(NaturalNews) Kids can be picky eaters. If your little ones balk at anything green, then you're likely concerned that they're not getting the nutrition they need. Camouflaging food takes a little kitchen finesse, but you're covered with these proven tricks of the trade.
Reshape their Food
Do your children's noses turn upward at the sight of fresh fruits and vegetables? Make them look twice with fun-shaped alternatives. Use a cookie cutter or knife to rework watermelon, apples, carrots and other nutrient-rich foods into shapes your children will love. Create entire figurines by using different shapes of fruits and veggies to assemble fun characters. Foods cut into fun shapes help them appear more inviting to youngsters, increasing the chance that those foods will end up in their mouths.
Be a Blender
Blend the nutrient-rich foods your kids usually snub into smoothies, popsicles and other fun treats. Apples, bananas and other fruits can easily be pureed into pulp and juices that can then be frozen into delicious popsicles. Blend a mixture of fruits, vegetables and protein powder into smoothies the youngsters will savor until the final drop. From veggie-rich sauces to nutrient-packed drinks, blending the foods your kids despise into meals they love is a cinch.
Do your children love macaroni and cheese? Give them what they love without the processed ingredients by making the meal from scratch at home. Whole wheat pasta, real cheese and whole milk blend to create delicious homemade mac and cheese that your kids are sure to prefer to the boxed stuff.
Begin replacing white bread with whole wheat versions and always opt for whole wheat pasta when making spaghetti. Small substitutions such as these accumulate to bring major nutritional improvements in no time at all.
When a child sees a cookie, they most often associate that cookie with being sweet and delicious. Little do they know that cookies can be both delicious and nutritious. Start replacing a portion of the fat content in cookies, cakes and other sweets with applesauce.
Fruit juices, natural sugars and other sweeteners are effective replacements for refined sugar. Zucchini and other nutrient-rich foods can even be shredded and added to your kids' favorite baked goods without them being any the wiser.
Make it a Breakfast Affair
Breakfast is often when kids are the hungriest and groggiest. Capitalize on this time of day by hiding fruits and veggies in their favorite breakfast items. Whip up a batch of blueberry pancakes lathered with pure maple syrup (not the processed kind) or bake some whole wheat muffins.
As your kids chow down on their wholesome breakfasts, you'll be smiling with ease knowing the day is starting out right. Those nutritious breakfasts will also feed the kids' brains and will offer the energy needed to power through their days.
Getting your kids to eat nutrient-rich foods often requires a little kitchen know-how. From fun-shaped veggies to nutritious and delicious shakes, put your mind at ease by finding creative ways to fill little ones with the goodness they need.