Teaching the kids to snack "smart" throughout the day, can be a challenge. For most kids, it's all about flavor. So, if you can find something that's healthy that also appeals to their taste buds, you're golden!
In trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, we've been addressing two problem areas with our children.
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We've made it a priority to ensure that the kids get a healthy start in the morning with something nutritious and balanced. This helps fuel them throughout their busy morning schedules, without the mid-morning crash (no more sugary cereals!).
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We're helping them to make smart snack choices throughout the day, to maintain more consistent energy levels. This helps them to accomplish everything they need to for school, while also allowing them enough energy to enjoy activities after their school work is complete.
Read on for our fun {healthy} recipes that the entire family will enjoy!
In all honesty, my toddler and my daughter have been far quicker to hop on board than our older son. Our toddler is open to most food options, and our daughter had already made some major adjustments to her diet, due to her diagnosis with Celiac disease. Our older son? He was harder to convince however, through some trial and error, we've found a ton of healthier food options that he enjoys just as much as some of his old favorites.
The kids absolutely LOVE to start their day off in the morning with a smoothie bowl! If you're a frequent user of social media, you know how fast this trend caught on. My kids were no exception, once they tried it, they fell in love with the concept. It's really not a hard-sell for kids, it's like eating dessert for breakfast! Fresh fruit, yogurt, and other fun add-ins; the possibilities are limitless! If you're new to the concept, check out our simple recipe for our favorite smoothie bowl combo below.
Serving size: 2 cups
Recipe yields: 1 Serving
Prep time: 5 minutes
What you'll need:
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1/4 cup milk
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8 oz organic whole milk yogurt
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1/2 cup diced frozen mango
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1 oz. Natierra Goji Berries
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2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
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2 teaspoons protein powder (optional)
How to:
Blend your milk, yogurt, frozen mango, and optional protein powder until all of the ingredients are combined / blended well into the consistency of a smoothie. Pour the smoothie mixture into a bowl. Garnish / top your smoothie bowl with Natierra Goji Berries and Chia Seeds. Serve and enjoy!
Another area that needed some improvement in our home was after dinner dessert / snack. With younger children, I almost always hear, "what's for dessert? " or, "can I get a snack?" within a hour or so of finishing dinner. Instead of offering sugar laden sweets, I make sure that I'm prepared ahead of time.
This Dark Chocolate Goji Berry Frozen Yogurt Bark recipe, is sweet, delicious and most importantly, a healthier dessert / snack option. It's also the perfect cool treat, with the warm summer months nearly upon us.
Serving size: 1 large piece
Recipe yields: 8 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes
Chill /freeze time: About 2 hours
What you'll need:
Wax paper
8x8 walled baking sheet / pan
20 oz organic whole milk yogurt (or another flavor of your choice)
3 oz. Natierra Goji Berries
2 - 3 tablespoons dark chocolate syrup
How to:
Start by lining your baking sheet with wax paper. This will make it super simple to lift your frozen yogurt bark from the pan and serve it, seamlessly. Spread your whole milk yogurt evenly on your lined baking sheet. Next, drizzle the top of the yogurt with your dark chocolate syrup, then sprinkle the top evenly with Natierra Goji Berries. Place the baking sheet/pan in the freezer for 2 hours or so / until frozen through. Break the frozen yogurt apart and serve / enjoy immediately.
When we're away from home, we make sure to bring along a ton of healthy snack and drink options. The kids bring along their reusable water bottles, filled to the brim. While we grab some of our favorite Natierra snacks. We adore their Goji Berries and Greek Yogurt covered Goji Berries. They travel well, and the entire family enjoys them! Their new Chia Crunch snack line is also a fun super healthy on-the-go, mess-free snack option. They offer up a ton of flavor options too, so there's bound to be a flavor (or more!) in the line, that everyone will enjoy!
Natierra Chia Crunch combines nutrient-dense chia seeds and vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables with a unique freeze-drying method to create a delicious on-the-go snack. Chia Crunch embodies Natierra’s mission of Superfoods with Soul: it is the culmination of innovation, ancient culture, a commitment to the Earth and a tribute to incredible adventures worldwide.They offer seven flavors in the Chia Crunch line, ranging from sweet to savory, including; coconut, blueberry, mixed berry, mango, strawberry, beet and kale + spinach. The ingredients are, vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and USDA Organic certified.
You can find Natierra products at health food retailers nationwide, and online at www.natierra.com The Chia Crunch line is currently available at Sprouts nationwide, for $4.99 ea.
Keep up with news and updates from Natierra by following them on Facebook and Twitter.
How do you teach your kids to snack smarter and make healthier food choices throughout the day? I'm always on the lookout for new tips - please share in a comment below!
