We at KidsGoals believe it is important for you to try and make the foods that you give your children as healthy as possible. By teaching them at a young age that proper nutrition will help them to grow to their full potential and getting them to try a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables, you will have a better chance of them making smarter food choices as teens and finally as adults.

Healthy food does not have to taste bad and by finding more nutritional foods that actually taste good you will prove this to your children.

Snacks choices for our kids seems to be a place where we as parents could improve a bit. Having a teen age boy I know full well that if I don’t have something healthy at the ready after school he will find something not so nutritionally-sound to snack on. I know it takes a lot more energy to make something from scratch rather than just out of a box but it is well worth the effort. Processed food is laden with bad fats and high fructose corn syrup, so if possible make them a once in awhile treat, but not a daily habit. See the 80/20 rule!

There are a myriad of recipes that are kid friendly as well as nutritionally sound, such as the power bar recipe that follows. Even better get your kids to help make up a batch after school. Kids love to cook with you and it is a perfect time to bond with your children.

This also makes a great grab and go breakfast idea when you are running late in the morning

HEALTHY ENERGY BARS
Ingredients (Preheat oven to 350 degrees)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup crispy brown rice cereal
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 cups dried chopped apricots
1 1/2 cups raisins or dried cranberries,cherries or other dried fruit
1/2 cup protein powder ( I use micronized whey protein from the health food store)
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1 cup brown rice syrup(found in most health food stores)
1/4 cup dark brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 cup peanut if not allergic, or other nut butter almond especially good
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp butter to grease cookie sheet

Put oats cereal and sesame seeds in a flat pan or cookie sheet with sides and bake until nicely toasted approximately 15 minutes, once mixture cools remove from pan and put aside. Put raisins or other dried fruit choices and wheat germ, and protein powder in a large bowl and mix together with hands or wooden spoon, add toasted oats and sesame seeds and stir until well mixed.

Put rice syrup, brown sugar and vanilla in heavy pot over medium heat and bring to boil, reduce heat to low and stir in vanilla and peanut butter or other nut butter. Quickly add to ingredients in bowl and stir together and immediately put on a lightly buttered cookie sheet. Press evenly into pan (wetting your hands will make this a lot easier) work quickly as mixture will set and make it difficult to spread evenly.

Chill for at least four hours and then cut into 2×3 inch bars

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