A lot of parents tell me that they’re close to giving up on their kids to eat their vegetables. I’m not saying that it’s the easiest feat to accomplish, but when parents hang in there and make the extra effort, seeing their little one chomping down happily on a nutritious veggie is a very rewarding and satisfying experience. When I prepare vegetables for my kids (which is daily), I often try to utilize a bit of fun to encourage them to eat more then just one or two bites. I’ve got lots of veggie methods: I roast them up with a bit of maple syrup, slice them thin and bake up chips, add a sprinkle of zesty herbs, let the kids squirt something yummy on them like Braggs or even add a delicious dip.

When I was a kid, Ranch was one of my favorite dressings, but it usually came straight out of a store-bought squeeze bottle, loaded with additives. This weelicious Ranch Dip recipe recreates that great taste I used to love, but is incredibly fresh, healthy and just s creamy. If you’re a parents who’s had an uphill battle getting your kid to eat veggies, try serving up this recipe before dinner when the kids are really hungry and want something to munch on. You can put it out with an assortment of cut up veggies like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, cucumbers or sugar snap peas. I find that if I just start eating a bit on my own (without saying a thing to the kids), shortly after they are mimicking what I’m doing, dipping away and enjoying every last bite!

Ranch Dip (Makes 1/3 Cup)

1/4 Cup Yogurt (I use Greek Yogurt)
2 Tbsp Vegansaise or Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Fresh Chives, chopped
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
Salt to taste

1. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Serve.

I went to the farmer’s market yesterday and bought the most gorgeous pink grapefruit. I always find that when my kids get to try samples of new fruits or vegetables at the farmer’s market, they’re much more open minded about eating them at home. Pink grapefruit is no exception. Kenya and Chloe love the family of farmers who we buy avocados, limes and passion fruit from, so when one of them offered my little ones a taste of pink grapefruit there was little doubt in my mind that they would enjoy it.

I’ve been making this super healthy parfait for breakfast a lot lately — since grapefruit and oranges are in season — but Kenya has started asking for it for dessert, too. Smooth, tangy, crunchy and sweet, this dish stimulates all of a kid’s taste buds as well as being gorgeous to boot.

Citrus Parfait (Serves 2)

1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp Honey
2 Small Oranges and/or Grapefruit, sectioned
1/4 Cup Grape-Nuts Cereal

1. Place yogurt and honey in a bowl and combine.
2. In a small glass cup, place 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture.
3. Layer some cut sections of oranges and/or grapefruit and 1 tbsp of Grape-Nuts.
4. Add another 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture on top of the fruit and Grape-Nuts and layer again with more fruit and Grape-Nuts.
5. Repeat to make the second parfait.
6. Serve.

I wouldn’t exactly call nacho cheese dip “healthy,” but considering all of the junk kids traditionally consume on Halloween, this dip will definitely give them a good protein boost to start their evening of Trick or Treating and hopefully fill their bellies with something more nutritious than candy bars.

I don’t know about your kids, but if my kids see chips and something with cheese along side it, they’re totally in! With a few black beans “bugs” thrown in for fun and giggles, it’s a Halloween recipe for success!

Buggy Nacho Cheese Dip (Serves 6-8)

2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
2 Cups Whole Milk
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, grated (8 oz cheese)
1 15 oz Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
Tortilla Chips

1. Stir the butter and flour in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously for about 1 minute or until bubbly and golden.
2. Slowly add the milk, whisking continuously and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer on low to medium heat for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens (it should coat the back of a wooden spoon).
4. Turn off the heat, continue to stir for another minute to cool then add the cheese and stir until melted.
5. Stir in the black beans.
6. Serve with tortilla chips.

*This dip should be served warm as it solidifies when it gets cold. Reheat this dip in a sauce pan over low heat till it is warm.

It’s Day Two for weelicious’ new, out-of-the-box and exciting PB&J school lunch recipes. Yesterday’s recipe was PB&J Pancake Sandwiches, something I think your little ones are going to love. But it got me to thinking: do you really need bread to make PB&J? That led me to the idea of mixing it with yogurt.

