Fun Meals for Kids
Ranked #12,285 in Food & Cooking, #218,031 overall
Fun ways to make healthy food for children
Finding fun and healthy meals can often be hard for finicky eaters. I embarked on a mission to make meals more fun and still work in the fruits, vegetables and healthy alternatives to the standard children's meal. You do not have to always hide the vegetables and some experts warn against it. Feeding children healthy meals is a struggle, but I have a few suggestions on how to make it more fun and put variety in their diet. I conducted an experiment with my own children to see if they would eat healthier foods.
I focused on making the meals for my children fun while still trying to get them to try new food. Each week I will post a few new meals. For now, enjoy this list as I build!
I focused on making the meals for my children fun while still trying to get them to try new food. Each week I will post a few new meals. For now, enjoy this list as I build!
Fred and Friends Food Plate
These fun plates come in a male and female version! It is a great way to serve fruit and veggies to finicky children.
Fred and Friends Food Face, Boy
Amazon Price: $9.17 (as of 06/01/2012)
Tips for Turning Children Into Healthy Eaters
It is important for us to teach our children how to eat healthy foods at an early age. I fell into the trap of feeding my children sugary foods and avoiding the fruit and vegetable fight. I was tired of reminding everyone including my husband that potatoes and corn are not the only vegetables. But after experiencing my children's sugar highs and lows and noticing they were not among the fittest children in their age group I felt it was my responsibility as a parent to teach them good eating habits.
Do not be afraid to introduce a new food. My children love smoked salmon and soy beans, two foods that appear to be very child unfriendly. But I was not afraid to let them try.
Do not introduce too many new things at once. It is best to sprinkle in a new item on a plate with a lot of foods they like. In their mission to devour their favorite foods they may just accidentally try the new one.
Make the food fun. I was tired of hearing "ew" every time I put a plate in front of them. I started making the food into fun pictures or presenting it in a fun way and they became excited about their meals.
Little steps are still steps in the right direction.
Do not hide all the good foods. While blending good foods into existing recipes is a great way to add nutrients, it should not be the only experience with healthy foods. Teaching our children how to pick good foods and liking them is also important for their transition as adults.
Bring them to shop. I personally know how maddening it can be to lug your children to the grocery store or farmers market but it is a great opportunity to teach them how to pick out healthy foods. Start small, go pick your favorite berries at a local farm; only take them for the produce part of the shopping. Let them pick some foods, weigh them, bag them. It may take a little extra time but they will gain a lot from it.
Let them help! Sometimes just helping in the kitchen makes them more likely to eat the food you prepare!
Breakfast
The most important meal of the day!
Bagel with Cream Cheese and Fruit
This meal has a nice blend of carbs, diary and fruit. Sneak in vegetable or chive cream cheese and you have veggies in the mix too! Try using whole grain or pumpernickle bagels as a healthier alternative.In this photo:
1/2 Lender's Bagel
1 T Chive Cream Cheese
Strawberry, blueberries, grapes: varies
Breakfast Egg Wrap/Taco
Breakfast tacos are a favorite in my house. My children do not even mind the whole wheat tortillas! Scramble a few egg whites and leave in a little yoke from one of them to give them color. Set out a tray of topping such as shredded cheese (cheddar, monterey jack...), chopped tomatoes, chives, onions, green pepper, black beans or anything your children might like to sprinkle on them.Pick one topping that is new to them and at least one you know they like. They will be more prone to eating them.
In this photo:
4 egg whites + 1/2 egg yoke scrambled topped with Monterrey Jack cheese
Chopped tomotoes
Banana Pancakes and Turkey Bacon
Sneak the fruit into this fun breakfast! The sliced bananas are not visible but they are in there! My favorite mix is the Quaker Oatmeal Pancake mix because the recipe calls for egg whites instead of the traditional oil and eggs. The turkey bacon is a low fat alternative to regular bacon and tastes great!To make it fun, offer up light syrup, peanut butter, all fruit jam or a flavored honey to top their pancakes with.
In this photo:
Quaker Oatmeal Pancakes made with bananas
Turkey Bacon
Frozen blueberries
Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix
This whole grain pancake mix calls for skim milk and egg whites as an alternative to oil and eggs.
Quaker Oatmeal Pancake Mix, 32 oz (Pack of 6)
Amazon Price: (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price:
Ice Cream Cone Muffins, Yogurt and Fruit
These ice cream cone muffins are so fun for the kids to eat. Simply pick your favorite muffin or bread mix, fill mini cones and bake according to the instructions for mini muffins! Blueberries made up the eyes, banana slices for the mouth and Hershey's syrup for the hair!In this photo:
Banana Quick Bread mix (muffin recipe) in mini ice cream cones
Bananas and blueberries
Vanilla yogurt
Hershey's syrup
Mini Ice Cream Cones
I love this brand of cones. If your kids want to help, pour the batter into a mini pitcher and let them pour away!
Joy Kids Cones, 60-Count Boxes (Pack of 12)
Amazon Price: (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $31.08
Banana Quick Bread
This is my favorite quick bread brand. The back has a recipe for turning this bread into muffins.
