Bad habits are hard to break. That’s why it’s critically important you teach your children to eat healthy foods while their young. This involves providing a variety of healthy, but delicious, food choices for your children so that they will learn to actually prefer those over the junk food alternatives. It’s never a perfect process and it does require discipline on the parent’s part; but establishing healthy eating habits in childhood can last well into their adult years, and will give your children many advantages in life in addition to reduced sickness and health problems.  What a great gift to impart to your children! To start your family on the path to healthful eating, use these quick and easy healthy recipes. Your children will love these fun and tasty treats!

Fruity Popsicle Pops

Ingredients:

• Popsicle mold or paper cups
• Popsicle sticks
• 1 kiwi
• 2 peaches, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries, diced
• 3 cups crushed ice
• 1 cup warm water

Directions:

Combine all fruit in a bowl with the ice and water. Fill each popsicle mold or paper cup with the mixture. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for three hours or until completely frozen.

Red, White and Blue Yogurt Popsicles

Ingredients:

• Popsicle mold or paper cups
• Popsicle sticks
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 3 cups crushed ice
• 3 ½ cups organic Greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons organic honey (or Stevia to taste)
• Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Blend each of the following in separate containers:

Red:

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon organic honey (or Stevia to taste)

White:

• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 ½ cups Greek yogurt
• Dash of cinnamon

Blue:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon organic honey (or Stevia to taste)

Fill each popsicle mold or paper cup 1/3 full with the blue mixture, insert the popsicle sticks, and freeze for 30 minutes. Then, fill each mold or cup another 1/3 full with the white mixture and freeze an additional 30 minutes to one hour (until semi-frozen and not runny). Then, fill the last 1/3 of the mold or cup with the red mixture and freeze for two hours or until completely frozen.

Watermelon Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 12 cupcake liners/cupcake pan
• 1 whole watermelon
• 2 cups organic vanilla yogurt
• 12 organic cherries
• Lemon zest or orange zest, grated (optional)

Directions:

Place the liners in the cupcake pan. Cut the watermelon in half. Scoop or spoon the watermelon (seeds removed) until each cupcake liner is completely full.  Top each cupcake with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt (to look like icing). Top each cupcake with a cherry. For added fun, you can use grated lemon zest or orange zest to look like “sprinkles” on top of the yogurt.

Cinnamon Apple Flying Saucers

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 large apples (red or green)
• ¼ cup cashew butter
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 to 2 teaspoons organic honey (or Stevia to taste)
• Organic sugar-free dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Combine the cashew butter, shredded coconut, honey (to taste) and chocolate chips (optional) in a bowl and mix well; set aside. Slice the apple and remove the core (as shown in picture). Lay the apples flat on a cookie sheet. Fill the center with the mixture. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Freeze for 30 minutes and serve.

Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

• 12 cupcake liners/cupcake pan
• 2 ¼ cups oatmeal
• ¼ cup walnuts
• ½ cup red grapes or blueberries
• 1 banana, sliced
• ½ teaspoon Sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ cup plain or vanilla Almond milk (unsweetened)
• ¼ cup organic honey (or Stevia to taste)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the liners in the cupcake pan. Using a mixer, mix the oatmeal, walnuts and sea salt. Add the Almond milk, honey (or Stevia), cinnamon, eggs and grape seed oil; continue to until evenly mixed. Spoon in the red grapes (or blueberries) and banana slices until evenly distributed in the mixture. Fill each muffin liner ¾ full with the mixture. Top with additional walnuts, if desired. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Originally published in 2013, this blog has been updated.