19 Ideas for Frugal Summer Fun as a Family

19 Ideas for Frugal Summer Fun as a Family

Do you want to save money but still have fun this summer? Totally doable. Read on to get 19 easy-to-do summer activity ideas that are budget-friendly, health-boosting and oh-so-fun!

Guest Post by Prerna Malik of Content Bistro

Save money. Quite simply, it’s one of my biggest goals and constant endeavors as a homemaker.

However, with summer here, I don’t want my budgeting tendencies to negatively impact the amount of fun our family shares!

Not only that, I want to ensure the fun we have is in line with our desire to be more healthy–which includes eating real food and getting regular exercise as much as possible.

Yes, I may have high expectations.

However, I did sit down and brainstorm a list of 19 ways we will be enjoying the summer season without breaking the bank or straying far from our health goals.

I’ve divided them into Indoor and Outdoor Activities so you can pick and choose accordingly for your family, too:

Note from Erin: Want to stay organized while you plan your family’s summer activities? Pick up a copy of the 100 Days of Summertime eBook!

Indoor Budget-Friendly, Health-Boosting Summer Activities

1. Have a “make your own ice cream sundae” party with homemade ice cream and toppings.

2. Build a fort in the living room and let the kids sleep there overnight. It’s a fun way to encourage sibling bonding and independent sleep habits–and also have some good, ol’ fashioned fun. Note from Erin: Our family avoids friend sleepovers, and I think this is a GREAT alternative!

3. Learn to make your own homemade yogurt and have frozen yogurt popsicles for dessert. If you already know how to make your own yogurt, experiment with fruity flavors.

4. Bring out the board games and have a game night. Serve raw fruits and veggie sticks with dips as snacks.

5. Have a Readathon. Collect all the books you’ve bought but never read or finished. Hand them out to everyone, age appropriately, of course. Commit to reading and finishing one book (or more!) in a set amount of time. Set a timer and go! Make sure you have healthy snacks to munch on because if your kids are like mine, reading means munching

6. Plan on having one night every weekend designated as “Eat Fancy” night. Plan and prepare a homecooked meal that has a slightly “special” feel. That will look different for each family! For our family, our favorite special dish is spaghetti aglio e olio. Lay out the table with your best dinnerware, dress up, play some soft uplifting music, light candles and enjoy your “fancy” dinner at a fraction of the cost. (Plus, it is a great opportunity for kids to learn about fine dining etiquette too!)

7. Teach the kids to cook and bake. Bake homemade cookies with the kids and let them put up a neighborhood bake sale stall in your front yard. Or simply bake extras and take them to visit a neighbor you haven’t met yet. Social skills are just as important for our health as physical exercise.

8. Enjoy an “Eat-all-you-can” salad buffet…at home. Summer is rich with some of the best fruits and vegetables. Set up a salad bar on your dining table, complete with homemade dressings and breads. Let the kids pile their bowls high with health-boosting veggies and eat all they can. Here are 3 delicious salad meals you can try!

9. Have a Laugh Riot. Laughter is really good for health. It boosts endorphins, (the feel-good hormones) and it also increases bonding and connection. We plan on watching a funny movie from our home DVD collection and also reading rib-tickling books. How can you have a “Laugh Riot” day at your home?

10. Make new friends. Despite the fact that I am an introvert, I realize that socializing helps me and my little family enjoy the community around us!

11. Write letters to friends and family or a pen pal, the old-fashioned way.

12. Create a summer scrapbook.

13. Teach the kids to do jumping jacks or practice on-the-spot running. Set a timer or count the number of repetitions. Do it every day and keep a log. You’ll all be quite surprised at the increase in stamina by the end of summer!

Outdoor Summer Activities to Savor the Season and Save Some Money

14. Grab the kids and their bikes and go cycling around the block. If you don’t have a bike, you can always jog with them.

15. Have a family picnic. Pack a basket with a nice homemade lunch, some card games, a Frisbee or skipping rope, a blanket and books and you have a fun day all lined up.

16. Introduce the kids to gardening or bird watching. Nothing like spending time outdoors to really bond, connect with nature and get a healthy dose of fresh air. You could start with something simple like growing your own herbs.

17. Depending on where you live, go out on a rock or seashell collecting spree. Bring your stash home, give the kids little glass jars and create delightful summer-themed mantelpiece decorations.

