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Colorful & Tasty Lunch, Dinner
and Snack Choices or:
Vibrant and Nourishing Meal Time Tips
A colorful diet adds more than just nutrient packed compounds; it provides an abundance of flavor and visual appeal. Try these tips to make your meals taste and look better.
- Add a serving of baby carrots, sliced red peppers, grape tomatoes or sliced cucumber to your brown bag lunch-serve a dip on the side if you desire.
- Try roasting all types of root vegetables-such as sweet potatoes, carrots and beets (provide examples, many people don't know what this means) with olive oil and fresh herbs-serve as a side dish to your meal.
- Enjoy a colorful salad or vegetable based soup as your entrée.
- Indulge in a ½ plate of colorful vegetables with your lunch and dinner meal.
- Make baked French fries with sweet potatoes and/or red skinned potatoes-cut potatoes into slices, drizzle with olive oil, and a dash of sea salt and pepper-Bake at 375 until golden brown -dip in low fat sour cream for added calcium and flavor.
- Purchase a pre-made veggie platter for the family "appetizer"-this will keep the family busy while dinner is being prepared.
- Purchase frozen mixed vegetables that can be cooked quickly by steaming or microwaving-done in minutes! Season with olive oil and minced garlic or a splash of teriyaki sauce.
- Cook with soy sauce and herbs and they'll taste just as good as fresh (something along those lines).
- Try adding finely grated carrots to your favorite spaghetti sauce. This adds a heaping dose of Vitamin A and a sweet taste that most children are certain to love.
Fruit and Veggie Packed Snacks
- Always suggest a fruit or vegetable option first when helping your child decide on a snack option.
- By simply adding toothpicks (if age appropriate) to a plate of cut up fruit or canned fruit in it's own juice, kids will find eating more pleasurable and more likely to partake in the produce.
- Fun packaging appeals to kids, try to purchase fun re-useable containers to put the veggies and dip into for snack time.
- Trail mix or 100% fruit roll ups are a great way to add dried fruit to your child's diet-remember to encourage teeth brushing after they eat this sticky fruit.
- Small containers of fruit packed in it's own juice make a quick and nutritious snack.
Learn other great tips by visiting our Nutrition Experts Section.
Kate Scarlata, RD, LDN is a Registered Dietitian with a Bachelor in Science from Simmons College in Boston Massachusetts. Her formal training was completed at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate. Kate currently has a private practice in Boston, Massachusetts.
