Although you may usually associate the holiday season with rich, decadent dishes filled with sugar, fat and carbs, if you have young children who have a tendency to over-indulge, you may be looking to make healthier recipes this season. Even if you already give your children a well-rounded diet supplemented by nutritional essentials such as a Wellements probiotic, it’s important to make sure your kids avoid going overboard on rich seasonal treats while still getting to enjoy holiday dishes. Fortunately, it’s possible to prepare kid-friendly, healthy recipes that evoke the spirit of the season and satisfy taste buds at the same time. If you’re hoping to get your kids to indulge in a healthier way this holiday season, here are some top ingredients and recipes you may want to try out.
Best Healthy Holiday Ingredients
Before you can start baking healthy versions of holiday delights, it’s important to know which common holiday foods could potentially ruin your and your kids’ diets. During the holidays, it’s common to overindulge in:
- Sugary baked goods
- Thick, fatty gravies
- Loaded meats and potatoes
- Junk foods
- Candy and other sweets
Now that you know which ingredients and types of foods it might be best to avoid, you can research the healthy ingredients that can form the basis for many delicious seasonal dishes. Even if you already supplement your kids’ diets with Wellements organic gripe water, you can ensure that they get additional nutrition by packing some of these seasonal goodies into your cooking throughout the holidays. Consider experimenting with:
- Brussels sprouts
- Squash and yams
- Cranberries
- Apples
- Broccoli and cauliflower
- Fresh peppermint
Simple Recipes Your Children Can Help Make
If you’re concerned about potentially unhealthy ingredients in pre-prepared holiday foods or about preservatives in baby food, you can whip up some healthy holiday recipes from scratch at home. Some recipe ideas are so simple, your children could help you make them! This season, consider making:
- An oven-baked casserole with whole-grain pasta and seasonal cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts or cauliflower
- Baked sweet potatoes, stuffed squash or candied yams served with a side of cranberry sauce
- Classic apple pies complete with seasonal spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
- Low-sugar seasonal hot chocolate made with organic cocoa and fresh peppermint leaves
- Low-sugar holiday cookies such as gingerbread, snickerdoodles or macadamia nut cookies
- Seasonal fruit dipped in organic dark chocolate and paired with walnuts or chopped almonds
When the holiday season comes around and you’re tempted to stock up on rich ingredients for tasty seasonal dishes, take a moment to consider how you could tweak those dishes to make them a little healthier while still keeping them appealing for your kids. Although it may seem like a delicate balancing act, whipping up kid-friendly and healthy holiday treats is possible if you know which ingredients to use and which types of recipes to follow. If you want to make the most of the holiday baking season to delight your kids while still keeping your treats as nutritious and healthy as possible, consider making some of the simple recipes outlined above – and getting your kids to help out, too!
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