18. Sign up for a summer volunteer opportunity. You can do this as a family or individually, as long as it is manageable. It is a great way to encourage giving back, build character and instill responsibility.

19. Put the sprinklers on in the lawn and let the kids run through them. It’s a great way to water the grass and let the kids have a blast with water play.

What frugal summer fun are YOU planning on having this year?

Prerna Malik is the content chef at Content Bistro, where she shares business inspiration and ideas for time-starved entrepreneurs. When she isn’t baking with her daughter, she’s cheering fellow homemakers and mamas along their journey to be more intentional, productive and peace-filled. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.

Original article and pictures take thehumbledhomemaker.com site

18 of the Best Ever Clean Eating Recipes for Kids and Kids at Heart

18 of the Best Ever Clean Eating Recipes for Kids and Kids at Heart

I have 18 of the best ever clean eating recipes for kids and kids at heart. I have plenty to choose from for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks and YOUR kids will love eating them. If your family is on a Clean Eating diet, it can be difficult to find recipes that children can and will eat. I hope this list for is useful to you and your family.

I also have links to other recipes that I think kids like, at least mine do, that I think will be helpful to you. One way I get my children to eat foods they wouldn’t normally eat is to give them healthy options when they are hungry. For example, when they are starving and you’re making dinner and you may be tempted to say they shouldn’t eat anything before dinner. Tell them the only thing they can have before dinner are vegetables. When I do that, if my kids are hungry enough, they chow down on mini carrots and snap peas. No forcing required.

I have found that kids prefer foods that are simple, not spicy or hard to chew. My kids really like finger foods maybe because they are easier to eat and they don’t have to use a fork or spoon. I know kids that don’t like anything mixed together like a casserole. If I serve them the main ingredients of the casserole separately they will eat them just fine.

That’s why I tried to find recipes like that, that your kids will love too. Of course kids always want sweets but if the sweets are clean and don’t have too much unhealthy sugar in them, I say why not. That’s why clean sweets are better than others because the sugar in clean eating recipes are a little healthier than white sugar. Some of these clean recipes use fruit in place of sugar, now that’s a win win situation for us as parents and the kids. I love most of these too.

My kids favorites listed here are for pizza, cookies and ice cream. My daughter’s most favorite is the taco soup. They are all wonderful, taste great and are actually healthy. Go ahead give them all a try.

I hope you enjoy these and I hope you can find several that become your favorites.

If you like these Clean Eating Recipes for Kids or Kids at Heart, you may also like these recipes.

Clean Eating Lunch Ideas and Recipes for Kids Lunch Boxes

Clean Eating Recipes for Kids or Kids at Heart

9 Clean Eating Kid’s Dinner Recipes

Whole Wheat Macaroni – Butternut Squash – Whole Wheat Flour – Milk – Cheddar Cheese – Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

This is not your typical macaroni and cheese. It has added butternut squash which makes it so you don’t need as much cheese, plus it makes it way more healthy. My kids gobble it up and don’t even care or realize how healthy it is.

Whole Wheat Flour – Whole Wheat Pizza Dough or You could use this Clean Eating Pizza Crust Recipe – Clean Beef Hot Dogs

Kids love anything with hot dogs in them. Now you can make them pigs in a blanket and they can eat healthy. Yes, clean hot dogs really do exist. They should have them at your local health food store. We like the Applegate brand. That makes this recipe super super easy.

This taco soup is so so easy to make and it’s still clean. You just open a bunch of cans of beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce, add some spices and ground beef and you’re done. Let it simmer for a few minutes and BAM dinner is ready just like that.

This chili recipe is also really quick and easy to make. If you can open a can of beans, you’ve got it made. Ha ha, get it. Seriously all you do is open a bunch of different kinds of cans of beans and throw them and some spices and ground beef into a pan and let it cook a few minutes and you’re done.

Clean Eating Pizza Crust made with Spelt Flour – Ground Beef – Tomatoes – Cheese – Clean Classic Marinara Sauce

Taco pizza is seriously so good. I don’t understand why pizza places don’t include it on their menu. They are really missing out but you don’t have to. You can make your own and it will be clean too.

6. Meatloaf Muffins – Clean Eating Recipes

Tomatoes – Tomato Paste – Onion – Carrots – Mushrooms – Zucchini – Ground Turkey – Ground Pork – Tomato Sauce – Coconut Flour

Kids love their own individual meatloaf. That’s why kids love these meatloaf muffins so much. It’s a really good idea. It’s also a great way to get your kids to eat a good healthy meal. They are packed with meat and vegetables and oh, so tasty.

