Easy Healthy Meals for Kids
Do you find yourself scouring the internet for easy, healthy meals that your kids will actually eat? If you do, you’re certainly not alone, with kids getting pickier and pickier with their eating these days; it’s sometimes just easier to cook the chicken nuggets and stop the battle. It can really be a struggle to get a healthy meal on the table every night that your kids will eat, as well as a meal that doesn’t take you over an hour to make.
If you ever do find yourself in a bind, but you really want a healthy meal for your child. Keep in mind that Better Blend Nutrition has highly wholesome meal replacement smoothies and smoothie bowls are kid-approved! Each one of their Little Blends has 7-11 grams of protein, they are low in calories, sugars, and fats, plus they are fortified with 50 vitamins and minerals that your child needs. Not only that but these Blends taste exactly like their name, so your child will not complain when it comes to flavor. Better Blend has a variety of yummy flavors to choose from like Brownie Batter, Cookies N Cream, and Blueberry Cake Donut. Finding easy, healthy meals for kids is now even more convenient with Better Blend Nutrition.
Even though at times getting your kids to eat healthy can be difficult, and feel like a constant battle, we encourage healthy options because we simply love our children and want them to do and feel their best. In this blog, we’ll cover why eating healthy is so important for kids, if eating healthy as a child is even possible, some tips to get your child to eat healthy, and lastly we’ll discuss some easy, healthy meals for kids.
Why is Healthy Eating Important for Kids?
1.
A big reason why healthy eating is so encouraged at a young age is because eating a variety of foods as a child helps to set then up for a healthy life. As a parent, you truly are the biggest teacher to your child, therefore, you are the person who introduces them to new and healthy foods even though it may be a struggle. But those battles are worth it, because forming healthy eating habits early means your child is more likely to continue those habits into adulthood.
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Healthy eating can help to stabilize a child’s mood and energy levels. If you’re a parent, you know that the sugar rush is a real thing. Sugar enhances that crazy energy in children and then reluctantly when that sugar wears off in their body, they crash and become irritable. Limiting processed and refined sugars in your child’s diet can ultimately help them feel better, both energy and mood wise.
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Eating healthier can help your child maintain a healthy weight. Obesity in children at a young age can increase their risk of health problems later on in life such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Being overweight as a child may also affect their self-esteem and increase their risk of depression according to the National Institute of Health. Eating wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proteins can help keep your child at a healthy weight and avoid unnecessary health problems in the future.
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Having a healthy diet can help decrease your child’s risk for mental disorders such as clinical depression and anxiety. You are what you eat, whether you’re a child or an adult, and what you feed your child fuels their whole body, but most importantly their brain. Your brain essentially controls how you feel, and the fuel you give your brain can deduce what chemicals your brain releases.
For example, very sugary and processed foods can lead to inflammation in both your body and your brain, and that inflammation may contribute to certain mood disorders like anxiety and depression. This is why it’s important to feed your little one wholesome foods that fuel their brain the right way, like complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and fatty acids.
Is Eating a Nutritious Diet Possible for Kids?
Yes, and no, and like anything with children, getting them to eat healthy comes with a lot of persistence and patience. Waiting longer to introduce healthy foods to your children will make having a nutritious diet even harder for them. Instead of looking at your child’s mealtimes as a way to please them, you should look at them as times where you can show them new and nutritious foods that they might like if you just gave them the opportunity to try them.
Even though getting your kids to eat healthy seems impossible, with the right tricks up your sleeve you may find that it’s not as difficult as you think. There are several helpful methods to try and get your little ones to eat a more wholesome diet which we will be going over in the next section of this blog.
Healthy Eating Tips for Kids
- Make their plate colorful. A healthy diet means a variety of colors on every plate. Chances are if your plate consists on mostly one color, what you’re eating is not as nutritious as it could be. The next time you’re figuring out the components of your child’s plate, think about how many colors you see on it. If you fill your child’s plate with chicken nuggets, fries, and mac and cheese, notice how every food is essentially in the same color group of brown or yellow. Instead, replace the fries for peas and the mac and cheese for diced strawberries. Now the plate has three colors and two truly healthy components.
