Fun Valentines Ideas

Getting kids (and some adults!) to eat different foods can be a challenge. One way to get kids excited about food is to make it fun for them. Play up the holidays or make a regular Thursday morning an “orange” morning and only make orange food, etc. Keep trying different things and they will eventually eat when they are hungry or we find the right food or cooking method. Then it changes again the next week 🙂 But don’t despair. You are not alone. If you are worried your child is not getting the nutrients they need, talk to your pediatrician. In the meantime, keep trying different things. You never know what may work. Here are a few suggestions for Valentines Day.

“Hearty” Breakfast
 
Cut a heart shaped hole with a cookie cutter in a piece of lightly toasted bread. Put it in a pan and break an egg in the center. A couple of minutes later, when the egg starts to firm up, flip it and cook until the egg is cooked as you like it.  Here is a recipe I found.

If your kids don’t like eggs, try making heart shaped pancakes or use a larger heart cookie cutter to make heart shaped toast and top with peanut butter, nutella or your favorite spread.

Serve it with a strawberry banana smoothie! (Strawberry yogurt blended with a banana). This will give everyone a good start to a day filled with chocolate and sweets 🙂

Lunch Love

Use a cookie cutter to cut sliced pineapple and some ham into heart shapes. Serve with pita bread also cut into hearts (or not) to be dipped into hummus.You could also use the heart shaped pineapple and ham to top individual english muffin pizzas.

Another idea is to make whatever sandwich your kids like, peanut butter and jelly, cream cheese and jelly, grilled cheese and then cut it into a heart shape.

Delightful Dinner

Make polenta and then cut heart shapes for the kids! You can serve it with roasted beets and steak or chicken and squash or even shrimp and some peas for a version of shrimp and grits 🙂

For an easy appetizer put cream cheese on your favorite cracker and sprinkle with chives. My new favorite is Keebler’s Sea Salt and Olive Oil.