Kids love muffins and kids love pizza so when you combine the two they are going to really be excited to eat these. The fact is if I want to eat any of these when I make them I need to be really quick or they will disappear really fast around my house. I like them warm best so that makes it easy for me to grab some before they are gone.

Ground Beef or Turkey – Whole Milk – Whole Grain Macaroni – Cheddar Cheese – Hamburger Helper Mix

Included is a recipe for homemade hamburger helper mix to replace those chemical filled mixes you buy in the store. Did you know that cheddar cheese is colored with Annatto seed and not colored with food coloring so it is easily clean eating.

This is easy to make, contains no refined flour and sweetened naturally with honey. Great if you’re trying to cut out refined flour in your diet.

9 Clean Eating Kid’s Dessert Recipes

This is a relatively healthy treat that as a family we like to eat. It is particularly good for my son because he is trying to limit his dairy intake. He likes this copycat recipe almost as much as he like regular ice cream. This is a lot healthier for the whole family.

2. Baked Donuts – Grounded and Surrounded

Gluten-Free Flour Blend – Xanthan Gum – Stevia Powder – Applesauce – Almond Milk – Greek Yogurt – Coconut Sugar – Sprinkles

This recipe took six months to be perfected. But I have to say they are not exactly like bakery bought doughnuts. My kids are used to eating healthy most of the time so they gobble them up. But if your kids are used to healthy homemade desserts they may not like them as much as mine do.

3. Strawberry Watermelon Lime Popsicles – One Lovely Life

Watermelon – Strawberries – Lime

These healthy, bright fresh watermelon popsicles are a really great choice for a warm weather treat. They are made with one hundred percent fruit and help balance your electrolytes naturally.

Coconut Oil – Coconut Palm Sugar – Applesauce – Whole Wheat Flour – Use Old Fashioned Oats in place of Quick-Cooking Oats – Chia Seed – Mini Chocolate Chips

When I have time to make homemade cookies my kids love it when I make these. They are full of only wholesome ingredients. I put these cookies in my kids school lunches. I also like to serve them for a healthy treat or an after school snack.

You only need four ingredients and sugar is not one of them. You can even use over ripe bananas if you want to. This ice cream is even healthy because it is made with fruit and of course it’s dairy-free.

If you think the oats need to be smaller to make these cookies taste better. All you have to do is zap the old fashioned oats in the blender for a few seconds and you’ll have much smaller oats. Just don’t zap them too long or you’ll have oat flour. Old fashioned oats are way healthier because they haven’t been processed as many time as quick oats. That’s why they are bigger.

This ice cream is made with coconut milk which makes it really creamy plus it’s dairy-free. The bananas and strawberries make it sweet and flavorful and the rhubarb give it a little tangy kick. Five ingredients that are all good and natural makes it’s both easy to make and healthy.

Sweet Potato – Eggs – Spelt Flour – Chocolate Chips – Coconut Milk

These sweet potato brownies will at least give your kids one serving of vegetables for the day. Seriously the sweet potatoes help make these brownies moist and yumilicious. I just made that work up:) They a super decadent and oh so soft. Topped with ganache frosting made with only coconut milk and chocolate chips. So easy even the kids can make them.

Eggs – Sucanat Sugar – Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

I bet my kid’s would love it if I made these for them! Plus, these don’t have that many ingredients. Better yet, I should have my children make them for themselves. That would be a fun idea.

Conclusion:

I hope your kids really like these recipes. I know that mine do. They helped me choose which ones I should use for the post.

Original article and pictures take utydo2efewt2d3smc28v86ht-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com site

18 EASY HEALTHY SNACKS FOR CLEAN EATING

18 EASY HEALTHY SNACKS FOR CLEAN EATING

Print Yum CLEAN EATING RECIPE: BUTTERY SHRIMP AND GRITS Ingredients1 cup of organic quick cook grits (try BOB MILLS ORGANIC CORN GRITS) 4 cups of water 1 cup of organic whole milk 1/4 cup of heavy cream 1 tea spoon of sea salt 1 dash of freshly ground black pepper 4 table spoons of real butter, divided 1 cup of medium-sized shrimp, peeled, de-veined and boiled 1 tea spoon of Italian seasoningInstructionsHeat frying pan over stove top on high. Add

Original article and pictures take www.cleaneatingrecipesblog.com site

16 Simple Recipes You Can Make in 5 Minutes

16 Simple Recipes You Can Make in 5 Minutes

Good things come to those who wait. But good things can come to those in a hurry too, so let’s hear it for a few great recipes we can make in about 5 minutes!

