Providing kids with healthy and delicious food can be challenging as a parent or caretaker. Between satisfying picky eaters, finding time to cook, and sticking to a budget, keeping up with healthy eating at home is a balancing act. However, with the help of a few easy tips, you can make a healthy meal plan for kids that they’ll love.
We know that sometimes, the motivation to menu plan can be hard to muster. That’s why , we’ll discuss why kids need to eat nutritious meals and offer meal planning suggestions to help you out in the kitchen. With this information on the back burner (sorry for the pun), you’ll feel inspired to create a nutritious children’s meal plan.
It’s important that everyone in the household is on the same page. So, share these tips with your Au Pair, so they can encourage children to stick to the plan, even when you’re away.
What is a Healthy Food Plan?
Well-rounded meal plans for kids have several benefits, from physical to mental, and short-term to long-term advantages. Here are five reasons your kids’ diet plan should be balanced and nutritious:
1. Fueling Their Growth
Did you know that healthy children can grow as much as 2.5 inches per year between the ages of six and 12? They need a lot of calories to fuel that growth! But not empty calories, like those found in fruit juice or refined grains like white bread. They need a well-balanced diet, filled with macronutrients and micronutrients like vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and carbs. Colorful vegetables and whole grains are terrific sources of these important nutrients.
2. Keeping a Healthy Weight
Childhood obesity is linked to several conditions that impact the quality (and duration) of life. Due to the high amounts of added sugar and processed meats in popular kids’ foods, childhood obesity remains a serious risk. By feeding your kiddos healthy kid-friendly meals now, you’ll teach them good eating habits they can follow for life, helping them avoid health problems like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
3. Staying Energized
From playing sports to climbing the monkey bars, and not to mention paying attention in class, kids have a lot on their plates each day. Filling their actual plates with fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains will provide your child with abundant, sustained energy for a day filled with learning and play.
4. Boosting their Brainpower
Diet plays a significant role in cognitive development. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, iron, and other nutrients promote focus, memory, and problem-solving while reducing inflammation in the brain. Alternatively, low-quality diets are linked to behavioral and cognitive issues in children. and retention, kids nutrition education sets them up for better outcomes in traditional education.
5. Building a Stronger Immune System
If you have kids, you know how destabilizing it is when they get sick. Unless you’re lucky enough to have live-in care like an Au Pair, you’re scrambling to find a babysitter, or simply need to miss work and other obligations. While sick days aren’t entirely preventable, a nutrient-rich diet can reduce their chances by boosting your child’s immune system.
If you need more help understanding what’s needed for a healthy diet, the USDA has created a handbook that covers guidelines for infants up to a balanced diet chart for a 10-year-old child.
Understanding Kids’ Nutritional Needs
Before we cover what a diet plan for kids entails, let’s first discuss the basics of a balanced diet.
Typically, the recommended daily calorie intake for children is equivalent to three full meals plus two snacks. While this is only a general guideline, every kid is different, and the specifics of their needs may change with age and activity level.
In fact, an active preschooler may only need around 1,200 calories per day, whereas a growing teenager may need over a staggering 3,000 calories per day to get through a day of school and sports.
Thankfully, the USDA has a healthy food chart for kids. A diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, protein, and low-fat dairy is recommended for children ages 2 to 18. Make sure to put this list where all members of your household, including your Au Pair, can see it.
Additionally, reducing the number of sugary and high-fat meals they have will help your diet plan be even more beneficial to your children’s health.
How to Create a Healthy Meal Plan for Kids
Implementing new habits always comes with a learning curve. But we promise that with the right approach, you’ll find it easy to make healthy meal plans for children. Lunch, breakfast, and dinner will be tastier and better for everyone in no time.
Tip 1: Make it a Family Affair
Involve your kids in meal planning by asking them to help choose recipes, buy ingredients, and prepare meals. This not only allows them to learn about healthy food choices, but it also makes mealtime more enjoyable for everyone.
A homemade pizza is a great meal that families with small children can prep together. It’s fun and delicious. It also allows kids to get creative with toppings and learn about healthy ingredients while they help with the preparation. Consider a whole wheat crust for added nutritional value.
To make a homemade pizza:
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Spread tomato sauce on the pizza crust, leaving a small border around the edge of the crust.
- Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese and diced vegetables. Toss on some chicken, turkey, or even tofu.
- Finally, drizzle olive oil over the toppings and sprinkle Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to add the extra touch.
Place your pizza in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is nice and gooey. Let the pizza cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. Not only is it scrumptious, but it’s a great way to make mealtime fun and interactive for the whole family.
