5 healthy Valentine recipes for your kids
It’s the season of love and what better way to get your kids to ‘love’ food, than to make some love-themed recipes! Valentine’s Day gives us all types of opportunities to discuss food and to get the children involved in Valentine’s Day food activities.
What is Valentine’s Day food?
I don’t think Valentine’s Day food is any one thing in particular. For adults, it might be fancier food like steak and oysters. For children, Valentine’s Day food can be anything red or pink or any food made into the shape of a heart! This is a
Popular foods on Valentine’s Day for kids include:
red strawberries
pink raspberries
heart shaped cookies
pink cupcakes
Here are 5 healthy Valentine’s Day recipes you can make with the kids:
strawberry smoothie -
an easy, healthy way to start St. Valentine’s Day for the kids!
Use frozen strawberries, banana, Greek yoghurt, vanilla essence, peanut butter for protein and milk for a satisfying, delicious and importantly pink, smoothie!
Check out a similiar recipe here
chocolate dipped strawberries
I make chocolate dipped strawberries with kids in my classes at this time of the year and they love making, and of course eating them! Strawberries are a powerhouse of anti-oxidants, Vitamin C and other essential nutrients - not that the kids care about that! They just care about how delicious strawberries are - literally nature’s sweets!
And dipping them in chocolate is the ultimate bonus. Keep your chocolate as dark as they’ll tolerate. If they are not dark chocolate fans, try mixing some dark chocolate chips in with the milk chocolate chips - they may not even notice. But if you keep doing this, they will become accustomed to the taste.
Top tip when making chocolate covered strawberries - dry the strawberries well as chocolate won’t stick to them if they are wet.
Check out the exact recipe here
pink popcorn
The kids will LOVE making pink popcorn. It will work great in the school lunchboxes as well as a snack after school or while watching a movie.
I first made it to celebrate the release of the Barbie movie in 2023. It certainly brings a bit of fun to your popcorn! Corn is a whole grain so makes for a healthy snack if you pop your own.
To make it, pop your corn as normal. Then you’re going to make a butter and maple syrup sauce, adding a tiny amount of red food colouring. You can find the full recipe here
Valentine’s Day cookies
Literally any cookie you normally make can be made into a “Valentine’s’ cookie if you use a heart shaped cookie cutter!
I like this recipe for oat, raisin and chocolate chip cookies which are full or whole foods.
Don’t forget to use your heart shaped cookie cutter when your preparing them. And for the ultimate Valentine’s treat - why not dip them in melted dark chocolate!
See recipe here
Valentine’s Day Fruit Bowl
Get your kids to help make an easy red and pink coloured fruit bowl for Valentine’s Day. This is a great way to get kids involved with fruit and eating more fruit! Red and pink fruits you can use :
strawberries
raspberries
red apple
cherry
pomegranate
watermelon
goji berries