Now, making these is all dependent on the fact that you have these ingredients on hand. But the ingredients are all pretty basic, so I’ll bet you do have these ingredients in your kitchen most of the time. (Cream cheese is a staple food, right?)

Let’s say you have last minute company stop by and you need a quick snack to share. Or maybe you have only a few minutes of work time before you have to head to the next thing. Here are some recipes you can quickly throw together for your favorite people to enjoy.

First a quick list of recipes you can make in 5 minutes:

• Homemade Nesquik

And now a list with all the tempting pictures that will make you want to lick your computer.

Homemade Nesquik

This is a great one because you can use it to make both chocolate milk or hot chocolate!

Caramel Apple Dip

5-Minute Stove-Top Granola

Coconut Fudge Bars

Pineapple Fluff Salad

Pineapple Mango Smoothies

Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits

Chocolate Cheesecake Parfaits

Easy Fruit Dip

French Onion Dip

What are some of your go-to recipes to make when you only have a few minutes to throw something together?

Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site

150+ Healthy Gluten-Free Breakfasts to Start Your Day Off Right

150+ Healthy Gluten-Free Breakfasts to Start Your Day Off Right

{Note from Jessica: Today’s post is shared by my sweet friend, Raia, author of Raia’s Recipes. Raia is a homeschooling, stay-at-home mom of five crazy kids. After the birth of her third child, she was diagnosed with celiac disease. This discovery turned her bread and pasta-filled life upside down and set her on a mission to find out what healthy meant for her family. Aspiring to encourage other moms, she started her blog filled with simple, easy, healthy dishes. Stop by Raia’s Recipes to get plenty of real food, gluten-free recipes and much more!}

Breakfast is by far my favorite meal.

There's no doubt about it in my mind, I could eat it for every meal of the day (and sometimes I do). But there's just something about waking up to a delicious and nutritious meal that makes getting out of bed a little more worth while.

If you're not too fond of breakfast, you should be. Regularly eating breakfast helps kick-start your metabolism, balancing your weight, and leads to a more alert, focused, and happier you! Breakfast can also help regulate your blood sugar and keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

If those aren't good enough reasons to make breakfast part of your morning routine, here are over 150 delicious gluten-free reasons you'll want to make sure it's a part of your day!

Healthy Gluten-Free Breakfasts

(Throughout the post the asterisk (*) denotes a grain-free recipe.)

You've probably heard that eggs aren't a good choice for breakfast because they're high in cholesterol. While it's true that eggs do contain quite a bit, it's important to keep in mind that just because your diet has cholesterol in it, doesn't mean your blood will.

In fact eggs actually help increase DHL levels (the good kind of cholesterol), lessening the chance that you'll be at risk of heart disease and stroke. Eggs are also high in protein, selenium, and vitamin B12, and they contain all the essential amino acids our bodies need.

• Avocado Lime Omelette *
• Baba Ganoush Omelette *
• Butter Chicken Omelette *
• Clam Chowder Omelette *
• Mashed Yam Omelette *
• Open-Faced Breakfast Sandwiches *

• Baked Eggs in Avocado *
• Broccoli, Cheese & Bacon Mini Donuts *
• Crustless Spinach Quiche * (pictured)

While the availability of conventional gluten-free cereals is on the rise, it's rare to find a box as packed with nutrition as these homemade granolas and cereals. And it's pretty impossible to find a tastier or healthier option than a smoothie when you're in a hurry!

It doesn't have to be summer for you to enjoy a delicious cold breakfast, either. My kiddos have been known to wrap themselves in a blanket and sit down at the table to enjoy a smoothie in the dead of winter, and I'm sure you all know that one person who could live off cold cereal regardless of the time of year. (That'd be my husband in our family.)

Coconut Applesauce Granola

• Cranberry Coconut Granola (pictured)

Apple Banana Smoothie

Apple Pie Breakfast Parfait

If you're not up for a smoothie or a bowl of cereal on a chilly morning, these tasty and nutritious hot breakfasts are just the thing for you. From a comforting bowl of porridge to a hearty home-cooked hash, these breakfasts are sure to make you glad you crawled out from under those covers.

