Healthy Food Alternatives for Kids

Fruits:

Bananas are delicious and kid friendly. Bananas are packed with fiber and potassium, making them a great snack choice or component to a dish. You can cut them up with other fruits like apples and berries to make small fruit cups. They taste great in milkshakes, or try a banana with some peanut butter and a glass of milk!

 

Vegetables:

Carrots are great snacks packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Pairing carrots with a low fat ranch or yogurt-based dressing makes for a practical nosh. If your kids are “brave”, try incorporating them in a salad with other vegetables. An exciting feature to carrots is they vary in colors outside of orange. Yellow, white, and purple carrots are common, making them a playful option for younger kids.

 

Dairies:

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium and protein! There are numerous types of cheese, varying in sharpness and flavor to suit your kid’s taste buds. Get your kids creative juices flowing by encouraging them to design their own cheese board with assorted grapes and apples. Grilled cheese goes great with different multigrain or gluten free breads. Try a sweet take on grilled cheese with cinnamon raisin bread, apples and Gouda cheese.

 

Proteins:

Chicken is a simple protein source with endless combinations and recipes. Get creative with your kids and make themed dinners during the week such as Asian stir-fry with mixed vegetables or chicken teriyaki skewers. Let your kids make their own chicken nuggets by setting up prep stations with finely crushed almonds instead of bread crumbs and have them sample different spices to enhance their young pallets.

 

Grains:

Oatmeal is delicious for kids and can be used in breakfast cereals, deserts, and more! Oatmeal raisin cookies are classic and can be healthy deserts for kids. Using steal cut oats, brown sugar, and whole-wheat flour can cut down on the usual heavier ingredients. My all time favorite breakfast is hot oatmeal cereal, keeping me full and fueled to take on my morning. Try using steal cut oats with almond or soymilk and a touch of brown sugar. Feel free to let your kids be inventive and add raisins, bananas, and cinnamon for an easy and savory breakfast!