A Love Filled Heart
February is not only national heart month, but also features the classic and cherished Valentine’s Day celebration! It’s a heartfelt day that nearly everyone can smile about and look forward to. Depending on your child’s school policy, opt to try these healthy Valentine’s Day eats in the classroom setting or at home. Read on to discover how you as a KC parent can foster a caring and loving heart in your child with these healthy and delicious sweet treats
Sweet Treats
The Dark Antioxidant Melting Pot
- Ingredients: Dark chocolate (bars or chips), strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries.
- Instructions: Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl then dunk berries. Fruits can also be put on kebab sticks.
- Hearty Health Benefits: Antioxidants help cancel out foreign invaders like free radicals that cause damage to cells.
Heart Cut-Out Spreads
- Ingredients: Whole grain bread, nut butter, strawberry jam and apples.
- Instructions: Use heart cookie cutters for apples and spread with nut butter. Also give heart cookie cutters a try with whole grain bread and spread with strawberry jam.
- Hearty Health Benefits: Both of these ideas provide the preferred rich complex carbohydrates, so your kiddo will have a good, slow and steady release of energy. Carbohydrates are also the brain’s preferred source of energy, which enable your child to power on throughout heart day.
Red & White Mix-Match Dairy Dip Dash
- Ingredients: Vanilla or strawberry yogurt, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and whipped cream; apples, raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, cherries, grapes, tomatoes, bell peppers.
- Instructions: Have your child test and dip in a few or each. Seek to discover favorite combinations.
- Hearty Health benefits: Calcium and vitamin D in the dairy products are is essential for strong bones and teeth. Say hello to a heart-filled cheerful smile.
Dried Sprinkle Pudding
- Ingredients: Dried cranberries, cherries, apples and yogurt covered raisins; cocoa powder and/or protein powder; chocolate or vanilla pudding.
- Instructions: Sprinkle dried fruit on pudding, dust with the powder of your choice and mix well.
- Hearty Health Benefits: The fiber in the dried fruit will aid your child’s digestive health and also keep a tummy filled up.
“I proposed the Red & White Mix-Match Dairy Dip Dash idea to my child’s teacher. She approved, and her classmates loved it! They even cast votes on their favorite mix-and-match combination,” Patty, Lenexa mom, says. Remember, each and every child wants and deserves warm caring love—this month and every month. We KC parents can simply and truly give love and tirelessly say our “I love you’s,” so our children’s hearts will be deliciously filled.
Amy Hundley is a registered dietitian nutritionist, licensed in both Kansas and Missouri, and a published freelance nutrition writer. She is currently practicing as a clinical RD and has been a resident of Olathe since early childhood.
Sources: EatRight.org, Institute of Medicine