- Offer your child choices. Even adults don’t like to be forced to do things they don’t want to do, and the same goes for children who feel forced to eat something they really don’t like. That’s why it’s important to give your children choices when it comes to incorporating new, healthy foods into their diet. Giving your child a choice between apple slices and peanut butter and celery and peanut butter may not seem like a huge deal, but your child may be more apt to try new things when they feel it was their idea; hence letting them choose what they eat.
- Incorporating your kids while cooking might make your kitchen a little messier, and it might take a bit more time to complete a meal; but the payoff it worth it! It’s no secret that children are always interested in what adults are doing, they want to be looked at as a “big girl” or “big boy”. Ultimately, kids really just want to be included in what’s happening; which is why letting them help you make lunch or dinner in the kitchen could peak their interest into new and healthy foods and make them more likely to try the meal since it’s something they had a hand in creating. You can control the chaos by letting your child play a part in small things like stirring a bowl or measuring out ingredients.
- Children are questionable to try new things, especially when it comes to food. This is why a great way to get kids to try new foods is to incorporate them into foods that you already know they like. Eating the same unhealthy foods everyday will form unhealthy eating habits for children and make them more suspicious of new, more nutritious foods. That’s why it’s important to bring healthy foods into their diet early in order to avoid a child becoming a really picky eater.
- TIP: If you’re trying to get your child to eat healthier but they won’t stray away from the foods they are already used to, try mixing in the new foods with the foods you know they love. For example, if you want your child to try and eat more vegetables, try mixing in some broccoli or peas into their mac and cheese; or if they are reluctant about trying new fruits, try to add a yummy dipping sauce to them; like pairing apple or banana slices with natural peanut butter.
- Let your child plan out a meal. More than anything children want to be involved, and they are naturally curious about what you’re doing and new things in general; which is why letting them plan out a meal could spark their interest in healthy foods. Creating easy, healthy meals for kids is breezy with this method. In order to make sure your child doesn’t choose tater tots and butter noodles for your family meal; make sure you give them guidelines that they need to follow in creating their meal.
- TIP: Try telling your child that their meal needs to incorporate a meat, a fruit, a veggie, and a grain. Then, perhaps give them options to choose from within those categories like choosing between turkey and chicken, carrots and peas, melon or strawberries, and rice or pasta. This way your child feels like they are being involved and can get creative with the meal, perhaps making them more apt to try it.
Now that we’ve covered why healthy eating is important for kids, if it’s possible for kids to eat healthy, and some tips to try and get your kids eating more nutritiously, let’s dive into some easy, healthy meal for kids that you can try yourself!
Easy and Healthy Meals for Kids
OVEN-BAKED PORK CHOPS
These pork chops taste so similar to fried pork chops but they are much healthier, since the crust is made with whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs. These chops are juicy on the inside and they get an incredible crisp on the outside. The pork chops offer a great amount of protein to the family, and pairing it with some broccoli and maybe a sweet potatoes make it all the more nutritious!
MEAL REPLACEMENT SMOOTHIE
Smoothies are delicious and they are perfect for families who are busy and need something flavorful and nutritious fast. Although figuring out what ingredients you need to make a true meal replacement smoothie can be time consuming, plus you never know if it will taste good. That’s where Better Blend Nutrition comes in.
With Better Blend Nutrition, you can have faith that the smoothie you’re giving your child is incredibly healthy and something that they’ll love. The "Little Blends" are made with premium protein, they are low in calories, vitamins, and sugars, and fortified with vitamins and minerals that your little one needs. These Blends taste amazing too, and with flavors like Peanut Butter Oreo and Orange Dreamsicle, you’re little one is sure to find their personal favorite.
CHIPOTLE CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS
Burrito bowls are a super easy, healthy meal for kids because they incorporate a variety of different foods. The chicken in the bowls provide protein, while vegetables like tomatoes, corn, peppers, and lettuce provide your body with many essential vitamins and nutrients. Add in some avocado as well for your healthy fat.
