recipies for small kids!!

SSAHM

I'm after healthier versions or New snack ideas for kids. My kids are 2 and four. Things that I can sneak vegetables into would be great.

Cortneyrenee04

Apples, bananas, grapes, carrot sticks... No need to be sneaky about it. Maybe a new presentation, like fruit kabobs or something would be fun. If they realize that fruits and veggies are "tricky" foods, they won't try them any more. I would never overly praise a bite of peas or broccoli or reward them with sweets. Also... Putting ranch dressing on veggies to get kids to eat them drives me nuts!! What's the point??

CEHayes73

Isn't it better for kids to eat veggies with a little ranch dip than not to eat them at all? Some kids just love to dip! If you have a dipper you can also try baby carrots and hummus, or make a nice white bean dip with whatever seasonings you think they'll like, then they'll get some extra protein, too. My kids also like a peanut butter tortilla wrapped around a banana. If your kids like soup, that can be a great way to get some veggies in. Do a pureed soup if they're picky on textures. Let them pick out a new fruit/veg in the store each week. They're more likely to try it if they helped pick it. Some of them they won't like, but probably some of them they will. You can hide tons of veggies in spaghetti sauce, too.

lemertsedlak

I agree with CE- try not to hide your veggies, but find ways to make them fun! Peanut butter and hummus are fantastic ways for kids (and adults) who like to dip. Love the tip on having kids help to pick/make new veggies. It's a learning experience for them, and we all give our honest opinions on what we've made. There are certain foods that we make "necessities" for our diet- dark greens and fish for example. And when they don't like a vegetable the way we've prepared it, we try together to make it in new ways that we do like. Doing this, we've conquered almost everything but "hot carrots". :-)

todayis4me

Sometimes they will eat more fruits and veggies if you make it fun and exciting.....Sing the song Ants go marching...then make ants on a log with celery, peanut butter and raisins.....Make snack turkeys with a bosc pear cut in half. and use green and red apple slices to fan out as a tail.......my daycare kids like to make chicken nuggets and french fries for April fools day...chicken nuggets are actually banana slices covered in graham cracker crumbs, the fries are apple or pear slices and we serve a little strawberry preserves as the ketchup.....we make broccoli tree forests sometimes, just florets standing on end....sometimes we just got to have fun with our food!!! Best of all kids like to follow the foot steps of those important to them so make sure your eating your veggies too There are wonderful kids recipe books that have other great ideas too ! Good luck

mfreeman00

You can buy freeze-dried pouches of fruit -- Costco sells a multi-pack, which is the best buy I've found yet. You can find more varieties of fruits online, though. They are great because the are super yummy and have no added sugar like a lot of dehydrated fruits do. I'd agree with the comment of not "hiding" them, too...start with one piece of whatever fruit or veggie you're trying to get in, and keep offering it; eventually the kids will view these as "normal" snacks and not fight them as much. I've found with my kids that the more times we have the food, they become accustomed to the taste and will even admit now that they "kind of like them." (We started with one piece of broccoli on the dinner plate and have now progressed to a whopping six or so, which, I figure, is six more than they ever ate before!!) Good luck!

DawnieB1977

My kids are also 2 and 4 and they eat what we eat. They like fruit, but for some reason those little fruit salads with the plastic forks are more exciting!

I put veg in things like shepherds pie, and they eat it, but also eat it along with fish or chicken. I let them have a little ketchup with it.

claudiakendall98

I package pizza dough (find by crescent rolls)
1 can crushed tomatoes add spices ,carrots ,cauliflower, broccoli and any other simmer until veggy are soft use immersible blender and mix until smooth.
role out pizza dough ,cut out circles with water glass add 1 tbsp sauce and as much mozzarella cheese or colby reduced fat cheese fold over crimp edges with fork bake on 350 until golden brown

acpgee

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/07/zucchini-tots.html

When I tried out this recipe, I occured to me that this would be something kids enjoy. Would consider mixing in grated carrot too.