From son up to son down

I do not know many people who just love vegetables and would eat them all the time, but it is definitely something we could all work on. We are a fairly healthy and active family, so when my kids started showing some signs of lacking vitamins I was shocked. I knew I had to start making sure we all got more in each day. I have spent a good bit of time over the last few days researching some food options and wanted to share 2 of them that have gone over really well with my boys.

The first one is smoothies! Who doesn’t love a good smoothie? This is the perfect way to sneak in more vegetables so get out that blender and let’s get started. I like to use 8 oz of whole milk or unsweet vanilla almond milk to start. Add a whole banana, some frozen strawberries or any frozen fruit. Next, in goes a good spoonful of vanilla yogurt and 1 scoop of super greens or power beets (I buy both of these at Sams Club but have also seen them on Amazon). The kids have no idea how many veggies I sneak in because they can’t taste them! You can use whatever fruit or veggies you have on hand. Adding frozen pineapple is one of my personal favorites. If I am out of the super greens then I will add raw baby spinach or baby carrots. Add all of this in the blender and blend for about 2 min and you will have an amazing smoothie! The possibilities are endless!

The second thing I made was spaghetti but probably not the kind you are thinking of. First I snuck spinach in it, used edamame noodles (I know… it sounds weird and they look weird but actually ended up being very good), some healthier sauce and substituted beef for smoked chicken. I started by heating a little butter in a pan and then added a whole bag of baby spinach and let it wilt down. I then poured my sauce over the spinach and let it cook on low for a little bit. My husband smoked some chicken on the pellet smoker. ( It’s seriously the best chicken. Just added whatever seasoning you like and smoke at 225 for 1 hour, flipping half way through). You could also use grilled chicken or ground beef. The edamame noodles did not take long so I boiled those last minute. Because I wasn’t sure how these noodles would taste so I added some extra flavor to the sauce through spices. I added some extra parsley, onion powder, pinch of salt and a scoop of sour cream to make it creamier. Next I just assembled it in a bowl. Noodles, sauce, cut up chicken, and a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top was the perfect combination. Three of my boys went back for seconds! It tuned out so good and was packed with veggies and protein. I will definitely be making this again very soon!

I plan on finding new ways to add these things in our daily meals and snacks. Not only is it good for them now, but it is a great way for them to learn at an early age how important it is for them to eat veggies and fruit on a daily basis.

Don’t worry we still enjoy the junk food occasionally too. I am a woman who looooves chocolate and needs it to survive those super stressful parenting days.

Let me know in the comments if you have any good recipes or tips for healthier foods!