My friend Ulunda is starting a new initiative with her family and asked me today about some ideas for snacks and other healthy eating tips for her kids this summer, so I snapped some pictures mid-prep and sent her ideas. She told me I should make one of my blog posts about this… so here are some things I do with my kids to encourage healthy eating choices. This is hard to do sometimes in the summer, when they’re in the kitchen scavenging for food NONSTOP.
Most important- GET THEM INVOLVED : I have a saying at my house “I ain’t raisin’ no free-loaders!” Grammatical errors aside- I intend to communicate that everyone is pitching in here. One day they’ll need to understand that to eat, they need to prepare food-why not now?
We make homemade tortilla chips and bake them in the oven- no oil- no fryer. Spray them with water and shake a little salt over them. The water helps the salt to “stick.” We dip them in salsa which is- basically cut up vegetables!!! Win win.
A Staple of our summer is a chopped salad- I sprinkle Hemp seeds and nuts in for extra “crunch”- notice the ingredients in the almond topping – ALMONDS. Thank you!!!
We make our own dressing with oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt- sometimes I add lemon juice and other spices, and minced garlic. 
Raw Cucumbers are more than edible when sprinkled with a little salt, balsamic vinegar, and sprouted seeds. I love using pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
Easiest quiche EVER. Put eggs, almond or coconut milk, cheese, and veggies in a jar and let the kids shake what their momma gave ’em! Pour into a pie shell and bake OR pour into a skillet and scramble !
I like to use the powdered peanut butter. It’s easy to make- just mix with water- and spread it on a rice cake, apple, banana, Ezekiel bread. Save on a lot of excess fat and calories, as well as preservatives. I also blend it with sugar free Almond milk in the blender for a PB shake!
We all crave the fizz of a soda but know that water is ALWAYS better! There are loads of sparkling water options in many many brands and they are available at any grocery store. But listen, when I go to the movies- I’m buying a Coke to have with my large popcorn. That’s just happening. Incredibles 2 deserves my Coke and popcorn with peanut M&M’s.
These are all pictures we made for my friend while moving around our kitchen- because she asked for suggestions. I am not an expert or dietician. This is a small glimpse into what we do day to day. I’m trying to fuel my kids bodies to run well, run strong, and run for a long long time.
