Fussy eating comes in a variety of forms in children.

The types of food, textures and even meal time environments can affect how children will respond to the food.

No matter if you’re the top chef giving Jamie Oliver a run for his money, or a reluctant home toast-burner, every cook in the kitchen knows the toughest critics are usually under four feet tall with a vocabulary understanding of about 1000 words.

A nutritious and healthy diet from a young age is very important so that a child’s brain is properly developed, and that their energy levels and overall health can be at their peak! At Piptree Eight Mile Plains Early Learning Centre, we encourage healthy eating habits and instil such core values from a young age to pave the best possible future for your children.

Here is a list of 5 nutritious foods that your child will love:

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette for fussy eating

Start your kids off the right way with a healthy and filling breakfast! With a minimal 10-minute preparation time and 25 minutes in the oven, it’s a simple and easy to make brekky with 8 eggs, 1/3 cup of milk, cheddar cheese and ham! Serving ideas can include accompanying fresh chopped fruit and a juice.

Strawberry Banana Bread for fussy eaters 

Disclaimer! Once you’ve cut that first slither don’t expect it’ll last for any longer than a few minutes! This yummy and healthy recipe is made with no refined sugar, 10.8mg of Vitamin C, and 1.5mg of Iron.

It’s the perfect recipe to get the kids involved because all you need is your left and right hand to mix away (plus these ingredients):

  • 275g plain flour
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • Âľ tsp baking soda
  • 3 ripe bananas mashed
  • 75g coconut oil
  • 75g honey
  • 60g plain yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 2tsp vanilla extract
  • 150g chopped strawberries

Pesto Pasta with Cheese for fussy eating 

Pesto is a great way to sneak in a lot of nourishment for your child. With 150 grams of spinach packed in, along with sunflower seeds, garlic, salt and lemon, the health benefits are undeniable. Wholemeal pasta and some good quality olive oil with parmesan and you are off! Kids love the unique texture combination and, it is a wholesome meal to stop the growling stomachs for two to three hours at least.

Veggies with a dip for fussy eaters

Super easy and nutritious! Vegetable sticks with some tasty hummus or homemade dip is simple to make and fun for the kids to devour later. Bread sticks and rice cakes also make a great dipper for an excellent mid-day or afternoon snack.

Chicken pasta bake for fussy eating

High in protein, low in fat and kilojoules, this is a great dinner or lunch recipe for the whole family! All you need is:

  • 2 large chicken breast fillets
  • 1 ½ cups penne pasta
  • 260g butternut pumpkin
  • cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup broccoli
  • 1 1/3 cups tomato pasta sauce
  • ½ cup grated cheddar

Bake for 15 minutes and you’re done! A super easy meal that the kids will love and it’s stacked with nutritional value. If you are struggling to find inspiration, check out these kid friendly recipes at Taste.com.au

At Piptree Early Learning Eight Mile Plains we understand the impact that the initial years can have on the later ones, which is why we stress the importance of healthy eating in your children.

With 3 meal breaks during the day, including morning tea, lunch time and afternoon tea, the staff encourage the kids to eat nutritious meals by identifying the benefits, eating similarly, and presenting them in a fun way. The set meal schedule which remains the same everyday helps and discourages kids from grazing or looking for food throughout the day. Similar notions should be taken on board at home, with a set time for food combined with Mum and Dad eating healthy options. Kids like to follow in parents’ footsteps; if Mum orders a Burger and Chips the child is likely to order something similar, but, if Mum orders a healthy salad the child is more likely to order something of the sorts.

So, what’s on the menu for dinner tonight?

6 Jul, 2017 / 0 Comments