As a mom, I can relate to the challenges of feeding kids. They can be so particular and finicky! As a vegan mom, I can share some tips for getting healthy foods into your child. First and foremost - smoothies! Oh smoothies are a mom's best friend. Kids love 'em. I start with bananas as the base, adding strawberry and blueberry usually. Here is where you get creative -- I throw in avocados, frozen broccoli, almond butter, kale, chia seeds, and filtered water or almond milk -- depending on what concoction I'm going for. Boom, there you have a few servings of fruits and veggies in one glass.
"Smoothies are a mom's best friend. Kids love 'em."
"Smoothies are a mom's best friend. Kids love 'em."
My son is a huge fan of oatmeal. He pretty much requests it every day. Cooking old fashioned rolled oats is so much easier than you might imagine. I put a cup of oats in a pot with three cups of water -- the good ole 1 to 3 ratio. It boils for about 3-5 minutes, while stirring so it doesn't stick. Then I turn down the temperature to low and let the oats absorb the water. I toss in a cut up banana, a small handful of dried cranberries, sliced almonds/ walnut pieces, and a couple splashes of pure maple syrup. Voila: a warm filling start to the day.
Lunch is usually very simple. My son loves peanut butter and jelly or almond butter and jelly on whole wheat bread, kale chips, apple slices, hummus and chips. We often eat leftovers for lunch, and sometimes we get creative. The other day, we hadn't made our trip to the grocery store, so I perused the pantry to see what I could throw together. I made some organic alphabet pasta, and whipped up a cashew/nutritional yeast cream sauce (something similar to this: Vegan Mac and No Cheese) - from the heart, with no recipe. I added some edamame and basil, and we had a delicious lunch.
Another favorite around our house is "quesadillas" minus the cheese. We make black bean and sweet potato quesadillas on the regular. Serve with guacamole, and you've got a pretty balanced nutritious meal. Smoky white bean quesadillas (vegweb.com) are a hit as well, and another way to sneak in some spinach and tomatoes. We eat butternut squash ravioli a lot, too. You can find these in the frozen section at Native Sun and Whole Foods. We almost always make a big delicious salad with green lettuce, carrots, cucumber, cranberries, and nuts. As long as my son gets a bite with cranberries, he loves salad! Ok, love might be a strong word there. Black bean burgers, lentil soup, falafel, and pesto pasta all make weekly appearances on our dinner table, as well.
Juicing your own fruits and veggies and making kale chips are fabulous ways to add greens and nutrients to your child's diet, too. Many children instinctively do not like meat. If you offer them delicious alternatives and not fried convenience foods, they will quickly come to love and request these healthy options. Check out vegfamily.com and lunchboxbunch.com for more information and recipes. Enjoy!
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