Pillsbury Quick Bread Mix, Banana, 14-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12)
Amazon Price: $30.90 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $32.04
Snack
Two snacks a day can help keep the cravings away!
Coming soon!
Clif Bars for Kids
When you buy Clif bars in bulk from Amazon you receive significant savings on certain varieties. Clif bars are a great snack on the go.
Clif Kid ZBar, Blueberry, Pack of 36
Amazon Price: (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $27.38
Lunch
Peanut Butter and Jelly
This peanut butter and jelly is actually healthier than it looks? The white bread is actually a whole grain white variety. The filling is all natural peanut butter with low sugar jelly. Try this grilled or with their favorite all natural preserves. I did not have blue food dye so I just sprinkled the vanilla yogurt with blue sprinkles and made a sun out of a small bowl of apple sauce.In this photo:
Whole grain white bread
All natural peanut butter
Low sugar grape jelly
Vanilla yogurt with blue sprinkles
Apple Sauce
Turkey and Cheese with a Twist
Add a little sunshine
Buck up on the standard boring turkey and cheese by making it more fun! Make the food into artwork. Use honey mustard dipping sauce, shredded cheddar or sliced boiled eggs for the sun. Make carrots into houses, use peas for grass, roll up the turkey and cheese and turn it into rays. Try shredded carrot for the younger or finickier crowd.In this photo:
Turkey
Provolone cheese
Carrots
Frozen variety sweet peas
Honey Mustard dip
Egg Salad Sandwiches
I made these lower fat variety egg salad sandwiches for my children and they loved them.Recipe:
7 Hard boiled
1/4 low fat mayo
2 Tablespoons low fat or non-fat sour cream
1/4 tsp dry mustard
Whole grain bread
Makes 3-4 servings
Remove and discard the yokes from 5 of the eggs and mix the 5 egg whites and 2 whole eggs with remaining ingredients. Spread egg mixture on bread to make a sandwich.
White Square Paper Plates
The plates featured in this article are porcelain but you can get the same great look in paper!
Creative Converting 6.87" Square Paper Luncheon Plates, White Color, 18-Count Packages (Pack of 5)
Amazon Price: $9.49 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $30.71
Dinner
Smoked Salmon
This is straight up from the school "don't knock it until you try it". Smoked salmon for all its benefits still comes across as an adult food. You may be surprised to find your kids might actually like it. We stumbled upon this quite on accident when the kids/not knowing begged for some of ours and they loved it! Try other fun vegetables that you know they like. If there is something that they like already on the plate they may be apt to scoot over and pick up a piece.In this photo:
Smoked Salmon
Strawberries
Asparagus
Whole wheat Ritz Crackers
Dessert
No Pudge Brownie Treat
This dessert looks full of calories but it is made with the No Pudge Brownie mix and yogurt! That simple and no eggs that the means the kiddos can lick the spoon! I served it with vanilla yogurt (from the leftovers in the carton), all natural strawberry preserves and low fat whipped cream. I mixed a little cinnamon in the brownies for a little extra fun. Try serving your own topping like low fat frozen yogurt or walnuts.In this photo:
No Pudge Brownie Mix prepared
Strawberry preserves
Vanilla Yogurt
Low Fat Whipped Cream
No Pudge Brownie Mix
This awesome mix can be made in single servings in the microwave. All you need is yogurt!
No Pudge! Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mix, Original, 13.7-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
Amazon Price: $17.08 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $22.20
Ramekins
Ramekins are a great for preparing or serving small portions. I use them to bake mini casseroles, bake ziti or just as serving bowls. Note that they can get hot and are made of porcelain. Click on the link and search for plastic if you need that variety.
HIC 6-ounce Porcelain Souffle 3.5-inch Set of 6
Amazon Price: $14.50 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.99
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Deceptively Delicious
This fun cookbook has great recipes that hide fruits and veggies in your favorite meals. While I do not promote hiding all the fruits and vegetables, the recipes in this book contain great alternatives to standard meals.
Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food
Amazon Price: $4.84 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $24.95
Used Price: $0.01
Eat a Rainbow
Looking for more Healthy Fun Foods
This article was featured as the article of the day. I has great tips and charts to eating a healthy well rounded array of foods!
Who am I?
Amazon Spotlight
No contents yet - please edit this module to customize its settings.Sorry, there are no results available from Amazon.
by heidishome
I am a mom that would love to be Erma Bombeck with a splash of Chelsea Handler. I work full-time as a senior financial analyst. Mostly I try to find h... more »
- 53 featured lenses
- Winner of 14 trophies!
- Top lens » 101 Ways to Fundraise
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- My Top 10 Favorite Cookbooks of All Time My Top 10 Favorite Cookbooks of All Time
- Recipes You Can Freeze Recipes You Can Freeze
- Banana Bread Recipe Banana Bread Recipe
- Recipes for Children! Recipes for Children!
- Leaky Gut cure- 5 Natural Must Have Foods Leaky Gut cure- 5 Natural Must Have Foods
- Easy Recipes That Save Money Easy Recipes That Save Money