Breakfast Quinoa with Blackberries

• 

  Blender To Oven Maple Cherry Baked Oatmeal

• Sausage, Kale & Cheese Breakfast Casserole *

I don't know about you, but nothing says comfort food to me quite like a plate piled high with warm pancakes, dripping with butter and molasses (or syrup, if that's your thing), or a delicious slice of fresh-from-the-oven banana bread!

Though grain-filled breads are on the slighty-less-healthy side of breakfast, all of these delicious options are filled with nutritious ingredients and contain no refined sugars. And there are plenty of grain-free options here, as well! So all you paleo/GAPS friends can still enjoy.

• 2-Ingredient Paleo Pancakes *
• Berry-licious Crepes *
• Easiest Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes (pictured)
• Ultra-Fluffy Vanilla Pumpkin Chickpea Pancakes *

Apple Bread

• Buckwheat Breakfast Brownie *
• High-Protein Superfood Breakfast Brownies *

Apple Walnut Scones

• Banana Nut Butter Donuts * (pictured)
• Peach Cobbler Donuts (& Muffins!) *

If you're in need of a healthier something special for breakfast, or even a dessert, give one of these beauties a try. Just know that all of these recipes contain sweeteners other than honey, maple syrup, or stevia.

Hey AIP Friends! Are You Struggling with Breakfasts?

I can help! I have done the AIP twice, once for 6 months and the next time for about 18 months and now a large number of my readers are also following the autoimmune protocol for their own healing. I have created a number of AIP compliant recipes for this site, and many can easily be modified to fit your AIP lifestyle.

During my time on the AIP I learned a lot, but breakfasts were, by far, the hardest meals for me to plan out. I was an eggs-for-breakfast kind of gal and turns out, I react to eggs so those for sure had to go. What's a gal to do when she's had her favorite go-to breakfast taken away?

Get creative!

Which is what I did, along with the help of 25 other amazing AIP bloggers who all used the AIP to help further along their healing. Together, we created the 85 Amazing AIP Breakfasts eBook (one of the very first digital resources of its kind). The book was coordinated and designed by my friend, Eileen of Phoenix Helix website, and it quickly became a favorite resource in the AIP community!

ONE OF THE FIRST DIGITAL RESOURCES OF ITS KIND, THIS COOKBOOK IS:

• A paleo autoimmune protocol cookbook that is aligned with The Paleo Approach
• A resource for reversing autoimmune disease
• The work of 26 AIP bloggers who have used the AIP to improve their own health.
• 85 curated breakfast recipes from the best of the AIP blogs, including 33 completely new recipes never published before!
• Over half of the recipes can easily be modified for low-FODMAP, GAPS/SCD, low-histamine, and coconut-free diets using the handy substitution charts included in the book.

RECIPES INCLUDE:

• Delicious beverages like Rooibos “Latte”, Vanilla “Cappuccino”, Smoothies, Liver & Kidney Detox drink, and more!
• Breakfast bowls like Creamy Grain-Free “Porridge”, Roasted Cinnamon Pear “Oatmeal”, Biscuits & Gravy, Cranachan, and more!
• Breakfast skillets like Sweet Potato Beef Curry, Rabbit Sweet Potato Hash, Bacon & Veggie Fry-Up, Liver & Mushroom Stir-fry, Zucchini Apple Hash, and more!
• Soups (yes! You can eat soup for breakfast) like Greek Gyro Soup, Carrot Ginger Halibut Soup, Fragrant Herb & Coconut Chicken Soup, Offal (but now awful!) Stew, and more!
• Patties like Apple Pie Pork Patties, Ginger Green Onion Patties, Perfect Breakfast Sausage, Tuna Cakes with Green Olives, Cranberry Maple Chicken Patties, and more!
• Pancakes (yum!) like Sweet Potato Banana Pancakes, Spinach Plantain Pancakes, Fig & Citrus Hand Pies, Plantain Waffles, Cinnamon Crumb Cakes, and more!

Regardless of whether you are just starting out on the AIP or you’re already into the program, this cookbook is the perfect addition to your kitchen. Say goodbye to boring breakfasts and hello to deliciousness every morning! Learn more here and download your copy today (it would make a great gift for a loved one too!) by clicking on this link here, or on the image below.

