Kid’s Guide!

5 TIPS FOR PLANNING HEALTHY LUNCHES KIDS LOVE 

  1. GET INSPIRED! Great ideas for planning wholesome and fun lunches are just a mouse click away – so, you don’t have to go-it-alone! A quick google or Pinterest search will uncover a ton of helpful resources for breaking free from the same-old, same-old lunches. So be sure to take a few minutes each week to go online with your kids and seek out some new ideas to make lunch not only healthy but fun! 
  2. MAKE A MEAL PLAN. Making a weekly meal plan not only helps to ensure that your family eats healthier but it will also save you time, money and stress. That’s because once your meal plan is complete, you can go on auto-pilot – simply executing the meal plan day-by-day without having to stress over what’s for lunch (or dinner) and without making multiple trips to the market. 
  • Time-Saving Tip: When making out your meal plan, consider which dinners lend themselves to also be a great lunch. And rather than just serving the same thing you had for dinner again for lunch, think of ways to repurpose your leftovers, such as turning leftover grilled chicken breasts into super easy chicken salad sandwiches. 
  1. CREATE A MASTER LIST OF LUNCHES. This time-saving strategy will save you a ton of time in the long run – no more racking your brain to try to think of what you should make for the lunch. That’s because you’ve taken the time to make a list of your kids’ lunch favorites, including side dishes and snacks. Then when it’s time to plan lunches for the week, simply look at your Master List of Lunches. And, as you start trying new recipes, remember to add the ones your family likes to your list. 
  2. PREP AHEAD {WITH YOUR KIDS!} Just a little prep time over the weekend can go a long way in making things quicker and easier for you to provide a healthy homemade lunch during the busy week ahead! And it’s even more fun (and educational) when you invite your kids to join you. Use your prep time to prepare as many things ahead of time as possible, such as: 

  • Making various sandwich fillings and healthy dips 
  • Slicing up your favorite fruits and veggies for use as lunch sides throughout the week ahead 
  • Creating your own healthy snack mixes 
  • Baking a batch of healthy muffins or cookies and freezing them for lunch box treats 
  1. REMEMBER, KEEP IT SIMPLE! Focus instead on preparing whole-food-based lunches with affordable fresh ingredients and easy assembly. And if you do want to get a little fancy without spending a lot of time or money, simply use your favorite cookie cutters to quickly cut sandwiches and other soft lunch items into fun shapes for a touch of “wow” without a lot of fuss. 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR KIDS TO EAT THEIR VEGETABLES 

Picky eating can be a pretty touchy subject. No mom wants to hear they might be making a mistake, especially once you’ve gotten to a point where it seems impossible to change the course you’ve already charted. 

  1. STOP GIVING CHOICES 

We found that when you allow your kids to dictate what they eat too often that’s what they begin to expect as custom. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still occasionally let them choose between two different meal options (You should), but for the most part, you should adhere to the very wise preschool philosophy of “You get what you get and you don’t get upset.” Specific requests are considered, but not always honored immediately. Furthermore, you should not make separate meals. If you are trying a new recipe, whether it be fish, casserole, soup, or anything else, your kids should eat what you eat. If they refuse to eat it, they don’t eat. This isn’t something easy to enforce but the more you do it the less they beg and the more willing they are to go along with it. Ultimately, we discovered that no kid will starve from missing a meal, and they will eat eventually. 

  1. THE THREE TRY RULE 

I read somewhere one time that most kids are wary of new things, and that it takes at least three separate exposures for something to become familiar. Once it is familiar, it will usually be accepted without resistance. For this reason, I suggest adopting the 3 Try Rule. Your children are not allowed to refuse food or say they don’t like something until they have tried it at least three separate times. (Not three bites, three different meals.) Amazingly enough, by the third try, they usually end up liking it, whereas the first try might have resulted in a few tears. 

This is a great rule because it allows children to be more willing to try new things the first time because they understand that even if they think they don’t like it right away, they might like it eventually. 

  1. LIMIT SNACKS 

It is hard to get kids to try new things and eat healthy, well-balanced meals if they are constantly filling up on snacks. I know it is not fair to suggest never giving your kids snacks or junk food when they ask for it, but it should definitely be made the exception, not the rule. We want to especially avoid snacking anytime in the two hours before dinnertime and don’t allow snacks after dinner, especially if the child requesting the snake didn’t eat their dinner. 

This is often easier said than done! The pre-dinner hour can be rough, especially for toddlers and preschoolers, and the fastest way to entertain a whiney three-year-old is to appease him with a bowl full of goldfish. Until, of course, dinner is finally ready and he refuses to eat even one bite. Then an hour later, just before bedtime, you give him another snack because you don’t want him to go to bed hungry, and the vicious cycle continues. 

This is probably the hardest habit to break, so you must realize that the only way to get your kids to eat well is to sometimes let them be hungry, allow them to regulate to an eating schedule. 

  1. EMPHASIZE GOOD MANNERS 

You want your kids to understand that being picky about food and saying I don’t like that, or that looks gross when someone else has spent time cooking for them is not only unacceptable but incredibly rude. This means teaching them about manners, and what it means to have good manners in all sorts of different situations, including at the table. 

  1. CONSTANT REINFORCEMENT 

Being picky (and rude) is simply not an option, but this rule requires constant reinforcement. Before going to anyone’s house or to a restaurant, you should usually have a 3-minute pep talk in the car explaining to your kids that they cannot call the food gross, they have to try at least one thing on their plate, If they can’t find something they like to come and tell you and that you will help them. Make sure to always remind them that words like gross, yucky, weird, nasty, or disgusting should never be used to describe food. 

