This is a sponsored post from BlogHer and Tropicana.
Feeding your children healthy food can be a challenge, but really rewarding! I'm sure we can all agree that getting proper nutrients in every meal is ideal, but what do you do when your kids aren’t exactly eating their fruits and vegetables? Well, it's easy to make healthy meals and snacks that are full of flavor too!
It's amazing what we do for our kids. Whenever I am cooking a meal when I am pregnant, like now, I think about how much my unborn child would benefit from the foods I am about to eat. Just how many vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients will my baby be getting? At this point, I can control what nutrients my baby will be receiving but what to do when they start to grow up and tell you that they don't like apples or broccoli?
Well, here are some of my ideas for children who are picky eaters:
Add some honey or fruit to a bowl of oatmeal to make it more appealing.
Add fresh fruit to their cereal or yogurt.
Try a breakfast or lunch using a whole wheat wrap with turkey, eggs and cheese. It is packed with protein and fiber.
Start the day with a glass of fresh orange juice.
If you make tasty snacks your kids will never guess how healthy they really are. Like fresh fruit purees, fresh fruit popsicles, frozen bananas and strawberries on a stick.
Keep organic baby carrots in the house for snacking during the day.
Hummus is a high-fiber nutrient in which they can dip fresh vegetables.
Add vegetables like broccoli, peas or spinach to mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and meatloaf.
Blend vegetables into their favorite tomato sauce.
Make pizzas with your kids and ask them to add their favorite vegetables on top. Kids love to make pizza and eat their own creations.
Eat together as a family and role model good eating habits.
Okay guys, those are my tips for parents to help get your kids eating fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods without complaining...as much! Now, for a chance to win a $100 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer and Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice, leave a comment on this post with your tips for how you do the same for your kids.
The sweepstakes: 4/11/2011-5/9/2011
Rules:
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methods:
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on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on
this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about
an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be
selected.
For Official Rules Click here.
Tropicana helps put the “good” in morning.
Tropicana Pure Premium provides an array of 100 percent orange juice varieties to help meet individuals' nutrition and lifestyle needs. All options are nutrient-dense, with one eight-ounce glass delivering two fruit servings and a full day’s supply of vitamin C.*For more information visit them here:
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Website – The Offical Website
Pledge to squeeze more fruits and veggies into your day and Tropicana will
help kids in need. Tropicana will donate one 8-oz glass of orange juice to
the USDA School Breakfast and Summer Food Service programs, up to 184,375
8-oz glasses. Please pledge by going to http://bit.ly/gAU7Eq. Promo will end 12/31/11.
I wrote this post while participating in the Tropicana Pure Premium/BlogHer program on behalf of Tropicana Pure Premium. I received product information to facilitate my post and monetary compensation for the time to write my post.
Chris C.
I don't have kids yet, but in my family, the rule was always you always have to at least TRY everything on the table (and licking it doesn't count! You must actually consume the item). I was never a fussy eater, but both my sisters were, so this got them to at least taste some stuff. Now, my boyfriend and I get a weekly CSA box from a local farm, which really encourages me to find ways to sneak veggies into everything, so nothing goes to waste.
Susan Smith
twitter.com/#!/susan1215/status/58524665878024194
Susan Smith
I keep fresh fruits and vegetables around the house for snacking and serve vegetables and fruits with our meals. I find if I serve food with vegetables in them instead of on the side my children are more likely to eat them.
Claudia
My daughter is now 13, but early on we started her on the one-taste rule. You can't say no without one taste. She didn't feel forced and willingly tried new foods (she even liked most of them)! Now she is a little "foodie"! Besides the one-taste rule, I always made the food pleasing to the eye and gave it cool names. Different colors on the plate not only means more nutrition, but caught her attention. It's all about the "marketing". Celery with cream cheese and raisins doesn't sound as cool as "ants on a log"!
tammigirl
Here's my tweet:
twitter.com/#!/tammigirl/status/58287873962680320
tammigirl
My only tip is so different than what a lot of people do that I feel odd sharing it. We always made good food and had it for our meals. The kids just ate because that's what people do. If they didn't like something they didn't eat it. I never let food become a power struggle. I see people insist on X number of bites or beg kids to eat more of a certain item or even bribe their children with desserts or candy. I just didn't do it. Eat it if you want to eat it. If you don't want to eat it now we can put it away for later. If you don't like it, that is okay, too. Tips? From me? I just don't have them. That was my food philosophy.
Luz Adriana
I do not have any children but my husband love the Orange Juice of Tropicana, he drinks it every morning for his breakfast. thanks Erika for all your delicious Colombian recipes.
Pamela S.
I don't have kids so here is what I do for myself. Protein shakes every morning with orange juice, fresh fruit or veggies, protein powder, and ice. Sometimes I'll throw in a few spoonfuls of yogurt. Yummy.
Milissa
I make my kids smoothies every morning. They think they are fruity and yummy, but I usually sneak some veggies in them too!
Karen
twitter.com/#!/SCMOMOF2BOYS/status/58074458396704768
Karen
I add in good veggies by throwing in a casserole. Fruit can be disguised in jell-o.
Jessie C.
twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/58037040498999296
Jessie C.
We love smoothies, so I put all veggies and fruit in, kids love it too much to care what's in there. This trick works great with my picky eaters.
Claire
We practice good eating habits by having healthy alternatives. For example, juice instead of soda and whole wheat instead of white bread.
Steph
twitter.com/#!/DesMoinesDealin/status/58002388413456384
Steph
i put them in smoothies and in baked goods