Like what you see? Pin it for later!

Special thanks to all the wonderful food bloggers who contributed to the deliciousness of this round-up:

Original article and pictures take www.deliciousobsessions.com site

15 Tips to Ignite a Veggie Revolution In Your House

15 Tips to Ignite a Veggie Revolution In Your House

It doesn’t seem to matter where I travel these days, I have a knack for finding vegetables.

Whether it’s using tools like Yelp or inquiring about the farmer’s market, I’m usually able to sample local foods AND fulfill my desire for LOTS of food. That’s right part of my veggie love comes from enjoying feeling full, which a big plate of veggies will do.

Since one of the most frequent questions in the Clean and Lean Project is about how to learn to like vegetables {participant or family}, I thought I’d share some of the tips that have worked for me.

That’s right this VegHead {is this a real term? I don’t know, but I like it} used to shun most veggies unless they were covered in cheese!!

Now if I’m traveling and don’t have some veggies at each meal, I start craving them. David knows the signs…it’s time to eat and I start scouring every menu because it must be one that includes a veggie packed meal. Not to say that isn’t balanced with a delicious amount of chocolate later.

Re-Market the VeggieVegetables have a bad wrap. It’s totally undeserved, but many kids refuse to eat veggies because they’ve been toughed as “healthy”. Those kids turn in to adults who think healthy foods must taste awful and granted the over steamed broccoli of our youth didn’t do much for making veggies seem exciting.

Here are some ways to generate interest:

• Go to the farmer’s market – the colors make everything seem so appealing!
• Ask kids to pick out one fruit or veggie each time you visit the store.
• Involve the family in making dishes {kids like eating what they’ve invested time in}.
• Play with your food! Change the perspective from “you must eat these to have dessert” {which implies veggies suck and sugar is good} to veggies are fun. How many peas can they get on their fork? Make faces or shapes with the veggies.
• Remember it takes up to 5 times for your taste buds to adjust {hence why you might not have liked something as a kid, but enjoy it now}
• VOLUME – Shoot this may only work on people like me, but I like to eat in VOLUME so knowing that eating more veggies means a bigger meal makes me feel full and happy.

Taste Bud TipsNow that we have some interest going, the food better taste great or the next go round will be a fight. You’ll get your family to eat more vegetables in no time!

• Find a hummus you love then experiment with chopped peppers, broccoli, cauliflower or baby carrots for a snack in the afternoon.
• Start with a sweeter vegetable like carrots or sweet potatoes, as those flavors will be more enticing initially than the smell of brussel sprouts.
• Glaze your veggies before roasting with: honey, minced garlic, ginger and balsamic vinegar
• Puree’s are a great way to start introducing new flavors. i.e. butternut squash puree in your meatloaf or spinach puree in your tomato sauce. Most people won’t notice the addition, but will then be more open to trying vegetables after realizing they ate some and enjoyed it. Checkout Deceptively Delicious for tons of recipes with puree’s.
• Add some veggies to an existing meal! i.e. broccoli in your macaroni and cheese, shredded zucchini in your muffins, shredded carrots in your oatmeal. Most of the time these little additions won’t change the flavor, but they get everyone to used to seeing more veggies.
• Stir fry veggies with just a little EVOO, garlic and onions. Especially for kids who love to dine out, serve with chopsticks or fortune cookies to turn it in to a at home Chinese meal {the experience is part of why we love food}
• Smoothies. Come on this wouldn’t be a blog post of mine if I didn’t recommend you try the green smoothie. I’ve got a whole guide on how to start increasing the veggies in them and what flavors are best.
• Grill it! Summer time is a great opportunity to toss some veggies on the grill with your burgers or brats. First it associates them with something you love, but it also adds a flavor you just can’t get with baking.

MORE IDEAS

21 Sneaky Vegetable Recipes (from breakfast to dessert)

10 FAST ways to sneak vegetables in more meals

Healthy, yet manly, Recipes for Father’s Day

12 Healthy Foods You’re Overeating (hint they aren’t veggies!)

Join me in Thinking Out Loud today and share your tips!!!

Have you always loved veggies?

Any tips you would add to the list?

Other ways to connect with Amanda

Instagram: RunToTheFinish

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Original article and pictures take www.runtothefinish.com site

15 Real Food Ideas for Baby’s First Solids

15 Real Food Ideas for Baby’s First Solids

Even the most mainstream nutritional advice today says to minimize or avoid refined white carbs, like white flour, white pasta, and white rice.

