1. Use fruit purees instead of butter or oil in baked goods. Applesauce works great and is substituted 1:1.
2. Add ground flax seeds or wheat germ to pancake mix. Also try adding applesauce or pumpkin puree to pancake mix.
3. Add pureed veggies to sauces, such as spaghetti sauce or chili. Veggies like squash and carrots blend well. Don’t want to puree veggies yourself? Try using baby food- already pureed and full of nutrition. Try it, no one will know!
4. Make zucchini muffins or another veggie based bread for snack time. For extra fun use the really small muffin tins. Watch as they disappear!
5. Buy baby carrots and put them in snack sized bags on a refrigerator shelf your child can reach on their own. Put other healthy options on this same shelf so they can help themselves. Try things like yogurt, cottage cheese, or sliced fruit. A little bit of preparation will pay off with a healthy snack for your child.
6. Cut fruit and veggies into interesting shapes or put them on skewers. Anything to make them appear more exciting will help. Offer low fat dressings to dip the veggies in.
7. Have a snack attach shelf in the pantry. Offer foods in individual snack sized bags for portion control. Things to include could be popcorn, pretzels, raisins, dry cereal, or whole grain crackers. You can even offer the occasional treat this way. If they want chips, have it in the snack sized bag to keep the portion size in control.
8. You can add fresh or frozen vegetables to many recipes you are already making. Having meatloaf? Add some shredded carrots to the mixture. Tacos? Try adding chopped peppers while browning the meat. Chili? Add extra diced tomatoes. Think outside the box and toss a handful of veggies in to increase the nutritional value of the meal.
9. Try ground turkey rather than ground beef, most people won’t even notice the difference. Scared to go cold turkey? Try mixing half and half at first and gradually make the change. You will save on both calories and fat.
10. Cook with your children. When a child helps prepare a food, they are more likely to eat it! And most importantly, lead by example. Children watch what their parents do. If you are not eating your vegetables, how can you expect your child to eat theirs?!
About the Author:Jodi Danen is a Registered Dietitian and licensed provider for Real Living Nutrition who has a passion for cooking and experimenting with foods. Learn more about here here!
