Summer is coming to a close, and my oldest starts kindergarten next week. I have no idea what I am going to do with just one kid during the day! We will probably be spending a whole lot more time in the kitchen creating, as if I don't spend enough in there already. I love getting my kids involved in the making process. They are so much more inclined to eat it if they've participated in the process. Then when we aren't in the kitchen we are outdoors kicking a soccer ball around, playing tennis, frisbee, football, riding bikes, hiking, exploring new parks, and soaking up that vitamin D.
Get your kids involved in living a healthy lifestyle now. It's much easier to change them now than at age 45 when they have their first heart attack and have to kick 45 years of bad habits.
Make it fun and be the example. If they see you do it, they'll be more inclined to follow suit.
Before I made my lifestyle changes, I was drained all the time, we were loaded up with sugar, my kids and I watched entirely too much television, which lead to depression for me, and behavioral issues for my kids. Once I changed my lifestyle, theirs obviously changed too. Now a days most of the time my kids will pick their fruit cup over their cookie, soccer over blues clues, and the behavioral issues that I was convinced they had, vanished. This change didn't happen over night, in fact it's taken 2 years to wean them off of junk and onto whole foods. They still thoroughly enjoy and devour that occasional treat, and those rare movie and popcorn nights with mom and dad...but they recognize that it's a treat, not a lifestyle.
This is what we made yesterday for lunch right before heading to the park to play some basketball and run through the splash pad.
Doesn't that just look scrumdiliumtious!!!! The other day in my chickpea post I mentioned sweet potato hummus and I haven't been able to get it off my mind since. I had a left over baked sweet potato from a few days ago, so that made it super easy to toss this together for lunch yesterday.
1 large sweet potato-baked
1 can chickpeas
1/3 c tahini
Juice from 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic
salt & pepper to taste
Wrap potato in aluminum and bake at 350 for about 45 mins, then remove skin and allow to cool. Add sweet potato and remainder of ingredients into a food processor and viola!
Pairs perfectly with veggies (celery, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, etc), whole wheat pita, veggie wraps or sandwiches. My kids made hummus "sandwiches" using whole wheat crackers and cucumbers. Yields quite a bit too so you can eat on it for a week or so.
This is the perfect way to ensure you're getting enough vegetables in your diet, and the sweet savory taste with a punch of protein rocks too!
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