We received several messages with concerns and questions after we published the article — 5-2-1-0: Parenting rule of thumb for children’s healthy lifestyle — a few weeks ago. Majority of the concerns are — how will we ensure that our kids remain hydrated if we do not give them juice to drink? Another question is, ensuring five servings of fruits and vegetables is difficult; what can be done?

Keeping children hydrated without juice

The answer to the first question, how to make sure children remain hydrated throughout the day without allowing them to drink juice, is straightforward — give them water and train them to drink water at regular intervals. It is essential that children become habituated with drinking water frequently. It is alright to drink juice as a treat once in a while but not daily. We need to help children develop the habit of drinking water from their very childhood.

The question related to drinking water is somewhat connected to the second question — how to ensure five servings of fruits and vegetables. Here is how the two issues are linked. Since we are not giving juice to our children, we need to make sure that children get a lot of vitamins from fiber-rich fruits and vegetables. Many fruits are juicy! Therefore, fruits will help in keeping the body hydrated too.

Ensuring five servings of fruits and vegetables

To answer the question of how to ensure five servings of fruits and vegetables I must say, we have to be creative. We have to be creative by constantly collecting new recipes of fresh fruit snacks and delicious vegetable bowls.

As told by some of our close friends, we have been terrible parents because we have destroyed the childhood of Dear Son by training him to eat fruits and vegetables. We trained him so much that now he brings back his school lunchbox with untouched cabs and proteins but no fruits and vegetables left in it. Well … That is a struggle of another time — we now focus on Dear Son’s carbs and proteins in food during dinners when he eats under parental supervision.

In this post, we provide two recipes: a fruit parfait and a vegetable bowl. Both the recipes along with the photographs are a generous contribution of Produce for Kids. Visit their website to find more healthy meal inspiration. The website provides more than five hundred healthy recipes.

Rainbow Fruit Parfait is a fresh fruit snack full of colors. This fruit recipe ensures a lot of nutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, folate (vitamin B9), carotenoids beta-carotene, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, antioxidants, thiamin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, potassium, manganese. In addition to all these nutrients, blueberries ensure fiber, making this fruit parfait a perfect treat for both children and grownups.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients:

• 2 mandarins, peeled and segmented
• 1/2 cup sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup red seedless grapes
• 1/2 cup chopped pineapple
• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

Instructions:

1. In parfait glasses, layer strawberries, mandarins, pineapple, kiwis, blueberries and grapes.
2. Top each fruit parfait with yogurt.

A rainbow Buddha bowl is full of nutrients including vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene with sweet potato), vitamin C, protein, carbohydrates (with quinoa, broccoli, and avocado), potassium, and calcium. Avocado and Broccoli contain lots of fiber. The recipe has been provided through the courtesy of Jodi of Create Kids Club on behalf of Produce for Kids.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1/2 small purple cabbage, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked according to package directions
• 1 cup red cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 4 tablespoons yogurt ranch dressing

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 425° F.
2. Place sweet potatoes, broccoli and cabbage on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
3. Divide cooked quinoa into four bowls. Top with roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, red tomatoes, yellow tomatoes and avocado.
4. Drizzle with dressing.

We hope that you will enjoy the fruit and vegetable recipes presented in this post. Let us know if you make them and your children like them. We would love to hear from you.

From a Family Blog: Settle in El Paso