So then WHY on earth do they recommend a refined, powdery, white rice cereal for baby’s first food? It’s positively baffling. Rice cereal has practically no nutrition, and 6-month-old babies don’t even have the required enzyme (amylase) for grain digestion. It’s just not a good choice, friends.

There are many better choices for nourishing (not to mention delicious!) first foods for baby to enjoy. We went the rice cereal route with our firstborn, but once we learned more about real food (including real food for babies!) we did things drastically different with our second and third kids.

We ditched the rice cereal and started offering real foods via baby-led weaning when they started showing an interest and could sit up on their own.

When we couldn’t do homemade food (like when out of the house) we would often use pouches of fruit and veggie purees like these ones from Plum Organics® – certified organic, non-GMO, minimally processed whole ingredients. I would hold off on the blends that have grains until after a year old, but the veggie-fruit combos are great for starting out.

Here’s a list of fifteen of the first foods that we offered in the transition to solid foods. Keep in mind that this was a gradual and slow transition that took months (my babies didn’t really eat a lot of solids until after their first year).

15 Real-Food Ideas for Baby’s First Solids

1. Avocado (high in healthy fats – perfect for baby’s developing brain!)

2. Steamed carrots with butter and sea salt

3. Soft-cooked egg yolk with a pinch of sea salt (I usually scrambled it)

4. Applesauce

5. Plain yogurt

6. Banana

7. Homemade muffins (grain-free for the first year)

8. Organic, non-GMO puree pouches (great for on the go)

9. Large chunks of soft meat

10. Homemade broth (this can be mixed in with other foods for a nutrition boost!)

11. Sweet potatoes, steamed and cut in chunks, or mashed with butter and salt/pepper.

12. Herbs and spices. Okay, technically not a food in and of themselves, but they deserve a spot on the list! Babies don’t need to eat boring and bland food – jazz it up with herbs and spices!

13. Berries (awesome finger foods)

14. Winter squash, steamed with butter and sea salt (mashed or in chunks as finger food)

15. A wee bit of homemade sauerkraut juice – an amazing and natural source of probiotics. Just a dribble of the juice to start out.

Introducing solids to a real food baby doesn’t have to be a bland, boring, or highly-processed experience! Give your babies whole, real foods to help them develop great lifelong eating habits.

What was/is your baby’s favourite first food?

Disclosure: this was post was sponsored by Plum Organics, but the content and opinions are all mine! I only partner with companies that fit the mission of Red+Honey.

Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site

15 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Kids

15 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Kids

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found it hard to keep breakfast both healthy and interesting. This year I’ve been trying out lots of new ideas to shake things up a bit in our household at breakfast time so today I’m sharing 15 of my healthy breakfast ideas for kids. These ideas are all very easy and mostly very quick to make, but I’ve tried to make this post more useful by splitting the ideas into three groups – breakfast ideas to prepare in advance, quick breakfast ideas to make in a hurry, and easy breakfast ideas for when you have a little more time. All of these ideas are suitable for the whole family, as well as kids of course.

Breakfast Ideas to Prepare in Advance

Frozen Yoghurt Bites – I’ve shared two versions of these delicious and healthy frozen yoghurt bites on the blog so far and they’ve both been a big hit! Made from just fruit and yoghurt, these are great eaten ‘as they come’, or you could throw them onto a bowl of granola or cereal for a delicious crunchy breakfast. The recipes can be found here: frozen fruity yoghurt bites recipe and frozen banana yoghurt bites recipe.

Healthy Homemade Granola – This is so easy to make, much lower in sugar than most shop bought granolas and great because you can customise it with any dried fruits, nuts or seeds to suit your taste. It’s also a fun project to make with children – you’ll find a free printable child friendly recipe over on the blog post: healthy homemade granola recipe. Make a big batch to last you all week and beyond!

Fruit Salad – another easy and healthy breakfast idea that can be customised to suit your tastes – make up a big batch and keep it in the fridge to use for several days worth of breakfasts! Serve on its own, with a dollop of natural yoghurt or sprinkled with crunchy seeds. Try my easy rainbow fruit salad recipe, healthy rainbow fruit sundae recipe or the fun red and green Christmas fruit salad that I made last year.

