Happy New Year from the Mom Possible Team! Wait, its not New Year's season anymore...but did you and your family set any New Year's resolutions? Often a focus for many of us in the New Year is to take steps to improve our health and the health of our family. How are those resolutions coming along for you? Well, hopefully they're going well, but if not, and if you set better overall health and healthier eating as a goal for 2017, we have some ideas to help you out! After all, you still have 11 months left to reach your goals!
Do you struggle to get your kids enough fruits and vegetables everyday? It is an all too common situation in households everywhere, but thankfully not one without solutions. Aside from offering kid friendly favorites along with meals, such as carrots and cucumbers with low fat dip or hummus, celery and peanut butter, cut up grapes, or strawberries, there is another option - adding pureed fruit and vegetables to recipes your family already enjoys!
Having grown up with parents in who both worked in medical professions, I was raised eating many healthy yet tasty foods that had added, sometimes stealthily, nutritious fruits and veggies. As a kid, I didn't always appreciate our mom's efforts, but as a Mom myself now, I definitely do. Thanks to my upbringing, we've been using this trick for years, mainly by simply adding applesauce to cookies, cupcakes, and muffins, and happily, everyone still gobbles them up. We also have a favorite stew that pairs well with some added pumpkin, which not only gives it a richer flavor, but also boosts the overall nutrition. The best part is that a cup of cooked, mashed pumpkin contains lots of vitamin A, which is good for eye health, as well as provides lots of filling fiber. This super food also has plenty of beta-carotene, vitamin C, carotenoids, which neutralize free radicals, and potassium, which is often considered nature's refueler, perfect for after one of your New Year's workout. These are the nutritional benefits of just one added vegetable, so imagine the possibilities if you found more ideas of how to include a variety of colorful fruits and veggies in recipes that your family already enjoys? Wouldn't that be fantastic? It is hard not to get excited about having a healthier family, in my opinion, especially if that also means you are cooking and eating foods they enjoy!
Ready to try some healthy comfort foods with your family? In case you're looking for more ideas for recipes like these to add a healthy boost to family favorites like hamburgers, mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, and even brownies, we have a few cookbooks to recommend. Jessica Seinfeld is the author of two of our favorites. You can find them here - Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food and The Can't Cook Book: Recipes for the Absolutely Terrified! The first cookbook is geared more towards families, and the second one for anyone wanted to dive into healthier cooking using Jessica's ideas. We'd love to hear what you try & how your families like them! We have tried and used her recipes at our house with our kids, and they have been given (mostly - c'mon, not everyone likes everything) rave reviews. Take a look at these cookbooks and give a few of the recipes a try! When you do, let us know what your family's new favorites are in the comments below. Here's to a healthier and happier rest of 2017!