Did you know that around, two out of every 3 children do not get proper nutrition according to their growing minds and bodies? That’s roughly about 45%. The simple reason behind this, the children are getting fond of packed and processed foods. Whenever it’s snack time, they want pretzels, pastries, and chips or nothing at all.
This picky behavior makes parents succumb to their wants because it’s better than staying hungry. But that can be totally avoided if you are smart enough to learn a few tricks.
Picky eaters won’t eat looking at the obvious healthy ingredients. But if the nutrients are disguised with good taste, you will be surprised to see how much they will love it.
So, here are some great healthy recipes that you can get your hands on today to make your picky eaters get proper nutrition.
The best part about this is, since they are mostly consumed as snacks, you can start by making them in small batches. Let’s take a look at those.
- Banana muffins
Muffins are a delicious treat that is loved by children, especially sweet tooths. But muffins brought from the market contain lots of sugar, flour, and unsaturated fats. So, instead of buying, make some on your own with more nutritional ingredients such as banana and blueberry.
Both are sweet fruits that are loved by children. The easiest way to make this is: mash some bananas and wheat flour together, put it in the mold, and add blueberries on top. Bake it and serve hot to your child.
- Popcorns
Popcorn may seem like unhealthy food, but it’s actually quite nutritious. Unsalted, air-popped popcorn contains many vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin K, all of which are necessary for a child’s growth.
But since, they will not pop it into their mounts without some real “pop”, drizzle some parmesan cheese over it. Trust me, they’ll gobble like zombies! 😉
- Fruit smoothie
If your child flees just at the sight of fruits, here’s what you can do – Make a fruit smoothie out of it. But make sure you don’t leave a hard piece in it because otherwise, they won’t drink it. Put some yogurt and some more fruit in the blender and make it slurry smooth.
Put it in the freezer for some time and then serve in their favorite mug.
- Wheat pizza
There’s no extent to how much kids love pizzas. But they contain a lot of harmful calories and unhealthy ingredients.
So, this time, treat your kids with a homemade pizza. Use wheat flour as the base (much healthier), put some sauce, throw in a lot of veggies and drizzle parmesan cheese. Make it on weekends to reward your child for being a good kid. They will never get enough of it.
- Oatmeal cookies
Cookies are the most preferred go-to snack for kids. So, let’s make a healthier version of it that would be equally delicious for your child. Instead of regular flour, take some oatmeal flour.
Continue with making the dough and at last add some chocolate chips or dry fruits in them. Bake it as required and there you go. Your own tasty and healthy cookies are finally ready to munch on.
- Frozen fruit popsicles
Frozen fruit popsicles are a yummy treat for children and are quite healthy. But the market-bought popsicles contain a lot of artificial colors and sugar. So, let’s make it at home.
All you need is to cut some fruits and blend them into a smooth paste. Put it in the popsicle mold, cover it with foil and insert a popsicle stick inside it. Freeze overnight and slurp it the next day.
Take good selfies with your kids after finishing the popsicle, it will make them love it even more.
- Healthy sandwiches
Sandwiches can be extremely tasty and healthy at the same time if you are creative enough. Here are some options you can take inspiration from.
- Peanut butter and banana slices
- Apple and jam
- Cucumber, tomato, and cheese sandwich
- Scrambled egg, tomato, and avocado sandwich
- Ricotta cheese with finely chopped vegetables and finally
- Classic ham and cheese.
Your kid is definitely going to want more and more of these.
Over to you…
Adopting healthy food habits is not that hard, not even with picky-eaters. This is the age where your child needs maximum nutrition for good physical and mental development. With the help of these snack ideas, you will surely contribute to his needs immensely without compromising the taste. So, which one will you be making first?
