<Bz30f"FranklinGothic-Book">Fun meals
Children’s meals and snacks should not only be fun to eat, but nutritious. Providing meals that cover both of these areas can be difficult but is achievable. Getting your children to actually eat these meals when and where you want them to can also be a real challenge. Some simple techniques may help in providing solutions.
Provide a regular meal space for your child to eat in. In this way your child will know to associate that space and specific behaviours with meal time.
Model the healthy eating habits for your child. If you do not eat certain foods you can not expect
your child to.
Give your child a reasonable range of items to choose from that allows them a sense of independence and choice in the foods they eat.
Provide your children with diversity in their meals and snacks. There are many meats, vegetables, starches and fruits to choose from. Be creative.
Do not allow snacking on a constant basis. Rather encourage your child to have three small meals a day with small snacks in between when they express the need for food. Snacks should be healthy and appropriate, consisting of low-sugar, and non-artificial food stuffs. Fruits, nuts, and whole grain goods make good choices.
The following are quick and fun meal suggestions:
Texas Tacos
Makes meals for 4 servings
4 taco shells
1 cup lettuce - shredded finely
2 cups tomato - diced
2 cups low-fat cheddar cheese - grated
3 cups cooked Low fat hamburger, turkey meat or meat substitute
Wrap taco shells in aluminum foil and slightly warm in an oven at 200 degrees.
Layer on toppings of choice to warm taco shells make a quick and fun meal.
Other toppings can be added if desired such as diced onions, sour cream or any one of your choice.
Space Spaghetti
Makes meals for 4 servings
1 box of whole grain spaghetti
1 bottle of tomato sauce of your choosing
3 cups cooked Low fat hamburger, turkey meat or meat substitute
Warm tomato sauce at medium heat on stove top until hot enough to serve. Add in cooked meat or meat substitute and allow to simmer for approx 5-8 minutes.
Cook spaghetti according to directions on box.
Serve spaghetti and sauce separately. Allow children to put together the two ingredients to form their own meal. Serve alongside a salad or corn on the cob. Other ingredients can be added such as sweet peppers, onions, mushrooms according to your child’s taste.
Super Salad
Makes meals for 4 servings
|0xbd| head of lettuce - shredded
|0xbd| head of green cabbage - shredded
2 medium to large tomatos - chopped
|0xbd| green pepper - diced
2 cup shredded carrots
3 cups of whole grain croutons
1 cup cheddar cheese - shredded
2-3 Salad dressings of choice
Place ingredients in seprate bowls on table.
Allow children to choose and dip their own ingredients so as to create their own salad.
Other ingredients can be provided if desired such as chopped apples or raisins.
