The Ultimate Yola

One of the struggles that many parents have with their children is trying to get them eat healthy meals and enjoy them. For some parents, it’s struggle to get their kids to eat healthy meals at all – never mind trying to get them to enjoy them! Most children have their favorite foods, and for some reason it seems as though children are programmed to only favor foods that are not always the most nutritional choice. Grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza, chicken nuggets, French fries – all these foods are most appealing to children, in spite of what their parents are trying to encourage. The good news is that there are many healthy recipes that kids will enjoy, including some healthy versions of their favorite foods.

One of the best ways to get kids to eat healthy meals is to serve them in a wrap. A whole grain wrap can be healthy, and it provides kids with a fun way to eat their meals. Set out chicken, an assortment of vegetables, grated cheese, and maybe even a little bit of bacon (just for the appeal – it does not have to be a lot) and let them create their own wrap. You might want to set a minimum vegetable rule, but otherwise, let them have fun building their own wrap. Children really respond well to begin involved and they will be far more interested in eating healthy meals if they feel that they had some part in making them. For kids who love tacos and Mexican food, you can refer to the wraps as chicken burritos. They will never know the difference. Chicken wraps have an added bonus for parents as well – they require only a few minutes of preparation and are a great way to use up leftover chicken!

Your children might be surprised to find out that their favorite meals can also be healthy meals if prepared correctly. When most people think of hamburgers, they think of the greasy, fatty, fast food variety. In actuality, a hamburger does not have to be that bad for you. Use a whole grain bun, and even trim a little out of the middle to cut down on your bread intake. For the patties, use extra lean ground beef or ground turkey. You can even mix it up a little and use ground lamb; the key is just to make sure that the meat is extra lean. Top up the burger with real cheese instead of processed cheese slices, and add cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, radish slices, or any other vegetable your child will eat. Keeping the vegetables colorful will make them even more appealing to your child, making them more willing to eat healthy meals.

It can be tough to get kids to eat healthy meals, but all it takes is a little creativity and an understanding of what appeals to kids. Kids respond really well to fun colors in their food, and they love having the opportunity to participate in preparing their own meals. With these simple tricks up your sleeve, your kids will be eating healthy meals in no time!