These bowls are delicious and completely customizable, in order to encourage your child to try new foods, set up some guidelines. Tell them they need to have three different colors on top of their rice or quinoa bowl. This way your child is introduced to new healthy foods but you’re giving them the power to choose which ones. If you’re looking for a healthy chipotle chicken bowl recipe you can click here.
EASY CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
Want homemade chicken noodle soup that doesn’t take a huge chunk of time to make? Well this is the recipe for you. This soup takes about 25 minutes to throw together, it’s delicious, and it’s full of the protein and veggies your little one needs. You can use a rotisserie chicken that you’ve cooked yourself or simply one from the store. There’s a good amount of vegetables in this soup including carrots, onion, and celery. Plus, you can easily store the leftovers in the fridge for a quick lunch or dinner the next day.
BAKED ZUCCHINI FRIES
If your kids just won’t stray away from having fries as a side dish for every meal, try making these super crisp and delicious zucchini fries one night. These fries pack in the flavor, and their much healthier than regular fries since their zucchini and also they require no frying oil. Serve these babies up to your little ones with their favorite dipping sauce and watch them fall in love!
TERIYAKI TURKEY MEATBALLS
These turkey meatballs are the perfect main dish to your next family dinner night. Kids and adults alike love their sauces, and this quick teriyaki sauce does not disappoint; you can put the sauce on the side or simply cover the meatballs with it. The lean turkey gives your body a great amount of healthy protein, and the teriyaki sauce packs in the fantastic flavor.
SWEET POTATO PIZZA BITES
All kids love pizza, and these pizza bites provide great nutritional value to your child, along with having that great pizza flavor they know and love. The sweet potato replaces the flour when it comes to this recipe, sweet potatoes are full of flavor and incredibly rich in vitamins and nutrients. The sweet potatoes are then topped with fresh marinara and mozzarella, then any toppings you’d like.
PEANUT BUTTER BANANA OATMEAL BAKE
This oatmeal bake is the perfect easy, healthy meal for kids, especially when it comes to needing a quick breakfast; make it the night before and you have breakfast ready for the next couple days! The rolled oats are a great source of fiber and vitamins, the banana provides potassium, and the natural peanut butter is a healthy fat. There’s also no added sugar to this dish because the banana and peanut butter provide natural sweetness.
QUINOA BROCCOLI AND CHEESE CASSEROLE
This casserole has just seven ingredients and it’s absolutely delicious! Quinoa is a superfood that provides your body with a ton of nutrients and benefits, plus cooking it in broth makes it even more flavorful. The broccoli adds great texture and nutritional value as well, while the onion and sharp white cheddar add incredible flavor. If your child is a fan of yummy casseroles, this might just be their new favorite!
ONE-PAN CAULIFLOWER NACHOS
Love nachos but not all the extra fat and calories? You’re not alone; and these cauliflower nachos mimic that same great taste that you and your kids know and love while offering great nutritional value to your body. The roasted cauliflower replaces the chips and you can add all the toppings you want like beans, rotisserie chicken, avocado, and pico de gallo. Cauliflower is rich in B vitamins and other nutrients, while the chicken adds protein, the beans and tomatoes provide more vitamins and minerals, and your avocado is a healthy fat.
The Bottom Line
Kids are tough, and making sure they are eating healthy is even tougher. It’s hard to know what meals are actually good for your children while also keeping your convenience and busy lifestyle in mind.
My hope is that this blog helped you to find easy, healthy meals for kids, while also educating you about why good nutrition is important for kids, some tips and tricks to get your kids to eat well, and then ultimately we laid out some great easy and healthy options to try making on your next family meal time.
The most important thing to understand is that getting your kids to eat healthy takes a lot of patience and persistence. It also requires you to be an example to your kids when it comes to what to eat and what to eat on occasion. The bottom line is, don’t be so hard on yourself, keep the faith, and keep making an effort to offer your children healthy options because it will pay off.
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