TIPS & TRICKS PART 1

    I recently had a girlfriend of mine ask me for a few tips on getting her son to eat more vegetables.  He is two years old and since about a year old has been REFUSING to go green if you know what I mean :)  While I do have a few "tricks" up my sleeve I think part of getting a child to eat well is about modeling behavior..YOURS.  If you and your husband always eat well and include your son or daughter in your meals instead of making a separate more "child-friendly" meal chances are that over time they too will eat your food.  Since my son was born I have been introducing him to a variety of "adult" tastes and did not want him to get a more bland palate.  So he has been having foods with garlic and all sorts of spices since he was born.  That said here are a few of my more child friendly tricks and tips.  This will be an ongoing post.

1) THE SMOOTHIE 

*Be sure to serve your smoothie in an OPAQUE glass so that the added "treats" can't be see

*Use a mixture of both fresh and frozen fruits (frozen is important in making it yummy

*Keep organic frozen mango, strawberries, blueberries and bananas on hand for smoothie

*the banana is a KEY ingredient in hiding other food

*The pureed organic baby foods from Earth's Best are great if you don't have time to pure

*Kale blends up well with a banana and is easily hidden in a smoothie

*Romaine too is virtually without taste and adds extra fiber

*Avocado can be added for thickness but go light as it can make it gloppy

*Can throw in wheat germ, flax meal, oats, etc..

Sample Recipe

1 banana

1/4 cup frozen strawberries

1 /4 cup frozen blueberries

1 large leaf of kale

cup water

1/4 100 percent juice (pomegranite, orange, apple)

BLEND and enjoy!!

Another sample

1/4 cup grapes

1/4 cup frozen mango

1 orange

1 cup water

1/4 cup orange juice

1 jar squash

BLEND and enjoy!!

*** NOTE: I will often put some Greek yogurt in smoothies as well. When doing this it is best to

stick with fruit blends and NOT add the veggies. For some reason it can really heighten the taste of the

veggie and blow your cover :)