Plain yogurt is packed with calcium, protein and is easier to digest than milk, but it can also be just that to kids: plain. In order to get most kids to eat yogurt, you have to entice them with those flavored yogurts that are sold at the grocery. But many of those are packed with sugar and preservatives. So I thought it would be fun to see how healthy plain yogurt tasted with a swirl of low sugar preserves and nutritious peanut butter mixed in. I’m happy to report that not only is it mind-blowingly delicious, it’s beautiful to look at too!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Swirled Yogurt (Serves 4)

2 Cups Plain Yogurt (I like using greek yogurt)
¼ Cup Jelly, Jam or Preserves
¼ Cup Peanut Butter (I use natural peanut butter)

1. Divide the yogurt between 4 bowls.
2. In a saucepan heat the jelly or preserves over low heat for one minute or until liquefied (this can also be done in the microwave for 30 seconds) and allow to cool.
3. Drizzle the jelly and peanut butter equally between the bowls of yogurt and swirl the contents together.
4. Serve.

* If using store bought peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy, melt in the microwave for about 15 seconds to soften. I use organic peanut butter which tends to already be a bit more liquified then most name brands.

Now that Kenya is 3 1/2 years old, he’s extremely aware that desserts exist. Between birthday parties, the bakery counter at our local supermarket and just in the course of everyday life, sweet treats seem to be everywhere Kenya looks — and he loves them! I try and avoid buying cake, cookies, candy or ice cream at the grocery. Nor do I bribe my kids with these food (although, sometimes I would like to!). One of my food heroes, Michael Pollan, says in his recent book “Food Rules”, that food manufacturers have made sweets so cheap and readily available that we consume them constantly, whereas if we only ate treats as much as we were willing to prepare them, we’d eat them far less. I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Pollan, plus I find it a lot more fun to bake with the kids because the cooking is usually as much fun as eating the final product!

These Mini Phyllo Cheesecakes are so simple to prepare and much more healthy than most of the sugar laden cheesecakes you can buy at the store. They’re light, beautiful, and tiny, which makes them perfect for little kids’ hands AND mouths. The best part, though, is instilling in your little one the joy of satisfying his or her sweet cravings by making their desserts themselves, rather than just tearing into a box, bag or container of goodies that has heavens only knows what in it.

Mini Phyllo Cheesecakes (Makes 18 Mini Cheesecakes)

8 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Egg
2 Tbsp Sour Cream
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
3 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Honey
2 Packages Mini Phyllo Shells (30 mini shells-I use Athens Brand (found at most groceries in the freezer section)
Raspberries for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a bowl on medium speed until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the egg, sour cream, vanilla and agave or honey and continue to beat until combined.
4. Place the mini phyllo cups on a baking sheet and pour about 1 tbsp of the mixture into the cups.
5. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until set.
6. After the cheesecakes have cooled to room temperature, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
7. Serve plain or topped with a raspberry.

Before I had kids, I don’t think I ever used cream cheese to make anything other then cheesecake. Now, I use it to make everything from Sun Dried Tomato Cream Cheese Spread, to Avocado & Cream Cheese Sammies, to Mini Vanilla Cupcakes, to my favorite, weelicious Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast.

I find cream cheese to be one of the most versatile staples I keep in my fridge. In my experience, just adding a touch of this airy delight to foods kids normally put up a fuss about yields incredible results . I’m sure if you placed some raw carrots and broccoli in a bowl in front of your wee one for a snack you would be met with an, “I’m not eating that!” But toss those same veggies into a food processor with some lovely cream cheese and voila! You have a spread that goes beautifully on crackers, in a sandwich, and best of all, happily in your child’s mouth!

Veggie Cream Cheese (Makes 1 1/2 Cups)

1/2 Cup Carrots, grated
1/2 Cup Broccoli, raw
1 Tbsp Chives, diced
1 Small Garlic Clove
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 8oz Pkg. Cream Cheese, softened

1. Place the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Add the cream cheese and puree until combined.
3. Serve.

This recipe hails from Greece, but the inspiration for it actually came from my cousin in Kentucky. She always sends me suggestions for recipes based on foods her boys love and believe it or not, Spanakopita is one of them. Spanakopita is a savory Greek pastry comprised of flaky phyllo dough filled with spinach and feta cheese. The phyllo can be homemade, but it’s a time intensive process that is unnecessary since you can purchase quality prepared phyllo in the freezer section of your grocery. Spanakopita is a fun lunch, snack or dinner choice for your family because little kids can hold the individual servings in their hands and they are easy to eat.

I played around with this recipe a lot, worrying that it might be too involved compared with most of the simple recipes featured on weelicious, but once you get the hang of making them, it only takes minutes. And in my opinion, they’re worth it. I made this for dinner the other night with Kenya and he loved getting to stir the filling as I layered the phyllo and rolled the Spanakopita into triangles. An added bonus is that this recipe freezes beautifully, so you can store half of what you make now and just pop it into the oven on the nights you don’t have time to cook.

