The holiday season is the perfect opportunity to teach young children about healthier food options and the art of cooking. As you prepare for holiday parties and gatherings this year, use healthy recipes to demonstrate to your children that enjoying tasty food doesn’t have to require cups of sugar. On the contrary, festive food options can be both healthy and delicious – it all comes down to great preparation and a wonderful recipe!
Why Healthier Eating Habits are Essential to the Development of Young Children
One of the keys to a long and healthy life is to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet – this is true for adults and childrens alike. Children who eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein are more likely to be active, healthy, and strong.
During the earliest years of their lives, children will form the basis for their eating lifelong patterns, making it harder to break poor eating habits as they grow older. As such, it’s important for parents and guardians to establish and encourage healthy eating habits early on.
This winter, use the holiday season as an opportunity to teach your children about the importance of healthy food by using the following holiday recipes as inspiration for your own recipes… all of which are kid-friendly!
Healthy Kid-Friendly Holiday Recipes to Try
Gingerbread Breakfast Smoothie
This oatmeal smoothie is packed with healthful ingredients, sweetened with fruit, and flavored with gingerbread spices for a festive breakfast or snack! Check out the full recipe, courtesy of TinyTummyTales.
Strawberry Cheesecake Santas
What’s more adorable than a tiny, tasty strawberry Santa? We can’t think of much! To make a strawberry cheesecake Santa, start by gathering the following ingredients: strawberries, whipped cream, and mini chocolate chips. Assemble your mini Santas by cutting the berries in half widthwise and filling the centers with whipped cream. From there, piece the berry back together again, being careful not to smush the cream middle. Give your Santa two chocolate chip eyes and whipped cream buttons before enjoying!
Chocolate Banana Penguins
Children of all ages will enjoy whipping up these fruity treats on a chilly day. To make these adorable penguin snacks, create a foot and a beak from dried apricots for each bird. From there, melt one cup of semisweet chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl before incorporating one tablespoon of vegetable oil to the mixture. Dip halved bananas into the chocolate mixture, then lay them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a toothpick to dab on chocolate pupils and white chocolate chip eyeballs. Then, attach the beaks and feet with more melted chocolate. Put the penguins in the freezer for about 25 minutes until the chocolate has hardened before enjoying!
When it comes to keeping your child healthy and happy this holiday season, nothing beats tackling fun, healthy recipes together as a family.
Happy holidays from the LuHi Day Camp family to yours!
