Valentine’s Day is this week and though it's a great time to celebrate your partner, it's also a BIG holiday for kids. From Valentine's cards to lollipops and chocolates, your children will be wanting to celebrate accordingly.
I hate that most of the treats given out during Valentine's Day are filled with artificial coloring and refined sugars. I understand you can not control everything your child eats when they are at school or away, but when they are home I aim to give them healthier options and create a healthy lifestyle for them to follow (even on holidays).
Here are a few healthy treat options I wanted to share from my family to yours that your kids will love!
Valentine's Mashed Potatoes
Ages: 8 months and up
This is one of my favorite quick & fun Valentine’s Day recipes. This recipe is so simple and you can have it alone or incorporate it into your meal plan for dinner!
To Prepare: Roast a beet at 350 degrees until soft, about 50 minutes (here's a great how-to for roasting beets). Chop and boil russet potatoes until fork goes in easily. Add potatoes to a blender* with a little butter or olive oil, dash of your favorite milk, 1/2 roasted beet, and salt/pepper. Now enjoy your lovely pink mashed potatoes!
*This can be done by hand mashing as well if you desire a chunkier texture. Hand mashing is a great way to involve the kids while cooking.
Melon Hearts
Ages: 1 year and up
I love this option because it incorporates my love for melons and hits my sweet tooth all at the same time. It also can be a great treat for after school and to share with close friends.
To Prepare:
1. First cut open a watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, press out a dozen (or however many your heart desires) hearts.
2. Next, make melted chocolate by placing some chocolate morsels in a bowl with 1 tsp of butter. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
3. Now is the fun part! Depending on how much chocolate you want to give your child, you can either dip the top of the heart only or coat the whole thing. I like to keep it simple so I go with just the top and I add a little fresh coconut flakes, sprinkles and even sea salt to it before the chocolate hardens.
Frozen Yogurt Valentine Bites
Ages: 1 year and up
This treat comes with a Mama Warning: please beware, you may not be able to control yourself from devouring them all when the kids are napping.
To Prepare: Wash and cut a punnet of fresh, organic strawberries in half. Dip each strawberry in Greek Yogurt and place onto a lined baking sheet. Pop in the freezer for about one hour, remove, and enjoy!
Healthy options are always available and it’s fun to get creative with them around the holidays. I hope you enjoy some of my families healthy Valentine’s Day options and incorporate them
into yours. Happy Valentines Day, mamas!
About the Contributor:
Holliann Barry is a military wife currently stationed in San Francisco. She has a culinary degree and is passionate about food and health. Holliann recently enrolled into another nutrition program that will focus on pregnancy, postpartum and baby nutrition. She recently launched an Instagram page to help mamas make healthy choices, learn recipes and guide them on how to make homemade baby food. Holliann is also a MentorMama for SocialMama.