I mentioned to you in my post 10+ Tips for Teaching Picky Eaters to Eat Healthy Foods that I was invited to attend a blogger seminar on picky eaters recently. At the seminar we learned a few new recipes that are healthy and appealing to kids-that can be rare in my house!
I want to share a couple of the recipes that I altered a bit to be more appealing to my kids. I am sharing a recipe for Broccoli Bites and Healthy Chocolate Pudding/Fruit Dip. Yum! These recipes are great for adults too. They even were eaten by my picky eaters!
Healthy Snack Recipes for Kids
The original recipes were demonstrated by Jimbo’s…Naturally! a grocer in the San Diego area that focuses on selling organic and non-GMO foods. I am always eager to find new ways to feed my kids (and husband) healthier foods without them protesting too much. I will share a bit more about Jimbo’s at the end of this post for those in the San Diego area, but let’s get to the recipes!
Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables
Colorful foods are a warning to my children that they should protest eating that night. HA! Actually my 4 year old girl is good with most veggies, but my oldest (7 yr boy) is pretty turned off by most colorful foods. He ate these and said they were great! (So, you know there is hope for picky eaters with this one.)
Broccoli Bites
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
2-3 cups broccoli, roasted or steamed
2 large eggs
½ tsp salt
½ cup panko or cracker crumbs
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Directions:
1.) Roast the broccoli. I placed the broccoli in a pan and roasted it on 375F for about 40 minutes. Then I covered the pan with foil so the broccoli would steam while it cooled down.
2.) Add broccoli, egg, salt, crumbs (I used whole crackers), and cheese into food processor or blender.
3.) Pulse until very finely chopped.
4.) Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
5.) Scoop out with ice cream scoop or melon baller to form 1 inch-2 inch balls.
6.) Place broccoli balls into pan and slightly flatten with a spatula. Cook until both sides are crispy.
7.) Serve with Greek Yogurt as a dip.
These were so good! They are like little nuggets of healthy comfort food.
You can use other vegetables other than broccoli, like red bell pepper or yellow squash. Even butternut or acorn squash steamed, and mashed would work in this-yum!
All four of my kids ate these and enjoyed them. I liked them and my husband said they were good, so the whole family was satisfied! These are great as an after-school snack, finger food at a gathering or playdate, or a side dish with dinner. And, they are quick to put together.
Healthy Dessert
Now, sweet tooth time. I love a little sweet treat in the
evening.
evening.
This sweet treat is a chocolate pudding made with Greek Yogurt. It is a
healthy dessert and makes a great dip for strawberries!
healthy dessert and makes a great dip for strawberries!
Chocolate Pudding Greek Yogurt Dip
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup Greek yogurt
¼ Cup cocoa powder
2-3 Tbsp honey (adjust based on the sweetness you prefer)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pound strawberries (optional)
Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. That’s it!
2) Enjoy as a pudding or dip strawberries for a healthy chocolate covered strawberries treat.
My twin toddlers enjoyed the pudding a little too much!
I thought it was best with the strawberries, and even on its own-adjust the amount of cocoa based on how chocolate-y you like it.
It is such a great start to make pudding popsicles too. If you have a popsicle mold, place the pudding into it and freeze. Then you have a healthy dessert. (Might have to save these for mom’s me-time!)
Add natural flavor to any recipe
with essential oils.
The original recipes were shared by Jimbo’s Naturally. They are advocates for a healthy lifestyle and if you are in the San Diego area, they hold cooking classes and other events every month and children are always welcome to attend! That would be a great mommy-and-me activity.
To encourage healthy eating habits, read The Magical Plate ebook for kids!
Thanks again, to Jennifer at Mom’s Guide to San Diego, for inviting me to attend this great seminar for picky eaters. I think it equipped me with some great tips that I am able to use in my home to get healthier and I was able to share them with you-bonus!
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Enjoy your time at home!
Tarana Khan says
June 24, 2015 at 8:38 pmLove the recipe for broccoli bites, it must taste yummy!
Jaimi says
June 25, 2015 at 2:39 pmThey were really good. Perfect for taking on different levels of seasoning too so they are very adaptable to any taste. I think my husband and I loved them as much as the kids!
My Bored Toddler says
June 4, 2015 at 11:42 amThese sound great … so good that I want to eat them! Thanks for sharing on #ToddlerFunFriday
Jaimi says
June 5, 2015 at 4:20 amHa ha! Oh, yes, my husband and I ate them too. 🙂 It was not just kid-friendly…it was a hit with all of us. Thanks so much for stopping by.
Kimberly Lewis says
June 2, 2015 at 1:06 amHello Gorgeous! This looks incredible! Thank you so much for sharing it with us. Pinned and tweeted. I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm, so we can party with you! Lou Lou Girls
Melissa Matters says
May 27, 2015 at 9:51 pmThese look so good! I make baked breaded zucchini for my kids sometimes so they would probably like the broccoli bites and who doesn't like chocolate. I used to live in San Diego but I've never been to Jimbos.
Jaimi says
May 29, 2015 at 4:29 amOoh! The zucchini sounds so yummy. I will have to try that. Small world that you used to live down here. 😉
Buba4Turtle says
May 26, 2015 at 5:57 pmMy kids love broccoli so I know they are going to love those bites! Strawberry with chocolate pudding looks yummy, too!
Jaimi says
May 29, 2015 at 4:28 amYeah for kids who like broccoli! It's my favorite. 🙂 The chocolate was so good.