Cooking Healthy for Kids: A Healthy DessertIn the article about healthy snacks, it was mentioned that children should really be having two snacks each day, rather than just one. If your child only has one snack each day, and you are having a difficult time meeting some daily requirements of some of the food groups, particularly fruit or dairy, turn to dessert. Seeing dessert as a separate entity and not a mandatory part of each meal helps your children understand that dessert shouldn't be eaten all the time, and that it isn't always about indulging themselves. True, during special occasions like holidays and birthdays, a little cake and ice cream never hurt anybody. You can even have a small slice of cake once a week and still be healthy. It's when you make it an everyday thing that it starts to become bad for you. If you want an everyday dessert, choose healthy foods. Since fruit and dairy groups are often forgotten during the other parts of the day, dessert can be one way to fulfill the requirements. A fruit cup of mixed fruits is one example. Frozen yogurt, which is really similar to ice cream is another example. Frozen fruit also make for very healthy and yummy desserts. Frozen lychees or mangoes can be really yummy. Try to stick to the sweeter fruits for dessert so it really is a treat, and trust that your children will not complain! Try not to eat or serve dessert if you and your children have already fulfilled your daily-recommendations of the food groups. Discipline when it comes to dessert will pay off later on, and it will definitely save your children from overeating. Some people tend to eat dessert just because it's there, or they skip out on part their dinners so they can have more dessert. This should never be the case. Dessert should be a yummy supplement most of the time, and a treat during other times. When eating dessert outside of your home, teach your children what the healthier options are. For example, if you're at a party with your kids, encourage them to eat the blueberry or strawberry cheesecake instead of the double fudge decadent chocolate cake with caramel in the center. The cheesecake is clearly the healthier option, plus getting them to eat that instead will save you from dealing with a monstrous sugar high. For more traditional dessert eaters, or for those who need a healthy dessert for the holidays, make oatmeal cookies or apple pie. Making these desserts at home helps you control the quality of the ingredients and how much of each ingredient you put in. This means you can make sure it is healthier than anything store bought. Oatmeal cookies are great healthy desserts and you can throw in a few chocolate chips to make them yummier. Apple pie, a traditional dessert for many holidays can be topped off with a scoop of frozen vanilla yogurt instead of ice cream. When making fruit based pies, try to let the fruit do most of the sweetening for you. Too much sugar can be bad for the health, and promoting an extreme sweet tooth among children can pose a problem later on. Whatever your dessert choices end up being, it's always best if it's a part of the five food groups, and if it is fulfilling some of your requirements. Remember that dessert everyday can be disastrous, but a few times every week and during special occasions should be just fine. Next Article: Cooking Healthy for Kids: Allotting Your Kitchen Time |
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How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy Food - Without A Fight!
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