Kid-Friendly Meal Tips
By Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers www.FreshBaby.com
It
can be tough to feed kids, especially if they are finicky. Here are some
creative tips to help you make sure your kids get a dose of nutrition in
each meal.
Breakfast
• Breakfast burrito: scrambled eggs, black beans and salsa wrapped in a
brown rice tortilla and a glass of orange juice
• Toasted English muffin, a hard boiled egg, a glass of milk and a bowl
of strawberries
• Bowl of whole-grain cereal with milk and a banana
• Buckwheat pancakes with maple syrup, a bowl of melon and a glass of
milk
• Bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar and milk and glass of orange juice
• Yogurt, a slice of whole wheat toast and a handful of raisins
• Piece of spinach quiche, a slice of whole wheat toast and a handful of
blueberries
Lunch/Snacks
• A quarter or a half sandwich is just one of the many choices you can
offer your child.
• Dried fruit – there is a huge variety of dried fruits available today
- apricots, raisins, dates, cranberries,
blueberries, etc
• Nuts – peanuts, cashews, pecans, almonds and walnuts
• Fresh fruit pieces or a piece of whole fruit – apples, pears melon,
mangoes, pineapple and grapes are just a few!
• Applesauce (no sugar added)
• Celery sticks filled with cream cheese and raisins or white bean dip
and pine nuts
•Sugar snap peas, baby carrots or green beans with Ranch dressing for
dipping
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Yogurt or a smoothie
• Lunch meat roll-ups with cream cheese and a cooked asparagus or green
bean in the middle
• Whole wheat or brown rice tortilla wrap with tuna salad, chicken
salad, or egg salad
• Hard boiled egg
• Cheese cubes, slices or string cheese logs
• Peanut butter (or sunflower butter) with apple slices or crackers
•Hummus with carrots and mini pita breads
•Whole grain crackers or pretzels
• Trail mix made from cereal, nuts and dried fruit
Dinner
• Home cooked meals are best. Restaurant, fast and take-out foods are
higher in fat, salt, sugar and calories.
• Feed your child the same meal as the grown ups.
• Avoid “kiddie” foods and meals. They fall short in nutritional value
and are high in fat, salt and sugar.
• No need to have dessert every night. It is more
“special” when it is not as frequent.
Dinner time is a great time of the day to get to know
your child and teach social skills:
• Turn off the TVs and put down the newspapers.
• Sit at the dinner table to enjoy a great meal.
• Teach your child good table manners.
• During the meal, ask your children about the day at school and share
something about your day too.
About the authors:
Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the mothers of five children
and founders of Fresh Baby (
www.FreshBaby.com
). They are the creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit and
Good Clean Fun Placemats, available at many fine specialty stores and
national chains including Target and Whole Foods Markets.
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