Children and Healthy Snacks

Children and Healthy Snacks

As a certified health coach and a mom to a kindergartner, I have learned that sharing my interest of eating clean with my son has returned great results.  He has been eager to try new dishes with me. This is exciting because I’m always coming up with new ones! 

As a parent, I know you desire for your child(ren) to eat more fruits and vegetables but yet you’re stumped on how to or maybe have simply ran out of new ideas on how to present the foods to them, right? Look no further! Before I share a few ideas, I am going to give you a starter list of which ingredients to avoid and why.

·      High Fructose Corn Syrup is an ingredient that has been processed many times over. It also shuts down the body’s ability to say ‘enough.’ It contains 40-90% fructose and it shapes a child’s tastes toward sweet cravings. It is a leading cause of obesity (the over-consumption of fructose since the 1970s). More on this topic, click here.  

·      Artificial Dyes are ingredients that are a color and a number and studies show a link between them and hyperactivity in children. They are also called excitotoxins because they have the ability to damage cells in the brain.  Dyes: Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, and Green 3. More on this topic, click here. 

·      Hydrogenated Oils are man-made fats. Another name for them is trans-fats. Trans-fats may damage cell membranes in the brain and nerve cells. More on this topic, click here. 

Now that we have addressed what to avoid, let’s focus on the positive. Here are some proven tricks to get your children to eat and enjoy more vegetables (and fruits):

Dip it (hummus, guacamole), Hide it (add grated veggies to dishes), Design it (make veggie art), Grow it (plant a garden), Fill it (stuff a pita), and Tell it (greens are ‘grow foods’).

My son’s favorite go-to snack is apple wedges with drizzled raw honey and sprinkled cinnamon.

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

Afterschool Treat Real Food Recipe

School is back in session for just about everyone's children. They're eating well at school because you're packing their lunch with nutritious foods but yet at the end of their day - they're so hungry!  You think of offering them a treat to tie them over until their next meal. 

Enjoy chocolate and coconut covered banana bites!!

Ingredients:

2 squares 72% Organic dark chocolate 

1/2 - 1 T Coconut Oil (my favorite brands are Nutiva and Vitacost) 

1 T Natural Peanut Butter

Shredded coconut (I chose sweetened)

2 lg. Bananas

Preparation:

1. Place bananas in the freezer with peel on while preparing the rest of the ingredients (or for at least 10 minutes). You can always peel them and cut them into 1 inch chunks first. I don't like the banana to be completely frozen when I'm ready to eat them so that's why I suggest just a quick freeze.

2. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. Heat starting at 20 seconds. Mix. The texture should be loose. Add more coconut oil as necessary and heat again adding 10 seconds at a time. The addition of the coconut oil helps the chocolate adhere to the bananas. 

3. Add the tablespoon of peanut butter to the melted chocolate and mix.

4. Take the bananas out of the freezer, peel and slice them into 1 inch chunks (if you haven't done so already). Drop the bananas into the peanut butter-chocolate and coat all the sides as evenly as possible. 

5. Line a pan with parchment paper and place the coated bananas on there. Sprinkle the bananas with shredded coconut. Place and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat. You also have the option of freezing them. If you live in a cooler climate (or it's winter) you may leave them out in an airtight container until ready to eat. 

You can  modify the ingredients to your liking. Perhaps substitute the peanut butter for almond butter or use unsweetened coconut. Use your imagination! This is just a baseline to work from. Something to inspire you. 

You can make this treat ahead of time so that they'll be ready when the children arrive home from school or you can make the chocolate coconut banana bites together with your children as young as 3. Use your discretion. The children can cut the bananas safely with a butter knife and coat the bananas in chocolate as well as sprinkling the coconut over the bites.

If you make some, please leave a comment on how you liked them. Were they easy to make? Did you change the ingredients to suit your family?

Choose, eat, and live well! =)

#CleanEating, #Protein, #Veggies #Recipe

What is considered clean eating? The definitions may vary but in the most basic sense it is foods that are free of artificial sweeteners & dyes, no hydrogenated oils, and anything else that is unnatural or unnecessary. See, the last part of the definition is where it could vary from person to person. I believe that if you've found the most basic foundation for your wellness, you can add or subtract from what you'll consider eating and this will change over the years (and hopefully improvements are made). 

I've made chicken parmigiana on my blog before. The recipe is similar to the last recipe but I changed the crushed crackers to a different brand in my pantry (free of hydrogenated oils and no HFCS). I made the chicken two ways. One with the breading and a side of roasted veggies: asparagus, white and sweet potatoes. The other is with traditional tomato sauce over the chicken and pasta served with the veggies. Every meal should have a serving (minimum) of fruit or vegetables. 

The image on the bottom right should read: Don't supersize me. Children should not eat the same portion of food that the parents are consuming. Their balled up fist is the same size as their stomach as your fist is to your stomach. Fruits and vegetables don't require a 'portion size' - they are nutrient dense foods and should be consumed frequently through the day. Seven servings of produce is required for children daily whereas 9-13 servings are required for adults. As an adult, you'll eat the higher end of the recommendation if you're active!

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Choose, eat, and live well! =)

YUM-O! Pesto in the Vitamix!

Update: Please visit this link for the full recipe. I am moving content from this site to my new coaching website.  

One of the best ways to make pesto is in a Vitamix. 

WOW!! This recipe has been viewed more than 25K times - thank you! Even after moving the full recipe to my new blog, Conveying Awareness, this link is still being reviewed. We're close to 28K!

Leave a comment: What dish would you add this basil pesto to?

Choose, eat, and live well! =)