Frozen Banana Bites – another fun recipe to throw into the freezer the night before – these frozen banana bites make a great breakfast food, especially in the summer, and kids will love making them for themselves! See the blog post for another free printable recipe sheet: frozen banana bites recipe.

Help Yourself Snack Pots – These are a great idea for busy mornings, make them up in advance then just grab and go as needed! You can find full details and lots of food ideas to pack in the blog post here: easy and healthy breakfast snack pots.

Quick Breakfast Ideas to Make in a Hurry

Cereal with Fruit – There’s nothing worse when you’re running late than having to think about putting together a healthy breakfast, but luckily there are lots of ideas that can be made in no time at all whilst still avoiding overly sugary cereals. By far the easiest breakfast is a bowl of cereal of course, but if you want to keep it healthy, hunt out cereals with a low sugar content such as shredded wheat (which has no refined sugar added at all) and jazz it up with a handful of fresh or dried fruit.

Toast and Honey with Sesame Seeds – Whip up this delicious toast in a matter of minutes, simply toast the bread, spread with a little honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are really good for you, with several great health benefits including being a source of protein as well as many essential minerals, including calcium (great for anyone on a dairy free diet).

Porridge – You may think that porridge is a bit time consuming for busy mornings, but trust me, it takes literally two minutes to make in the microwave and is well worth the minimal effort! Top with jam and sesame seeds, a drizzle of honey, a few dark chocolate chips or some fresh or dried fruit to make it more interesting (we particularly love chopped banana on ours). Visit the following blog post for my easiest ever porridge recipe!

Banana and Peanut Butter Tortilla Roll-ups – This is my go-to breakfast when I’m rushing out of the door having forgotten to eat breakfast in the morning chaos! It takes seconds to make, can be eaten on the go and is really quite delicious! To make, simply open out a wholemeal tortilla wrap, spread liberally with peanut butter (I use a sugar free brand), peel a banana and lay it down the middle then roll up the wrap around the banana, folding in the ends to keep it in place. Peanut butter and banana also makes a delicious sandwich filling or topping for toast if you don’t have any wraps.

Cream Cheese and Jam Sandwich – Although this sounds an odd combination, we tried these sandwiches recently on the recommendation of a friend and they were absolutely delicious! A great way to get an extra portion of calcium in, use wholemeal bread for a healthier breakfast. These sandwiches can be eaten at home or on the go.

Easy Breakfasts that Take an Extra 5 Minutes

Homemade Smoothies or milkshakes – We are a massive fan of smoothies in our house, not least because they are so easy to throw together! I have shared several different smoothie and milkshake recipes here on the blog, all of which are super easy to make! You can find some of them here: healthy berry milkshake recipe, storecupboard peach and coconut smoothie recipe, four quick and easy smoothies and milkshakes.

Cheese on Toast – We love cheese on toast in our house! My favourite way to eat it is with sliced tomatoes under the cheese and a sprinkle of herbs on top, but you could also try finely chopped red pepper or spring onions too – an easy way to help sneak one of your five a day in to breakfast!

Breakfast Sundaes – These take just a minute or two to put together and feel like a real treat – you could even serve them up for a healthy dessert! Get the kids involved in making their own too – see full details here: DIY breakfast sundae recipe.

Pancake Muffins – These couldn’t be easier to make – no hot frying pan needed, just mix them up and throw them in the oven! You can find the full recipe here: healthy pancake muffins recipe. Serve them warm, fresh from the oven, or pack them up for a tasty breakfast on the go.

Eggy Bread Fingers – Get the kids cooking a tasty weekend brunch with these delicious eggy bread fingers. You can serve them up with some crispy bacon and tomato sauce, or try a lovely healthy fruit salad and a dollop of natural yoghurt on the side. You can find the full recipe and a free printable child friendly recipe sheet here: eggy bread fingers recipe.

I hope I’ve managed to provide a bit of healthy breakfast inspiration in this post! For lots more kid friendly breakfast ideas, check out the breakfast ideas and recipes section here on the Eats Amazing blog, and why not follow my Healthy Breakfast Ideas Pinterest board too?

I hope you found this collection of breakfast ideas useful! For more delicious breakfast ideas, check out the Healthy Breakfast Recipes section here on the Eats Amazing blog or follow my Healthy Breakfast Ideas Pinterest board for fresh and seasonal inspiration all the year around.

What’s your favourite healthy breakfast?

Grace

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