If you want our complete kids  guidebook click here

Kid’s Nutritional Guidebook (E-Book)

HEALTHY RECIPES FOR KIDS 

BREAKFASTS RECIPES

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BREAKFAST BARS (VEGAN, GF) 

Ingredients: 

  • 11⁄2 cups rolled oats (use gluten-free if desired) 
  • 1⁄4 cup flaxseed meal 
  • 1⁄8 cup chia seeds 
  • 1⁄4 cup sunflower seeds 
  • 1⁄4 cup sesame seeds 
  • 1⁄3 cup pumpkin seeds 
  • 1⁄2 cup cashews 
  • 1⁄2 cup almonds 
  • 1⁄2 cup maple syrup 
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter 
  • 1⁄2 cup vegan, gf chocolate chips 

Instructions: 

  1. Line an 8×8 (or similar size) pan or baking dish with parchment paper. Leave 

extra on the sides to use as handles for removing the bars later. 

  1. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flaxseed meal, seeds, and nuts; mix 

thoroughly. 

  1. Add agave nectar to the mixture and stir until well coated. Add peanut butter 

(or other nut butter) to the mixture and mix until well combined. 

  1. Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan/baking dish and press firmly until it is 

evenly distributed. The original recipe instructs to allow the mixture to then sit overnight (to firm up) before cutting into bars. I’m not that patient—I put mine in the freezer for an hour or so and it seemed to work just fine. 5. Using the parchment paper handles, remove the entire block from pan/baking 

dish, then cut into bars. Notes: 

Feel free to substitute your favorite nuts/seeds for any you don’t have on hand or don’t like. You could sub dried fruit for chocolate chips, too. 

 

OVERNIGHT OATS (1 serving) 

Ingredients: 

1⁄3 cup plain Greek yogurt 

1⁄2 cup (heaping) rolled oats 

2⁄3 cup unsweetened milk of choice (coconut or almond) 

1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax meal 

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon cocoa powder (optional) 

Pinch of salt 

Instructions: 

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Spoon into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. 

Close and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight before eating. 

APPLE AND STRAWBERRY MUFFINS 

Ingredients: 

  • 2 apples 
  • 3 eggs 
  • 100g (3.5 oz or 2/3 cup unsifted) self-raising flour (gluten-free if you prefer) 
  • 2 tsp cinnamon 
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup 
  • 80-120ml coconut oil (start with 80 ml, add more if mix feels dry) 
  • 50g (1.8 oz) dried strawberry pieces 

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 2. Whisk the eggs with the maple syrup, cinnamon and olive oil (or gently 

melted coconut oil). 3. Grate the apples and stir into the egg mixture with the strawberry 

pieces. 4. Then fold in the self-raising flour with a metal spoon. 5. Spoon into greaseproof muffin tins, and bake for approximately 20 

minutes, until golden and cooked in the center. 6. Stick a knife in the center of a muffin to check they are cooked – it 

should come out clean. 

10 

PEANUT BUTTER AND BANANA WRAP 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 tbsp of plain 
  • creamy peanut butter 
  • 1 sprouted tortilla 
  • 1 tsp of honey 
  • 1⁄4 banana sliced 
  • 1 tsp cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips (if desired) Instructions: 

Spread 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter evenly over the tortilla. Drizzle 1 tsp of the honey,top with banana slices and chocolate chips. Roll up tortillas. Secure with toothpicks. 

EGGS IN A PEPPER 

Ingredients: 

  • 1 large egg 
  • 1 (1/4 inch thick) ring bell pepper 
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste 
  • Add all ingredients to list Directions: 
  1. Heat skillet over medium heat. Place bell pepper ring in the hot skillet. Crack egg 

into bell pepper ring; cook until bottom holds together and corners are browned, 2 to 3 minutes… Flip and cook until the desired doneness is reached, 2 to 3 minutes more; season with salt and ground black pepper. 

11 

BREAKFAST BANANA POPS 

Ingredients: 

(2 bananas makes 4 pops) 

  • bananas 
  • yogurt of choice 
  • granola of choice 
  • add-on ideas: mini chocolate chips, coconut shreds, cinnamon sugar, raisins, etc. 
  • popsicle sticks or silverware to insert in the bananas 

Instructions: 

Procedure: Pour granola into a very shallow dish or plate. Peel bananas, cut in half, and insert popsicle sticks. Dip into yogurt (or coat with a knife), then roll into granola and add- ons. Place on a parchment or wax-lined tray and freeze. Keep uneaten pops in the freezer. 

CHOCOLATE BANANA SMOOTHIE RECIPE 

Ingredients: 

  • 8 ounces soy milk, milk, or coconut milk. 
  • 1 Tablespoon honey 
  • 2 bananas (frozen) 
  • 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder. 

Instructions: 

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. 

12 

DINNER RECIPES

12 MINUTE CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI 

Ingredients: 

For the stir fry: 

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided 
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces 
  • salt and pepper 
  • 1 bunch broccoli, chopped into small florets, stems discarded 
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions 
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds Sauce Ingredients: 
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce / coconut aminos 
  • 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar 
  • 2 tablespoons honey 
  • 1 garlic clove, minced 
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil 

Instructions: 

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 

chicken breasts, and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the chicken is browned and mostly cooked through. 2. While the chicken is cooking, make your sauce. (See below.) 3. Once the chicken is browned, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and 

broccoli, and stir to combine. Continue cooking for an additional 3 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green. Stir in the soy sauce mixture, and cook for an additional 1 minute until the sauce has thickened. 4. Remove from heat and serve immediately, garnished with green onions and 

toasted sesame seeds. 

To make the sauce: 

  1. Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

 

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