Eat your greens!

I have an incredibly fussy eater at home in my two year old. A huge shock as the rest of us (including my 5 year old) are total foodies.

My son will eat bread (sometimes), pasta (occasionally) and some meat if he is in the mood but he mostly loves to snack. It drives me a bit bonkers and worries me because I really would like to see more nutrients go into his body.

So, here are my tips for making food fun and getting some vegetables, fruit and goodness into your fussy eaters:

1. Green smoothies and juices. Our favourites are lemon, agave, cucumber, coriander, celery and apple or Banana, avocado, milk of choice, apple and honey

2. Avocado Chocolate Mousse- Trick is to make just before you are going to eat it or it ends up tasting too avocado-y. I use 1 avocado, 1 banana, 1tbsp chia seeds and 2 tbsp water, cocoa, agave or honey, vanilla extract, pinch of salt, 1 tbsp peanut butter

3. Homemade Vegetable Crisps- mandolin sliced beetroot, carrot, sweet potato and parsnip with added nutritional yeast on top is yum and loved by all

4. Replace pasta or rice with Quinoa*

5. Add Chia Seeds and goodies to Porridge- I cook mine with banana, dried fruits, seeds, vanilla extract, cinnamon and honey. It is a treasure trove of goodies

6. Make rainbow salads and dips- Get the kids involved with cutting and arranging all colours of rainbow. If rainbow is a step too far get them to eat all traffic light colours. Beetroot, peppers, cucumber, sweetcorn, tomato. our afvurite dip is yoghurt, honey, dijon, garlic, lemon and olive oil (see sunshine dressing)

7. Create fruit lollies on kebabs with yoghurt dipping sauces (yoghurt with cinnamon and honey or cacao and agave)

8. Make homemade fruit rollups

9. Banana pancakes (oats, banana, egg and cinnamon fried in a spray of coconut oil)

10. Coconut chia pudding (blended or not depending on how fussy they are on texture) Use ½ cup chia seeds, 2 cups coconut milk, 1 tablespoon agave nectar, or more to taste, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 pinch salt. Blend and chill then decorate with ½ cup diced fresh strawberries or whole raspberries

11. Chicken kebabs with satay dipping sauce with ton of crudité on side

12. Pollo Milanese- Make homemade breaded chicken and serve with Courgetti sphaghetti in tomato sauce instead of usual Spaghetti

13. Frozen Berry 'sorbet'- place handful of frozen berries in nutribullet with 2tbsp water and 1 tbsp agave and blend for instant sorbet. Add more water for smoothie or use chia/oats, banana and milk to make into a breakfast treat

14. Kale crisps homemade in oven with olive oil and salt on also a winner! Kale contains fibre, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamin K, among others. Even the chlorophyll in kale may have health benefits. It is also a good source of vitamin C and iron

Why Chia?

Chia seeds are said to have more calcium than several dairy products. Additionally, they are full of protein, phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese that are essential for healthy teeth and bones. They also contain Omega-3 fatty acids that can improve cardiovascular health plus chia seeds also contain omega-6 fatty acids that could promote overall health in the long run

Why Quinoa?

Easy to make and rich in protein, dietary fibre, B vitamins, and dietary minerals in amounts greater than in many other grains.

What about nutritional yeast?

It’s a concentrated source of protein, fiber, and micronutrients, especially vitamin B12. One tsp a day should meet RDA for your child but beware of using on infants, for more info visit https://plantbasedjuniors.com/

Hope this helps you and your little ones get more goodness into your diet.

With love,

Kate x