Parents know that it is challenging to come up with fast and healthy recipes for kids. Kids can be very finicky eaters, especially when it comes to vegetables and grains. Moms, Dads and chefs all over the world are always swapping new ideas for meals and ways to ensure a child will eat healthy and good tasting food.
One of the biggest challenges facing parents is how to get a child to eat their vegetables. Instead of pouring fattening melted cheese all over broccoli, try hiding the unpopular green villains. Mix the veggies with chicken and a cream sauce and then roll it up in a doughy casing. Use either a tortilla (corn or flour), a crepe, or a pita pocket.
A Quiche made out of eggs, lean bacon and vegetables is both easy, quick and relatively cheap. Buy a ready-made pie crust at your local market and in a large mixing bowl, combine 5 eggs, broccoli (or any other vegetable) and cooked bacon pieces all together. Then pour the mixture into the pie crust and stick it in the oven at 425 degrees for a half hour. This is a healthy and delicious treat for the whole family.
Kids always crave certain foods such as pizza. A pizza can be made very healthy and made quickly. You can really go wild with the veggie toppings and load a ready-made pizza dough full of them. First cover the dough with a marinara sauce, sprinkle mozzarella cheese (an naturally low-fat cheese) over the sauce and then pile on the veggies. Stick the pie in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
Chicken nuggets are also a favorite. When baked instead of fried, these are very nutritional meal items. Set your oven to 400 degrees. Take raw chicken tenders and dip them into beaten 2 or 3 egg yolks. Then take the nuggets or tenders and dip them into breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs that are commonly sold at grocery stores work great. Place the chicken on a greased pan and set in oven for a half hour. Grilling the chicken nuggets is also a great idea. This dish goes great with rice, mashed potatoes or just a little bit of fruit as a dessert.
A popular breakfast recipe for little ones is whole grain pancakes. Kids will think you are feeding them a sweet snack instead of a healthy meal. Whole grain pancake batter is sold right along side the regular pancake batter at your local grocers. Instead of fatty maple syrup, opt for a non-preservative berry spread to top the pancakes.
For a midday snack: apple sticks, strawberries, and other sweet fruit will always win them over. Children and teens are natural fans of fruit and often don't request any additional toppings or dipping sauces. If their favorite fruit is not in season, frozen fruit is just as nutritious and delicious when thawed.
Remember that a child will crave what he or she is fed the most often. There are many healthy recipes for kids that will always be a hit. Your children will thank you for it, someday.