Wednesday, June 10, 2015

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Favorite Summer Foods for Kids

Image result for picture of watermelon



"They are much to be pitied who have not been given a taste for nature early in life." -- Jane Austen

School is out and summer vacation is here!  Three months of outdoor fun time have arrived and parents everywhere are thinking about how to keep the kids fed.  

Here are five of my favorite summer foods for Growing Healthy Kids:

1.       Watermelon.  Teach your young nutrition detectives how to detect a “hollow” watermelon.  Ice the melon down in the fridge overnight, then cut it up for several days of lunches.  Cube some up, freeze it and use the watermelon cubes to flavor some ice water!
2.      Tofu egg salad.  Mash up some tofu, mix with a little olive oil mayo, dried mustard, a dash of turmeric powder, chopped celery, green pepper, and sweet pickle relish.  This makes a great sandwich on whole grain bread or a summer salad on a bed of locally grown greens.  Let the kids make this the night before so the flavors can blend and they can have it for lunch the next day while you are at work!
3.      Fresh sliced tomatoes and sliced mozzarella drizzled with balsamic vinegar.  Top with a spoon of fresh pesto if you have some!
4.      Whole grain pasta salad.  Add sliced grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and grated zucchini to your favorite cooked whole grain pasta.  Make a simple vinaigrette dressing in a glass jar and shake these ingredients together:  2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, squeeze of fresh lemon, some Pink Himalayan Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper.  One of my favorite pastas to use for this salad is Dreamfield’s Rotini.  Make this on Sunday and the kids can have it for several days’ worth of lunches!
5.      Frozen fruit smoothie.  Try this combination for a real refreshing summer cooler:  ½ cup pineapple juice, ½ frozen banana, 1 cup frozen dark cherries, ½ cup kefir (or Greek yogurt), and 3 ice cubes.  Kefir is great for keeping tummies happy! 

In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.