September is Fruits and Veggies Month, and I have some great tips and recipes for adding more into your kids’ diets.
Who wants to hear a joke? Here goes::
Knock, Knock
Who’s there?
Lettuce
Lettuce Who?
Lettuce in and you’ll find out!
{Pause for uproarious laughter}
Since September is simultaneously Fruits and Veggies + More Matters Month, I thought I’d suggest 5 ways to “celebrate” healthy eating and let “lettuce” in this month.
But first, why?!
Research shows that people who eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables can help lower their risk of many health problems — including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and some types of cancers. It is also especially important for children and teens while they grow and develop! And, as I like to tell my kids, the fiber in these fruits and veggies is like a little broom that sweeps your digestive tract clean. Hooray for pooping!
According to the More Matters campaign, there are two great methods for success.
1.) Fill half your plate with fruits and veggies at every meal {including snacks}.
2.) All forms … fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice … count toward your daily intake.
So without further ado, here are 5 ways to increase your fruit and veggie intake during September.
1. Start with breakfast!
Confession time… most of our breakfasts consist of easy, quick carbs on the way out of the door. So in order to include fruits and veggies I’d have to include forethought. Besides having fruit cut and prepared to go along with our quick breakfasts, I found a couple of great {and kid approved} recipes to make ahead of time!
The first includes bananas and you can replace the oil with apple sauce if you want more!
Banana Oat Muffins
- 2 cups rolled oats or old fashioned oats
- 1 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup bananas mashed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (sprinkled on top)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
- In a medium bowl combine eggs, maple syrup, mashed bananas, vanilla, milk and oil.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, do not over mix.
- Scoop batter evenly into prepared muffin tin.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips and oats on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until set and the tops are slightly brown.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove to cool completely.
This recipe packs a lot of veggie power and it’s a quick and delicious breakfast option!
You could feel free to add whatever other vegetable you like in it as well.
Cheese and Bacon Egg Muffins
- 6 eggs
- 2 strips cooked bacon
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 bell pepper (whatever color)
- 1 cup spinach
- 1 zucchini finely grated
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Heat oven to 375. Cook the bacon and then soften the onion in bacon grease. Drain fat. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Line a muffin tin with liners. Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Serve warm or store in refrigerator for later use!
2. Smoothies are your friend
Smoothies are an excellent way to add fruits and veggies to your diet. My girls love to make a smoothie when they get home from school. Adding kale and spinach to a smoothie hardly effects the flavor at all and increases your green intake.
Taste of Home has tons of delicious smoothie recipes to get your started.
Also, here are some great tips on freezing fruit to reduce waste and for easy smoothie prep!
3. Have a “fruit tasting” night {or day}
Do you have picky or skeptical eaters? So do I. Occasionally, we’ll buy a few fruits from the store that we’ve never tasted and that look foreign to us. Then, we’ll all try it together and discuss our opinions. They are not always winners, but this activity is fun and it definitely widens our perspective and gives us an opportunity to try something new. My youngest daughter is now a huge fan of dragonfruit because we all tried it together. You might be surprised at how interested and “adventurous” your kids will be when tasting new foods is presented as an event!
4. Prep fruits and veggies ahead of time
As I alluded to earlier, meal prep is a major key to success with any food based lifestyle change. I prep apples, grapes, lettuce, bell pepper, & carrots for grabbing on the go. Prepping ahead of time almost makes packing lunches and grabbing snacks effortless! Here are some great tips to get your meal prep started!
5. Be Sneaky
If all else fails, there’s the old “sneak in the veggies” routine. There are lots of great recipes that incorporate veggies. Personally, I add zucchini, carrots, bell peppers, onions and garlic to my pasta sauce and everyone loves it! Honestly, you can add zucchini to so many things because it doesn’t overpower the meal and it adds moisture to baked goods. We love zucchini bread, but I’ve also made zucchini chocolate chip cookies and brownies.
Since hardly any child can resist mac & cheese, here is a sneaky veggie filled version from Tasty.
- 1 lb elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 cup butternut squash, diced
- 1 cup carrot, sliced
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 oz cream cheese
- Add water, cauliflower, squash, and carrots in a pot over medium heat. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender.
- Add everything into a blender, including cooking water, and blend until smooth.
- Return blended veggies to the pot over medium heat, and add the milk, cheese, and cream cheese. Stir until smooth.
- Add macaroni, reduce heat, mix thoroughly, and cover for 20 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Now we’re ready to welcome this September challenge and put these tips into action! Do you have any suggestions or recipes on how to encourage healthy eating habits? What’s your favorite way to eat fruits/vegetables? I’d love to hear them! Feel free to share in the comments below!
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