Good Morning Parfaits

My family loves these for breakfast or snack time. They are easy to make, delicious, and even your little ones will love to help build their own.

Good Morning Parfaits

2 1/2 Cups Plain Greek Yogurt*
1 Cup prepared whole wheat couscous
1 Banana, chopped
1 Cup chopped strawberries
4 TBS. sunflower seeds
4 tsp. flaxmeal
honey to taste
vanilla to taste

*Note: when choosing dairy products, more fat is better for younger children to aid in nourishing their developing brain. I generally use whole milk yogurt for my 2 year old.

Place measured yogurt into a bowl and add a couple tablespoons of honey and 1 tsp of vanilla to start. Mix to combine until you have enough of both to suit you. Place each of the ingredients into its own bowl and allow each family member to create their own parfait! You can use cute dessert dishes to add to the fun. Here's how I would build mine: layer of yogurt in the bottom, a bit of flax, bananas, yogurt, flax, strawberries, yogurt and finish it off with sunflower seeds. This recipe is delicious and provides lots of protein, calcium, Vitamin E and C. You get good fats from the flax, fiber from the seeds, whole grains from the couscous and a load of potassium! Not to mention, honey is a great natural antimicrobial agent! Enjoy!

20 Healthy Snack Ideas

We had a discussion recently in my forum to talk about the kinds of healthy snacks your kids love best. Most moms agreed that fruits, yogurt and crackers of all kinds are what they usually reach for to feed their little (and BIG) ones when tummies start rumbling. One of my favorite snacks posted was from Allyson at Musings of Allyson: wife and mommy. She posted a recipe for Honey Milk Balls and now I am going to share it with you! Stop by my forum and add your favorites to the list!

Honey Milk Balls
1/2 C. honey(local is best since it also helps control allergies)
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 C. dry milk solids
1 C. dry rolled oats

Knead all ingredients until well-mixed. Shape into small balls and chill for best result. Doesn't that sound delicious?

Fruit skewers with yogurt dip

Apple Sandwiches(Parent's magazine): Slice apples across to make round circles. Use a mini cookie cutter or knife to cut out seeds. Spread with nut butter and a dab of jam. Put 2 slices together and serve. So cute and yummy!(pictured)

Veggie sticks with hummus, white bean or avocado dip

Mini pizzas made with ezekiel bread or pita

Ezekiel or spelt bread spread with almond butter and sliced banana

Fruit smoothies(100% juice, frozen fruit and fresh spinach)

Yogurt parfaits

Mini sandwiches(egg, tuna, or chicken made with canola mayo)

Steel cut oatmeal with milk, butter, walnuts, raisins and strawberries

Organic(no sugar added) canned baked beans with ak mak crackers for dipping

Trailmix: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit, mini dark choc chips and low sugar granola

Nitrate-free deli turkey rollups with cheese sticks in the middle

Avocado toast

Cottage cheese with fruit

Mini bean and cheese burritos(stir flaxmeal into beans)

Edamame pods and fruit

Veggie cream cheese(finely chop veggies and mix with cream cheese) on top of crackers, pita bread, toast, etc.

Black bean quesadillas with guacamole

Whole grain pasta salad with cold chicken cubes, parmesan cheese, italian dressing, chopped veggies and olives

Healthy mini muffins

Fun ways to make old snacks new:
-let the children make their own snack
-make fruit fun, instead of sliced fruit, serve melon balls or fruit on a stick with dip
-sandwiches: use different types of bread like pita, whole grain slices, tortillas, etc.
-never underestimate the power of dip: serve low fat ranch, mashed avocado, cream cheese, nut butters thinned with canola oil for veggie dips