I like to make healthy and nutritional things to eat which taste good and also appeal to children. My seven year old son likes the protein balls, which are full of things he would not eat on their own like flax seeds; these are great for omega intake.
Smoothies are also a great way of getting healthy ingredients into their tummy's in a secret way! You can hide a lot of things in smoothies that are unknown to them. For example, I give my son a magnesium supplement amongst other things which I can put unnoticed into a smoothie. The base of the smoothie is also homemade kefir (fermented milk) which is a little sour to drink on it's own.
These are quick and easy to make. I also don't measure my ingredients, I do them to taste, so I will put approximate amounts and leave you to get creative with it!
Kefir Smoothie:
You can vary this as much as you like, this is what I used for today's version. Please note that the fruit sugar content is high in this smoothie, so I would recommend half a cup for kids to get their kefir for the day which is essential for healthy bacteria in gut health. (I would not usually add sugavida, except these blackcurrants were especially sour!) In general, add as little fruit as possible just to maintain the sweetness to make it palatable. A good variation is banana and cacao powder with a dash of cream (or cream substitute.)
1 and a half cup Kefir
3 heaped desert spoonfuls of dairy free almond yoghurt or regular plain Greek yoghurt
handful of blackcurrants
handful of strawberries
1 banana
sprinkle of Sugavida (palmyra blossom nectar)
From Prep to fridge: 3-5 minutes
Protein ball recipe:
Again, you can vary this. This is a great option for breakfast on the go, it packs quality calories, essential fatty acids, protein, omegas and minerals such as magnesium and potassium. This is today's version:
1 sachet gluten free oats
2 tbsp flax seeds
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Pea protein powder 1 tbsp
1 tbsp cacao powder
dash of almond milk to make it mixable
Peanut or almond butter 2 tbsp (choose a whole nut brand like Meridian, not one with added sugar or oil)
Arrowroot powder 1 tsp and some more to roll the protein balls in to make them less sticky
Honey, just enough for sweetness to make them more palatable
Dark chocolate chips
Method: Everything goes in one bowl, mix mix mix with a wooden spoon and roll into bite size ball shapes using arrowroot powder or cacao powder to coat them. Put them in fridge and enjoy anytime.
From prep to fridge: 5-10 minutes.
Please share these recipes with your family and friends If you enjoy them!