According to the USDA My Plate initiative, you should focus on variety, amount, and nutrition, when planning your meals. You should also choose foods and beverages with less saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars. Fruits and vegetables should take up at least half of your plate at each meal with children getting between 1 – 2 cups of fruits a day and 1 -3 cups of vegetables a day. The key to achieving this is to have as many colors on your plate as you can.
Youth love eating foods that are colorful and more appealing. We can go get blueberries, purple eggplant, yellow corn, green lettuce, black beans, red strawberries, orange carrots, brown walnuts, and white cauliflower. There is one color, however, that is not commonly seen in the field or in our grocery stores. Pink. No, I am not referring to raw meat.
Add a little something new to your child’s menu by making their food pink for day. For breakfast, start with something full of fruits, like a Strawberry Banana Smoothie (see recipe below). For lunch, heat up a bowl of Beet Spinach Soup (see recipe below) to get them refueled and focused! Finish off their day with Roasted Salmon (see recipe below) and don’t forget to add steamed vegetables!
Each of these meals is tasty, nutritious, and helps your child reach their daily recommended values of fruits and vegetables. Your child will love the pink color and yummy taste and you will love seeing them enjoy their fruits!
Strawberry Banana Smoothie – 2 servings
Beet Spinach Soup – 4 servings
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/228803/spinach-beet-soup/
Roasted Salmon – 2 servings
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/recipes/roasted-salmon/rcp-20049927