      |
|
Mothers of Preschoolers
Healthy Eating
Dinner
In many homes, this is a hectic time. Children often have to go to sporting or other activities in the early evening. If children have been eating well during the day, they probably still have lots of energy left for the evening. But don’t be fooled by this. All children still need to eat a meal in the evening. Choose foods that can you can prepare quickly and that provide a meal with proper nourishment. Visit the Dietitians of Canada website for some fast, easy, healthy ideas for dinner.
-
Bags of frozen stir fry vegetables are very useful for making a meal in a minute without advance planning. If you have some chicken, beef, or turkey from the day before, add it to the stir fried veggies with some cooked rice and you have a complete meal.
-
Suggest that your children eat fresh or canned fruit (in its own juice) for dessert. Yogourt is also a good choice.
-
Serve low fat milk or water as the drink at dinner time.
If you have a vegetarian child in your household, it does not mean that you have to prepare a meal only for that person. Instead, let the vegetarian enjoy all the vegetables and grains that you have made for the rest of the family. There are many vegetarian cookbooks, and you may want to try new vegetarian recipes as part of your family’s regular menu. You will be pleased —and maybe surprised—at how easy and delicious these recipes can be. If you are serving meat at dinner, there are many vegetarian options that can be prepared at the same time without too much effort. This will prevent your child from feeling too left out. Many stores now sell vegetarian burgers and hotdogs, so your child can enjoy all the fun of summer barbeques.
If you keep your cupboards, fridge, and freezer stocked with quick, simple, foods that are easy to prepare, you and your family will be able to enjoy wholesome, delicious meals every day.