It’s the age old battle. Kids vs. Parents. Junk vs. Real Food. Food vs. Healthy Food.
Growing up, my Mom always made sure we had a complete and healthy meal every single evening. She worked full time and so I imagine this was a challenge for her but she always came through. Now that I am a stay at home Mom I strive to have a healthy meal on the table every night. That is not always the case though. I started working evenings and this has proved to be a big challenge when it comes to feeding my family.
For our family, it is quality over quantity. We try not to buy a lot of junk food even though it is usually always cheaper than whole, fresh food. I try not to use items that have additives and preservatives too. Who needs the extra garbage in our bodies?
Luckily my children LOVE fruit, love it. We can’t keep it around long enough though because they gobble it up. As far as veggies go, that’s a different story. My kids don’t really love raw veggies, even though I would always try to force them to eat them, they refused. I had to get creative.
BINGO – my husbands all time favorite staple is rice, and I agree, it is so versatile, yummy and healthy! I decided to try stir fry veggies with veggie seasoning and serve them over rice, my kids cannot resist. Looks yummy and TASTES delicious!
We went the vegetarian route for a couple of years, which was great! Did you know rice and beans together make a complete protein? A very healthy meal and good for you too. There are so many veggies that go great with rice!
Another way I have incorporated rice into their diet is by using rice/sushi molds. They are so cute and come in a TON of different shapes. My kids love them and they like dipping their Rice shaped bite into Soy Sauce. My husband and I love them with Sriracha.
I must say that our family’s absolute favorite rice dish of all time? It is a tradition passed down through both sides of our families and it is = Rice Pudding! Love it! You prepare it as a dessert and it is heavenly. Creamy, sweet, mellow, smooth, delicious!
Speaking of rice, did you know that Uncle Ben’s is giving away $20,000? You and your children can create a video demonstrating your favorite healthy rice recipe and you will have a chance to win $20,000!! It is called Ben’s Beginners Cooking Contest and it open to submissions until Feb. 26th. Start coming up with ideas now! Did I mention the winner will get to be ON the Rachel Ray Show!?!?!
Think of all the fun you will have with your kids creating a recipe, testing it, making a video and submitting it! Talk about quality time!
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“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Uncle Ben’s blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://BensBeginners.socialmoms.com/about)
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