How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy| 5 Nutrition Sneaking Hacks

Are you wondering how to get kids to eat healthy?  It is a BATTLE!  If your kids are like mine it is near IMPOSSIBLE to get them to stop what they are doing and eat. Much less to get them to eat anything healthy!  My toddler only wants certain things and MOST of them are sweets!  She even asked where the CANDY was on the food chart at the pediatrician!  I was at a loss as to how to work in substantial nutrition for my kids until…

I decided that I had to pick my battles and I surrendered to what they want.  Instead of forcing them to eat what I want them to eat, I figured out ways to incorporate healthy ingredients into foods they already want to eat!

How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy:

These are my top five go-to swaps/sneaks that I use to sneak nutrition in for my kids everyday!

1. Add a jar of Gerber carrot baby food to a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

If you’re like me, you try your hardest not to give your kids too much processed food.  I am not a huge fan of boxed macaroni and cheese but my daughter loves it!  Sometimes, as a mom, we have to choose our battles.  Fed is best so if she will eat it I usually let her have it. 

However, while making my daughter some macaroni and cheese one day, I started thinking.  What is the same color as powdered cheese that I could add to this for nutritional value?  I thought about carrots.  However, I knew that if I simply added cooked carrots to it (no matter how small) she would find them and pick them out.  

That is when I thought of baby food!

I decided to add a jar of carrot baby food that I had on hand!

All you need to do is simply follow the recipe on the Kraft Macaroni and Cheese box and when you get to the step that has you adding the powdered cheese, butter and milk simply add the jar of Gerber as well. It’s really that easy! Not only did y daughter gobble it up, my husband didn’t even notice it was in there!

2. Freeze V8 Fusion juice in a popsicle mold.

V8 Fusion contains multiple servings of fruits and vegetables. Simply freeze the juice to make your own popsicles and your kids will LOVE their new “treats”.

If you don’t yet have a popsicle mold, I would highly suggest getting one!  I make popsicles out of everything!  They are particularly great for when your littles are sick and you need to get fluid in them.  Click here for my favorite popsicle mold!

3. Use flaxseed instead of eggs while baking.

If you don’t yet know this trick, it is one of the best in the book!  

The instructions that are on every package of flaxseed tell you to mix one tablespoon of flaxseed with three tablespoons of water and let sit for five minutes.  That mixture equals one egg!

Adding this healthy fiber into their beloved pastries doesn’t make your brownies perfectly nutritious, but it does give us parents a little piece of satisfaction that at least it wasn’t ALL bad!

Throughout the winter, my toddler and I bake almost every day!  I use this swap in just about everything that we do and each recipe always turns out perfect!  

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4. Banana Pancakes!

This is a TWO ingredient, guilt-free pancake! Simply mash one banana in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk two eggs. Mix. Then cook on a pan/griddle like you would any other pancake and serve!

I have yet to try the flaxseed substitute for this recipe, so if you try it please let me know how it goes!

5. Mix together a HEALTHY fun-fetti dip!

Simply mix Vanilla Greek Yogurt with rainbow sprinkles and serve with animal cookies, fruit, graham crackers, etc… for dipping!

If you like these ideas and want more, you should check out the rest of my recipes, like my gluten-free, egg-free, butter-free Bonkers Brownies!

TheGerberStore.com : Check out our exclusive stage-based bundles, designed to be just right for your growing little one!

Childhood nutrition is so important, yet can be so difficult to accomplish!  I hope that these nutrition sneaking hacks help you to figure out how to get kids to eat healthy!  

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