8 Tips to Help Kids Eat Fruits & Veggies! Featuring: Vegan Spinach Lasagna.

Dragon Fruit Bowl

Many mommies & daddies ask me how we get our Toddler to eat Fruits & Veggies!

Well let me tell ya… our lil toddler is the pickiest eater I have ever met! If we can get our lil munchkin to eat his fruits and veggies… So can you!

8 Tips to Help Kids Eat Fruits & Veggies!

1) Involve Kids in Growing & Preparing Food:

Involve your child in Gardening Fruits & Veggies.
If possible, teach kids to cut and/or peel food.
Let kids pour the water & measure liquids, etc…
Be creative and find various ways kids can be physically involved in food prep.

2) Go Grocery Shopping with Your Kids!

Allow your kids to pick which fruits & veggies they would like to eat and/or try.
Choices are empowering!
Choices minimize power struggles.
Kids love making their own food decisions.

3) Use Colors, Shapes, Sizes & Fun Names!

Kids love fun & vibrant colors!
Cut in bite sized pieces that are fun to eat & dip.
Name the dish fun names like Princess Aurora Peaches/Super Man Power Food!

4) Create Fun & Tasty Dips!

Kids love dipping their fruits & veggies!
Vegan Ranch, Almond Butter, Peanut Butter.
Vegan Cheese Dip (Cashew Cheese).
Hummus, Tahini, Bean Dip.
Use any sauce you know they love.
Above pic is Blended veggies & cashew cheese.

Rambutan Man

Dragon Fruit Lady

5) Play with Your Food!

Create Fun Shapes & Silly Faces.
Allow kids to pick recipes from a book/online.
Buy them a Children’s Recipe Book.
Find an online Cooking App that is fun for kids.

6) Find Books that Relate to Picky Eaters!

Green Eggs & Ham!
Just Two More Bites!
D.W. The Picky Eater!

Veggies, Fruit & Raspberry Vinaigrette

7) Get Creative with Food Textures!

Shakes: Add fruits & veggies to coconut, almond, hazelnut milk.
Salad: Zucchini Zoodle Salad, chopped salads.
Vegetable Pancakes: Mix veggies in pancakes.
Muffins: Zucchini, Banana, Carrot, Vegetables.
Juice Blends: Mixed Greens, Apples, Berries, OJ.
Mix Veggies into Pasta dishes or Raw Dishes.

8) Be a Great Role model!

Have healthy choices in your fridge.
Are you eating junk food then telling your kids to eat healthy food?
Have every choice in your refrigerator and pantry be a healthy choice!

Loves Fruits & Veggies

Make Healthy Food a fun experience!
Eat all colors of the rainbow so kids get all Phytonutrients!
Ounce for ounce & calorie for calorie- BROCCOLI & KALE HAVE MORE PROTEIN THAN PORTERHOUSE STEAK!
Create low sugar meals to keep meals healthy!

Here is a Recipe for Spinach Lasagna!

Ingredients:
Gluten Free (Oven Ready) Lasagna Noodles
25 oz. Vegan Vanilla Yogurt (I use coconut yogurt)
16 oz. Black or Pinto Beans (cooked)
3 Cups of Fresh Spinach
2 – 3 Cups of Daiya Cheese (minimum)
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
30 oz. Tomato Sauce
Vegan Parmesan Cheese

Spinach Lasagna

Instructions for Spinach Lasagna!

Mash beans open in bottom of 9 X 13 Dish.
Sprinkle Ground Cumin over the Beans.
Pour some Tomato Sauce over the Beans.
Place Lasagna Noodles on top of the Sauce.
Smear Vanilla Yogurt over the Noodles.
Create a layer of Spinach on top of the Yogurt.
Layer the Vegan Cheese over the Spinach.
Keep recreating layers until you reach the top.
*Each noodle needs sauce to cook properly!
Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

ADDITIONAL TIPS:

First get your kids to eat the lasagna with spinach & mixed greens.
Next time you make lasagna, add mushrooms, black olives, red veggies.
Use a lot of cheese, make it nice & gooey!
Our toddler has been eating this lasagna since he was 1 yr old, its Yummy Yummy Baby!
Have Fun with food & your kids will have fun eating it! 🙂

Stay tuned for fun juice & shake recipes that are totally kid friendly!

Stay Healthy & Happy ~ Dr. Dee