It seems that finding on the go friendly healthy foods that your family will eat is the holy grail of parental planning. When you are trying to find food that your kids will eat when you are on an outing or zipping to soccer practice, do you find yourself resorting to buying little packages of food that you know that your kids will eat but you are afraid are devoid of nutrition? Maybe you plan ahead and pack some nutritious snacks that they do not eat well enough so you get some fast food for them as a compromise. Feeding children well can be quite a challenge. Here are some healthier alternatives that will fit your lifestyle that kids will like.
Snacks
Snacktime on the go poses one of the greatest challenges for healthy eating with all the enticing processed alternatives out there. With this easy recipe for dried strawberries that will not break the bank, you can let your kids snack on dried strawberries from a bag. Make them by setting your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees Celsius) and cutting strawberries into thin slices. Lay the slices on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and let them coast for about 90 minutes. You will have a healthy one ingredient snack for everyone.
Another simple and low cost snack is popcorn air popped at home and mixed with your favorite healthy toppings. Full of fiber, it is sure to make a satisfying and healthy snack. Make a big batch one evening and have snacking options for days. To change it up to a sweet and healthy option, try this recipe for a popcorn treat.
Lunch
Sometimes it just cannot be avoided that you are in the car during lunchtime. This is a time when the true portability of foods is tested. Fortunately, there are mason jars. They are great for holding everything from granola laced yogurt to jar salads. The jar salad concept is so brilliant and can even make use of the leftovers that you have knocking around in the refrigerator. Make sure to put your wettest ingredients at the bottom, then layer with sturdy grains or vegetables. The humble mason jar can be your vehicle for a great fruit parfait while you are driving your vehicle. All you need is a portable cooler to keep everything cold and you are all set.
For a sandwich option, pita bread comes in all sizes and can be a great filling package as well as part of the meal. Be sure to fill the bread with their favorite lettuce as well as healthy meats and cheeses with no preservatives.
Dinner
Eating out with the family while on the go may be convenient, but it can be a real budget buster over very little time. When after school and evening practices start to hedge in on your dinner time, creativity takes center stage. An idea for a quick yet hot and satisfying meal to go that your whole family will eat are hot chicken wraps. Made earlier in the afternoon, chicken baked in the slow cooker with barbeque sauce becomes a wrap filling along with a sprinkle of low fat mozzarella and steamed kale. Wrapped in foil, these sandwiches can wait until their recipient is available to eat.
Cue the vacuum sealed jars. A casserole becomes fast food when packaged in a container that will hold the heat in. Wherever the evening takes you, your family can have their favorite homemade dish with healthy ingredients that you want them to eat.
Dessert
How about a cookie for dessert on the go? The sorghum flour in hamptoncreek cookie dough is part of the substitute for eggs, leaving your treat substantially lower in cholesterol than a traditional cookie with egg would be. The cookie dough also has less sugar added because the sorghum is naturally sweet. You can pop the ready-made dough into the oven then bag them up as a healthier special treat after lunch or dinner. Plus, since this dough has no animal products, you can sneak some raw dough while the kids are not looking.
For healthy home cooked eating on the run, one of the biggest challenges is how to make the foods your family likes as a portable option. It takes some planning and a lot of perseverance, but making sure your family has healthy options when on the go is worth it.