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:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry
methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment
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:
Facebook – the official Facebook page
Twitter – Twitter
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.
Georgia
Tweeted here too
twitter.com/#!/gmissycat/status/63017882505838593
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
Georgia
We always had fruits on the counter for snacks. Never had pop in the house. The only thing they had to drink was juice or water. Love fruit!
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
PBPD
All in my family enjoy eating fruits & vegetables. Fruits are great in snacks or breakfast. Vegetables are always nice at dinnertime, especially when cooked up tastily.
susitravl
Our kids have always loved fruit and vegetables, so no need to hide them in their food. We just make sure we have a lot of "ready to eat" fruit/veggies on hand for them since they work and go to school and have busy schedules.
Jimena
I don't have children right how but when I do I will definitely be giving them some green smoothies or as those with kids call them "green monster" smoothies. I drink them myself adding some leafy greens such as spinach or kale along with fruits such as apple, pear and banana. Tastes so delicious and they will never know it's full of veggies!
Val
Tweet!
twitter.com/#!/EverydayVibrant/status/61854473085140993
Val
Smoothies!
Beth Pineda
I am a mother to six under the age of 14. We start offering as many different types of foods as possible as soon as they are eating table foods. I personally think that the sooner you begin introducing kids to lots of different types of foods, the better. They become adventurous eaters from the beginning!
Gladys Hernandez
I would have my children help me with the shopping and prep of the veggies each had a mini cutting board and a plastic butter knife . They loved to be involved. they would announce proudly to their dad what they helped make in the nights meal .
the kids would try one piece of of what they prepped that night , if they liked it, great, if they didn't , that was OK too , because over time when we made the veggies or fruit again they would give it a chance again and maybe like one of them. It takes time .
I would also steam veggies till soft , puree them then add them to soups , cakes and into rice.
with fruits they loved to freeze grapes, dip bananas in chocolate and freeze . but a yummy one was frozen orange juice in Dixie cups with a frozen grape in the bottom .
experiment you never know what they will try.
Deb K
I sneak veggies in the casseroles that I make and the grandchildren love it 🙂
deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com
Wanda M
No children here, but I remember my mom would make peanut butter & banana sandwiches and we loved them. Also, she used to make mango or papaya shakes before smoothies were a big thing. Because she incorporated fruits and vegetables into our daily lives, to this day I eat healthy and so does my husband.
wbailey113 at hotmail dot com
Johannah B
We "dip" food, and I find the kids will try just about anything if it has something they can dip it into! Fruits and Vegetables expecially. As for Tropicana OJ I add it to my baked goods - and it's great in pie crusts!!
1prizewinner at gmail dot com
Rox
I don't have kids yet, but I think these recipes are awesome!
Sharon
Tweet:twitter.com/#!/sharonjo2/status/61201624424648704
Sharon
I've found that keeping fruit out on the counter and easy to grab and go really does encourage kids to eat healthier. Rather than snacking on chips or candy, they will grab a banana or an apple. Just make it very accessible and easy for them.
Kelly Massman
My son is a teenager, so I have very little influence over what he eats. If I make him a “healthy” meal, he just buys his own out! He loves orange juice though, so that wouldn’t be a problem!
thanks!
kmassmanATgmailDOTcom