How would you like to feed fussy kids a whole spectrum of vitamins and minerals without the nightly veggie argument and without resorting to pills? Here’re some tips that might just work for your family.
Switch to quinoa
Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a hard sell for kids. Quinoa is a South American seed used in place of rice. It’s lower in carbs, higher in protein and jam packed with vitamins and minerals. There are a few kinds, some which need soaking and long cooking times, but royal quinoa is as easy to prepare as cous cous (a few minutes) and has a lovely, mild nutty flavor. If your kids even notice the difference, the subtle, nutty flavor is still likely to be a hit at dinner time.
Switch to fructose
If you can’t stand the idea (or taste) of those chemically produced sweeteners, you will love fructose. Yep, it’s still sugar but it is derived from fruit, not cane and it has a far, far lower GI than cane sugar. Best of all, it tastes exactly like regular sugar and comes in a crystal form so the kids won’t even know.
Switch to Sweet Potato or Yams
Yams and Sweet Potato are far more nutritious, lower GI and less starchy than regular potatoes. What you may not know is that they make excellent oven chips, mash and bakes.
Bake more pies!
Fruit really is nature’s candy and substituting high GI sugary treats for delicious fruit based desserts can keep kids happy and healthy. Stew apples, sultanas and rhubarb without sugar and then top with a little almond meal and oat crumble and some low fat custard and see it disappear! Sweet potato, pumpkin, yams and carrots can all be used to make inventive desserts that kids will love.
Some pineapple a day keeps the doctor away!
Many Naturopaths now recommend a slice of pineapple at breakfast. The enzymes in the pineapple can help to break down hard to digest, protein rich foods. This in turn makes tummies happier and helps to stop, well, bottom burps. Pineapple is also rich in vitamins and minerals and contains plenty of water.
Everything tastes better as an ice block!
Kids who won’t drink milk may find milky ice-blocks irresistible. Simple freeze milk in ice-cube trays (add a little honey for super fussy eaters) and allow children to help themselves to ice-blocks on summer days. For kids who resist water, try crushing ice in a blender and packing a glass full, then topping it up with a little apple juice for an apple slushy that contains a whole glass of water and not too much sugar rich juice.
What they don’t know, will help them!
Every mum has tried slipping a few extra veggies into the pasta sauce, now it’s time to take it to the next level! Use un sweetened, pureed apple or pear in place of oil and sugar to sweeten cakes and muffins, use ground chickpeas in place of breadcrumbs in meat dishes and use well mashed root vegetables as thickeners for casseroles and stews.
It’s hard to keep children on the right eating path these days, so making a few little kid-friendly changes could make all the difference to their lifelong health.
About the Author: Susan Long is a proud mum and is proud to work with families at Sell Property Quickly
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