nutritional benefits of both while expanding their flavor profile. I started with a ratio of 2 to 1, shredded apple to shredded carrot. You could start even slower if needed by trying a 4 to 1 ratio. Before you know it your child too will be eating raw carrot slaw. 

Bonus Tip- What kid doesn't like apple sauce right? You could also try to puree an apple and a carrot and mix the two together. Also safe for your child that is just starting off eating solid foods. 

Bonus Tip- The combinations are endless!! Another favorite of ours is apple and beet. Warning.....DO try this at home as it is rather messy for most toddlers. 

Welcome to healthy eating!

It is often that I hear from friends that they are having trouble getting their child to eat....healthy. I like to think that I can be creative when thinking of new ways to get my children to try new things or to make healthier choices. I would love to share my ideas with anyone willing to listen. I would also love to hear tips on how you get your child or children to eat healthy too. So feel free to share!