5 Creative Ways to Serve Veggies to Kids at Easter
The arrival of spring starts a fevered countdown to the chocolatiest week of the year. Everywhere you look, there is sugar - masquerading as bunny rabbits, eggs, spring flowers, even avocados if you fancy something different.
Over the Easter break, the average child in Britain will receive thirteen chocolate eggs from relatives and friends. This is the equivalent of 17,000 calories, 200 cream filled doughnuts or 260 chocolate eclairs. It's a staggering amount of sugar and, even in cautiously served portions, it must be balanced with other low sugar, low sodium snacks.
Keep reading for some creative ways to get fresh vegetables into kids' tums over Easter.
1. Arrange a Veggie Flowerbed
For a healthy snack with springtime sass, create a 'flowerbed' out of mini peppers and green beans. To make tulips, cut the tops off and remove the seeds. Pierce a hole through the bottoms. Insert green beans to look like stalks. Serve with a yummy, low salt dip such as hummus or salsa.
2. Feast on a Broccoli Floret Forest
Cook up some broccoli florets. They look like tiny trees already so this one should be easy peasy. Use cooked wholegrain pasta to create a 'forest floor.' For extra flavour, season with paprika, cumin, thyme, oregano or red pepper flakes. Sprinkle finely sliced spring onions on your pasta floor for an added veggie boost.
3. Put Together a Peacock Surprise
To create a picture perfect peacock, start by forming a 'bird body' out of hummus. If in doubt, go for a thick backwards 'L' shape. Add two long carrot slices to the bottom for legs. Use a triangle of carrot for the beak. Arrange three 1inch pieces of tomato on top of your 'L' to create a colourful crest.
To make your peacock's plume, cut four long, thick slices of cucumber. Fan them out from the hummus 'tail' so they create three triangular sections. Fill these sections with your child's favourite veggies. Peppers, avocado, sweetcorn, courgettes - the more vibrant, the better!
4. Give Your Eggs Some Attitude
Don't forget, there are more than chocolate eggs on offer at Easter. Hardboiled eggs are a nutritious snack because they're rich in protein, zinc, iron and Vitamins D, B6, B2 and B12. It's also easy to them look special. Use veggies of varying sizes to create funny faces. Push a piece of carrot in for a nose. Add peas for eyes and longer pieces of pepper or tomato to create a spiky hairdo.
5. Bug Out with Veggie Insects
Even fussy eaters can't resist a plate of awesome veggie insects. Make dragonflies using peas (body), halved baby carrots (wings) and sweetcorn (eyes). Or create snails by 'gluing' a cucumber slice to a length of celery with cream cheese. Add pieces of spring onion stalk for antennae and sweetcorn or peas for eyes.
For more tips on having a healthy Easter break, check out our blogs on managing chocolate treats at Easter and staying active in half term holidays.
