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Fast Food for your children......

Submitted by Skye on Mon, 08/04/2008 - 17:10.

Since I have started the "Fast Food Diaries" blog I have had a lot of request for feeding kids on a busy schedule. Since I have a 2 year old and always on the run as a business owner, I understand the need for knowing what to feed your child when they are starving. I can relate to being too tired and exhausted from long day or have very little time to prepare food for breakfast, lunch, and or dinner. Of course we all want only the best and healthiest foods for our children. So here are a few suggestions that will hopefully keep your family fed and nourished while not adding more work to your already busy day.

Step one is to buy a variety of healthy quick fixes at the grocery store. Step two is to keep in mind that every time you eat or your child eats, you need to offer a protein source. With that said here are some meal options that I feed my 2 year old on a daily basis.

BREAKFAST: My child does not like to eat for breakfast, so he gets either 16 ozs of 2% organic milk or 8 ozs of milk with a teaspoon of meal replacement shake mix added. Both provide the protein, carbs, and fats that a child needs to get going in the morning. Other quick breakfast options are 1/4 to 1/2 cup of organic cottage cheese with a fresh fruit (strawberries, apricots, and peaces are a few good ones). There are also some really good instant oatmeals on the market, and by adding some nuts, like pecans or walnuts, it will make it a complete source of protein for breakfast.

LUNCH: Spaghetti or noodles is one of his favorites. I can boil some noodles in less than 10 minutes on the stove and add a low sodium spaghetti sauce ( my main problem with any spaghetti sauce has always been the amount of sodium per serving). Children's kidneys and livers have a harder time with salt than adults! If I am out of spaghetti sauce, I simply add some shredded cheese(always good to have on hand) and make my own homemade mac-n-cheese, with out all the chemicals and dyes. If there is any meat leftover from last night's dinner, that can be added to the mix. Yes, I have made spaghetti for my son with ribeye steak, pork chops, and chicken, AND he LIKED it! Keep in mind that pasta with marinara sauce, a.k.a. spaghetti, is one of the healthier options to order at a restaurant, instead of a burger and fries, a grill cheese (especially when they use processed cheese with chemicals and dyes) or fried chicken fingers.

DINNER: Homemade veggie quesadillas. I like to sautee bell peppers, onions, shallots, garlic, and zucchini in a little bit of olive oil. Once they have cooked for a few minutes I add them to a tortilla with shredded cheese. I fold it over, and lightly brown both sides of the tortilla until the cheese has melted and it is crispy. Add some sour cream for taste and possibly leftover meat for additional protein, and you have a healthy well rounded dinner for you and your child!

I'll give more options along with some healthy snacks for kids in my next blog. In the mean time feel free to come in for one of our nutrition seminars to learn how to eat healthier for you and your family. Or you can watch the demo of our online nutrition program for free at http://nutrition.lunafitness.com