Tip 2: Focus on Whole Foods
Whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, are packed with essential nutrients and provide long-lasting energy.
A whole food snack like homemade granola bars is a yummy way to fuel your body and boost energy during the day. They’re super easy to make and packed with nutritious ingredients like oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.
To make them, you need to mix 2 cups of old-fashioned oats, 1 cup of mixed nuts and seeds, 1/2 cup of honey or maple syrup, 1/4 cup of coconut oil, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything is well combined and starts to stick together. Then fold in 1/2 cup of dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, or cherries.
Press the mixture into an 8×8-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake it for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
Let it cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into bars, and store it in an airtight container for up to a week.
These homemade granola bars are perfect for snack time, balancing carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein to keep your little ones going.
Tip 3: Get Creative
Make mealtime fun by experimenting with different flavors and food combinations. Try new fruits and vegetables, and use herbs and spices to add flavor without adding salt or sugar. You can explore new flavors by asking your Au Pair to share some of their favorite dishes from their home country, too! Enjoy a culinary trip around the globe, without leaving your kitchen.
If you’re on the hunt for a quick yet creative snack to add to your healthy meal plan for kids, then consider fruit skewers! They’re easy to make, fun to eat, and nutritious. You can use any fruit you like, such as strawberries, blueberries, grapes, pineapple, and even kiwi pieces. You can also add some chunks of cheese (cheddar cheese goes great with apples) to win over even the pickiest of kids.
Just thread the fruit and cheese on a skewer to make them, and you’re good to go! You can make it more fun by letting the kids choose how to make their skewers.
Tip 4: Plan Ahead
Meal planning can save you time and stress during the week. And by planning your week, you can ensure that you always have healthy ingredients.
Sit down and create a menu with your family. Come up with recipes that are easy to make in bulk, like turkey chili or lasagna. Multi-purpose ingredients help make meal planning easier, too. For example, ground turkey is tasty in tacos, spaghetti Bolognese, and chili.
Decide on one or two nights a week when you’ll make enough food for a few days. You can always ask your Au Pair to step in and help with prep to reduce the workload. Or, they can monitor kids while they help chop veggies.
Tip 5: Be Flexible
It’s essential to be flexible and go with the flow when it comes to a healthy meal plan for kids. Some days, your child may not be in the mood for a particular dish, and that’s okay. Have a few easy and healthy alternatives to ensure they’re still getting the nutrients they need.
Also, you want to remember your leftovers.
Leftovers can be a great way to make meal planning easy and save time. You can prepare a meal for the next day by cooking an extra portion.
One of the benefits of having leftovers as part of a healthy meal plan for kids is that it can help reduce food waste. Instead of throwing away extra food, you can store it for later. Also, leftovers can help save money by reducing the need to buy new ingredients daily.
5 Healthy, Kid-Friendly Meals
Ready for a little menu inspiration? Here are five kid-friendly dish ideas for every meal. They contain simple, healthy ingredients and are easy to make!
- Breakfast: Scrambled egg tacos. Just toss scrambled eggs on lightly toasted corn tortillas with some avocado and salsa for a protein-packed, South-of-Border-inspired breakfast!
- Lunch: Brown rice bowls. Add the protein of your choice, like grilled chicken or tofu, and put out tasty toppings, like different vegetables and shredded cheese. Kids can build their own healthful bowls!
- Dinner: Loaded sweet potato. Bake sweet potatoes in the oven, slice them open, and add turkey chili with all the fixin’s.
- Snacks. Kids get hungry between meals, so have healthy snacks ready! Ants on a log (peanut butter on celery sticks with raisins) boast protein and fiber. Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and granola provides protein, calcium, and minerals.
- Dessert. Banana split bites. Cut up chunks of pineapple, banana, and strawberries, and dip them in dark melted chocolate. Add these to skewers and stick them in the freezer until the chocolate has hardened.
The more you make creations like these, the easier it’ll become to concoct your own healthy kids’ meals!
Create the Perfect Meal Plan for Kids with Your Au Pair
If you follow these guidelines, you’ll be able to feed your children healthy meals that they’ll actually eat.
Providing your children with nutritious, tasty meals is one of the best ways you can help them succeed in life. We at Go Au Pair understand your hectic schedule and hope we can help you make healthy meal plans for your kids. With oOne of our trained Au Pairs, they can assist you with tasks like menu creation, grocery shopping, and meal preparation for children. They can also help provide extra support for tricky phases, like transitioning a toddler to big-kid food or maintaining a regular meal schedule during the summer months.
Contact us today to learn how an Au Pair can help your family grow healthy and strong!
