Kids can be tough customers to please, and when you’re trying to get them to eat healthy, any tricks that boost the healthy foods in their diets are welcome! That’s where chia seeds can lend a helping hand.
Because cha is high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, protein, and many vitamins and minerals, if you can get your children to include chia in their daily diets, you’re on the right road to healthy eating. The beauty of chia seeds is their subtle taste, so you can easily add them to kids’ meals and they won’t know the difference.
Blend chia into smoothies.
Kids love smoothies! They taste great and are fun to make. If your child turns up her nose at vegetables, you can put them in a smoothie mixed with some sweet fruits, and she’ll likely lap up your concoction. To make the smoothie even better, just add milled chia seeds to the blender — most children won’t even know they’re eating well.
Sprinkle chia into cereal.
Many kids start their days with their favorite breakfast cereals. Usually, getting them to eat cereals isn’t a struggle, so take this opportunity to spike your kids’ cereal with a spoonful of chia seeds.
You can usually get away with using the tiny whole seeds, because they blend in well with most cereals, but if your little ones start to object, use milled chia instead — you can mix it in, so it completely disappears within the cereal.
Hide chia in pasta sauce.
Pasta is a family favorite. To make it more nutritious, mix milled chia seeds into your favorite pasta sauce just before mixing it into the pasta. The kids will never notice the difference.
Sprinkle chia over pizza.
All kids love pizza. You can capitalize on your kids’ pizza obsession by sneaking some chia into the mix.
Mix chia into baby-food purees.
When you begin to wean your baby from an all-milk diet, it’s hard to figure out what foods to feed her that will meet her nutritional requirements. Chia seeds are an excellent source of omega-3s, and babies need omega-3s for brain development. Simply add milled chia to your baby’s fruit and vegetable purees to help her get what she needs to outsmart you someday.
Stir chia through scrambled eggs.
Scrambled eggs are a favorite for toddlers and kids of all ages, and they’re easy to prepare, too, so parents are often big fans! Although eggs provide lots of great nutrients, to make them even more nutritious, simply add milled chia seeds to the beaten eggs before cooking, and mix well.
Add them to yummy yogurts.
Most kids love yogurt, so next time your little one is crying out for a yummy yogurt treat, mix in some chia seeds before handing that container over. If he doesn’t mind the added texture, you can use whole chia seeds. If he screams, What’s that?! simply use milled chia seeds, and he won’t be able to detect any difference.
Make chia fruit ice popsicles.
Popsicles are a big favorite with kids, and the good news is: They’re easy to make and can be very healthy. All you have to do is blend up some fruits (for example, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries) and add some water. Then mix in some milled chia seeds.
It’s sort of like a smoothie, but the fun part is to pour this smoothie mixture into popsicle trays and stick them in the freezer. When your kids are asking for a treat, you can pull out one these delicious-tasting, refreshing popsicles and know they’re getting a nutritious snack.
Add chia to apple crumble.
To add extra nutrients to your favorite apple crumble dessert recipe, simply add whole chia seeds to the crumble part of the recipe before baking. You can add chia to any crumble recipe, so if blackberries are in season or your kids are fans of rhubarb, go ahead and add chia to the mix. You won’t feel so guilty about giving your kids dessert if you know it’s loaded with nutrients from chia!
Sneak chia into Rice Krispies treats.
Rice Krispies Treats are as much a part of childhood as skinned knees and whining, Are we there yet? Why not boost the nutritional value of these chewy treats with chia? Just add it to the mix along with the cereal.
