My Grandma always said that when you’re really hungry, just about anything tastes good. Take advantage of this when your kids get home from school, cranky and starving. Use the opportunity to serve them a couple of the recommended nine daily servings of vegetables and fruit, and initiate the process of training them to enjoy healthy food.

Here are some of the snacks I prepare for my kids. Yes, this does take a bit of planning, but it’s not terribly time-consuming; often, I’ll get this all ready to go in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast, so it’s ready to pull out or heat up at 4pm. If your kids need a bigger “sell,” try putting the veggies and fruits on skewers (a huge hit), using fun plates, or other gimmicks. As I’ve noted elsewhere, skip the “sell”: kids do not respond well to healthy food messaging! [Read more…]