Whether you’re making this dish in Athens, Georgia or Athens, Greece, your family will definitely love you for it!

Spanakopita (Makes 30 Triangles)

1 10 oz Block Chopped Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained well (I drained it once in a fine mesh strainer and then once again, squeezing it in a towel to remove any excess moisture)
1/2 Cup Feta Cheese
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese (you can use either part skim or whole milk ricotta)
1 Egg, whisked
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Pkg. Phyllo Dough, defrosted
1 4 oz. Stick Unsalted Butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place the first 5 ingredients into a bowl and mix.
3. Gently place one sheet of phyllo on a work surface and brush gently with melted butter (while you work, make sure the remaining phyllo dough is covered with a damp towel because it dries out quickly).
4. Place another sheet of phyllo on top and brush with more butter.
5. Add a third sheet of phyllo to the top of the stack, giving you a total of 3 layers (no need to brush the top with butter).
6. Cut the buttered stack into 3 lengthwise strips (each about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide).
7. Take one strip and put 1 tbsp of filling near the corner nearest to you, then fold corner over to form a triangle.
8. Continue folding over, like a flag, keeping a triangle shape.
9. Place the stuffed triangles, seam side down, onto a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet and lightly brush the tops with butter.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. Cool and serve.

*I like to bake half of the Spanakopita and freeze the other half. To do this, after step 9, freeze the triangles on the baking sheet for one hour until solid, then place triangles in a zipper bag and freeze for up to four months. When you’re ready to cook them, continue with step 10. No need to defrost before baking.




Below is a diagram on how to fold the Phyllo triangles:

In my experience, there are two things that kids always seem to love — noodles and pancakes — so why not make them a meal that combines both of them into one? Whenever we have pasta for dinner, I make extra to put in the fridge and use for this recipe the next day. Noodles on their own can be difficult for some little ones to eat, but these pancakes are perfect for little hands to hold on to and munch away. Still, no matter what your child’s age, I find that most kids are only too happy to do away with their knife and fork whenever possible. These Noodle Pancakes easy to toss together and they also pack a ton of protein, veggies and carbohydrates into one scrumptious handful, making them perfect for any meal — even breakfast!

Noodles Pancakes (Serves 4 – about 8-10 Pancakes)

2 Cups Cooked Egg Noodles
3 Eggs, whisked
1/2 Cup Ham, diced (about 3 slices)
1/2 Cup Swiss Cheese, shredded
1/3 Cup Corn (I used frozen corn that I defrosted first)
1/3 Cup Red Bell Pepper, diced
1/2 Tsp Salt
Olive Oil

1. Place all the ingredients (except for the olive oil) in a bowl and stir to combine.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.
3. Pour about 1/4 cup of the noodle mixture per pancake in the pan and cook for 3 minutes (you can pour as many pancakes at once as fit comfortably in your pan).
4. Flip the pancakes and cook an additional 3 minutes. Continue making the pancakes with the remaining mixture.
5. Serve with ketchup or alone.

*Allow to cool, then place in ziploc bag, label and freeze. When ready, pop them into a oven at 300 for 10 minutes or until warmed through or defrost in fridge for 24 hours then heat in a dry pan.

Our family loves eating brown rice, so I always try to keep a big bowl of it in the refrigerator. It’s a nutritious, healthy and versatile base for so many dishes. On nights when I’m stumped as to what to make for dinner, I make these Tex-Mex Rice Cakes. Since I always have the rest of the ingredients on hand, it only takes me minutes to prepare. The best part is that I can make a few extra for Kenya’s school lunch the next day. I just pop a couple in his Lap Top Lunch Box and we’re both happy!

Tex-Mex Rice Cakes (Makes 14-16 Cakes)‬

1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
3/4 Cup Frozen Corn, defrosted
2 Tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 Eggs, whisked About
2 Tbsp Vegetable or Canola Oil for cooking

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs.
3. Add eggs to the rice mixture and mix to combine.
4. Using about a 1/4 cup of the mixture, shape mixture into patties.
5. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and add patties, cooking 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.
6. Serve alone or with salsa.

*Shape into patties, place on a cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes then place in a ziploc bag and freeze up to 4 months. When ready, allow to thaw then follow step 5.

A breakfast smoothie? That’s so 2009. This year you have to try a Tropical Lassi! Packed with mango, blueberries, yogurt, almonds and lime zest, it’s a treat your kids will love making AND drinking with you.