Many articles I have read discuss getting your toddler to eat vegetables, but what about that teenager who only wants Mcdonald’s, Pizza, or Tacos? My son wanted me to make chicken alfredo for dinner. So I get on Pinterest to find a recipe to spice up the ingredients. I see a recipe for chicken, broccoli, and alfredo pasta. Lately, my overeater 15-month-old would devour anything I put in front of her. She would eat until her stomach was bursting out of her t-shirt. Then when you thought she could not eat anymore, she decides she wants your food now! However, recently, she has begun not favoring particular foods and turned down some of her favorites. My husband blames this on me since I was a picky eater growing up.
Well, I figured my son and daughter would probably not like the broccoli, and there goes my idea of a healthy dinner. Then it hit me; I need to find a way to hide broccoli in the pasta. I decided to puree the broccoli and mix it into the pasta sauce. Let me tell you what, both my kids ate it! I think that is the most vegetables my son has consumed in one sitting, besides when he eats chicken pot pie. Of course, my baby girl decided to suck all the alfredo/broccoli sauce off her chicken and then spit the chicken into her bib. At least she was able to get some vegetables down! I have also been buying noodles made from vegetables instead of flour. Tonight our penne did not include flour but rather chickpeas. There are options of pasta made from cauliflower, zucchini, and lentils. I have even used spaghetti squash as the noodles for our spaghetti! My teenager will not eat this one because it has more of a crunch than regular spaghetti. Nevertheless, I will take the win for tonight
Below are the ingredients for the broccoli penne pasta and a few other healthy options.
Broccoli Penne Pasta
Simple Ingredients
- 1/2 Stick of butter
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 1 Bunch of broccoli
- (2) 16oz Ragu Classic Alfredo
- Box of chickpea penne pasta
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
Directions
- Cut the chicken breasts into small bite size pieces
- Then cook on the stove with the butter
- Cut the broccoli into small pieces and place in a bowl with half water Microwave for 5 or 6 minutes
- Cook the pasta per the directions on the box
- Add all the ingredients together and cook for two more minutes to warm up the ragu
Notes
- Feel free to use more or less broccoli to your liking. You could even add other vegetables.
- This recipe was able to feed a family of 4
- My husband and I recently bought a new pan and cooked the chicken nicely! The chicken was not dry at all! It is pricey, but we chose to buy one for now. The link is below if you need a new pan.
Banana Popsicle
If your child won’t eat fruit or specific kinds, try making popsicles! This idea actually came from my nephew. One day he asked if he could have a banana popsicle. I told him I didn’t have any but we could find out how to make them. This turned out to be a favorite! I tried it and it is delicious!
Simple Ingredients
- 3 bananas
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1/2 cup of milk
- A splash of vanilla (optional)
- A splash of cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Mix all the ingredients together. You can mash them or put in a blender for a smoother popsicle.
- Place in a popsicle container.
- Wait 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how large your container is.
Notes
- Makes about 6 small popsicles.
- For a mess-free toddler popsicle, see the link below.
- When removing the popsicle just place it under hot water for a few seconds then pull it out with ease.
- If you do not have a popsicle tray and want to make these today just use a cupcake pan and spoons! It will probably get messy, but you can have a delicious dessert in minutes!
Here is a list of other yummy plant-based foods your children will never even realize aren’t full of sugar and flour! I love using Whole Foods from Amazon. The fruit and vegetables taste fresh like they were grown in your backyard. There is a $10 delivery fee, but it is worth it if you want some healthy food in just 2 hours! My friend will buy groceries based on what she plans on eating for the week. I never plan in advance. It is always just a surprise what I will eat that day. Unfortunately, this causes much of our food to get thrown away! I started to plan two or three days and buy those ingredients plus our typical go-to groceries, which include milk, creamer, eggs, sausage links, bread, and cheese. The other significant thing for my family is to ensure we have some meat thawed ahead of time! If we don’t have anything thawed, we typically go to pizza! Did you know there is also pizza made from cauliflower crust? Some people say they don’t care for it, but I think different brands taste better than others, just like pizza. So try some different kinds to see what you prefer. Once you begin eating healthier and stop overbuying on groceries, you will see your grocery bill cut in half! Another way to save on groceries and not worry about your fresh veggies and fruit going bad is to freeze them or buy some that are already frozen! There are so many healthy options! It is worth spending more on each product when they taste so good, and you won’t want any of it to go to waste.
- How Board Games Support Education
- How to Substitute Sourdough Starter for Flour in Recipes
- Ultimate Homemade Laundry Detergent
- INTRODUCTING SOLID FOODS: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS
- Sourdough Starter