4 Ways to Feed Them Fruit With SunButter!

Say farewell to summer and hello to another school year. Parenting can be challenging in itself but when you are sending picky eaters back to school, that’s another test of your kitchen abilities. Between the early morning shuffle, making sure school paperwork is intact and staying on schedule, figuring out how to make sure your family is choosing healthy foods during the day is another task on the to-do list. In our sleep deprived status, many of us feel that we are losing a battle before we even get a proper head start.

With life being stressful enough, there is no reason to add more to it. Rather than racking your brain and pouring over countless cookbooks, take a moment to breathe. Think about how to keep life simple for everyone including yourself while making sure those tummies are full, happy, and nourished. Many of us tend to overthink what needs to be done. The key is to think about what everyone actually wants to eat and to reshape food needs into the same type of preferred menu items. Children seem picky, but in reality, some adults are choosy eaters too. At the end of the day, most of us just know what we want to eat because that’s what we enjoy the most.

What I have learned as a parent is that variety keeps everyone happy. But a parent’s idea of variety exceeds a child’s idea of variety. While moms and dads want to load up with amazing meals, children tend to be intrigued by foods that are just not the same day in and day out. Here are four ideas to get you started:

1. Straws are your friend: Believe it or not, a straw can be a magical tool to eating more. I’m not talking about just putting them into a glass – I am talking about using it as an actual method of eating. Many children may not like to see an apple packed in their lunch because everyone else has that too. But give them a container of applesauce with a straw to suck it up instead of spooning it out and I guarantee that your child’s friends will want to do the same thing.
2. Shaking it up: How many times has your child said they want a milkshake instead of a piece of fruit? Puree those fruits, add a great protein, and make them the most amazing shake ever. You may even get them into the habit of decorating their shake straw with SunButter as a mix-in tool for an even healthier option. To the kids, you will be the new cool parent on the block but secretly, you will know you are the awesome parent for what’s in this magical meal in a cup.
3. Shapes & more shapes: This may seem like a no-brainer, but some children will eat fruit if it’s cut into small shapes versus a whole piece. Ask your child if they want to choose new shapes or if they prefer a surprise every day. Put them on skewers or give them dipping sauces (such as SunButter mixed with chocolate chips) and wait to see what else they request for their fruit smorgasbord. Keep those extra pieces for muffins, pancakes or other easy mix-in meal items.
4. Send something cute: This may be the easiest way to watch a piece of fruit disappear. Every child loves to see a special treat in their lunch box that nobody else has. When it’s made with love, it’s even more special. Cover fruits with chocolate, cut them up to use as other things on a treat like a nose or an eyeball and pack it with a sweet note. Remember – it doesn’t have to look perfect, it just has to be made by you.

Are you in need of an easy starter recipe? I’m happy to share my Porcupine Snack. This is an adorable way to sneak fruit and protein into a fast snack.

Pretzel sticks (I recommend Glutino)

1 white & 1 red allergy-friendly jellybean (such as Gimbal’s Fine Candies)

1 Blackberry (washed)

Your choice of SunButter

1-2 tablespoons Enjoy Life Foods chocolate

½  teaspoon oil (I recommend Winona Pure Oil)

Prep Time:           5 Minutes

Assemble Time:  4 Minutes

1. Cut the pretzel sticks into 3 pieces, keeping the end pieces
2. Set them aside
3. Carefully cut each of the jellybeans in half
4. Set them aside
5. Line a flat cutting board with parchment
6. Gently cover a blackberry with SunButter
7. Combine the chocolate and oil in a microwave-safe cup
8. Heat until melted
9. Cover the blackberry completely with chocolate
10. Insert the cut pretzels, making sure the rounded edges show
11. Add two of the white jellybean halves for eyes
12. Add one of the red jellybean halves for a nose
13. Using a toothpick, gently draw the pupils with remaining melted chocolate
14. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

Makes 1 porcupine.

Easy Recipe Print Out: http://allergyphoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Porcupine-Snacks.pdf

YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/gq4cAYraAwE

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/227994799868572257

Tracy Bush aka Nutrimom® at AllergyPhoods, she offers a mixture of product reviews, recipes, and advice mixed with a tinge of humor. “I write, I cook and I laugh and I aim to make everyone else do the same.”

Tracy Bush, the author of AllergyPhoods Blog and the book, “The Stepping Stones to Food Allergies,” is a food allergy consultant and founder of Nutrimom, Inc.