Crunch A Color Healthy Lunch Challenge : Monster Muffins & Nutty Greek Yogurt Dip

When I offer a new food to my preschooler, I find that when I "hide" it among familiar foods she's less likely to flat out refuse it, so I try to make the new food just one of many small portions. Muffin tin meals are perfect for that!

Believe it or not,  Birdie's never eaten a pear! I don't like pears, so they're not a fruit I buy unless a recipe calls for it (I do like how they taste, just not their texture) and I recently realized I've never offered them to my 4 year old. Perfect - I wanted a new food to score bonus points in my Crunch A Color Healthy Lunch Challenge meal - pears it is :)

I decided to offer the pears with similar fruits I know she likes, apples, and something yummy to dip them in.  The Crunch a Color formula for a healthy lunch is 3 colors + a protein + a healthy grain. No processed foods. Birdie's not much of a meat eater so a greek yogurt & nut butter dip was just the thing for her protein. Celery sticks would go well with that too.

Nut Butter Greek Yogurt Dip 1 cup greek yogurt  1 cup nut butter (I used almond butter)  1 Tbsp honey  1 tsp cinnamon Stir all ingredients together & serve with fruit, veggies, graham crackers... whatever sounds good to you!

Birdie loves muffins so for her healthy grain portion I baked a batch of carrot bran ones and gave some of them monster faces :) I haven't made monster muffins in ages! I featured some in one of my first blog posts! That batch had cheese teeth & craisin eyes. Today I made the teeth with almond slivers and the eyes with cheese & candy coated sunflower seeds.

The monster muffins inspired a monster theme for the muffin tin meal!  I put a funny creature cupcake topper ring on a celery stick, and some octopi bento picks in the almond butter dip became baby monsters taking a mud bath :)

So how did Birdie's muffin tin meal score? Using the cards from our Crunch A Color Healthy Eating Game, I calculated the points:

Red - apples - 5 points

Liquid - water (not shown) - 5 points

Green - apples - 5 points

Yellow/Orange - pears - 5 points

Try a New Food - pears - 5 points x 2 = 10 points

Healthy Grains - carrot bran muffin - 5 points

Yellow/Orange - if carrots in the muffins count - 10 points

Green - celery - 10 points

Protein - almond butter & yogurt- 10 points

Bonus - calcium rich protein - yogurt in dip - 1 point

66 points, not too shabby for a simple lunch! It could have scored more points with a little more colour... but there's always dinner  :) 

Most importantly, lunch was a winner with my little sproutlet :

Are you wondering if she liked the pears? No, she didn't - but she tried them!

Thanks Crunch a Color for including me in this Challenge!

Crunch A Color Healthy Lunch Challenge : Homemade Chicken Nuggets & Carrot Hearts

When Jennifer of Crunch a Color asked if I'd like to join her Healthy Lunch Challenge, I was flattered and a little incredulous... me? I try to pack healthy for my sproutlets but it often is a challenge, so wow, it's such a compliment to have my efforts recognized by such a healthy eating role model! Thank you, Jennifer, it's an honour to be asked, and I'll do my best :)

What's the Healthy Lunch Challenge?
Jennifer Tyler Lee, the mom behind the Crunch a Color Healthy Eating Game, challenged 15 bloggers to pack healthy lunches their kids would love to eat, using fresh, colourful ingredients, and the points cards from the game. Fun! And, the top 5 lunch ideas will be featured in Crunch a Color's April article on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution! Here's my Bella's healthy lunch:

What's For Lunch?

It wasn't hard to meet the Healthy Lunch Challenge criteria of three colours plus a healthy grain, & protein. Lunch is packed in Bella's favourite, EasyLunchboxes, and contains:

• heart-shaped homemade chicken nuggets for protein & healthy grain (I even snuck some milled flax in the breading)
• golden sunburst cherry tomato & carrot skewers on a bed of salad
• the salad itself is made of fresh, crisp romaine & butter lettuce & purple raddichio, with shredded cheddar to top it with
• sweet juicy pink watermelon & orange cantaloupe
• an EasyLunchboxes Mini Dipper filled with trail mix, for snack

I'm fortunate my girl loves fresh veggies, but she's not as big a fan of fruit, so I try to make it more appealing to her by cutting it in fun shapes.  The watermelon & canteloupe were easy to cut with a small heart-shaped cookie cutter - and I got to nibble on the scraps, yum, a healthy snack for mum :) Since I had a heart theme going, I made her carrots into hearts too:

You can also make heart-shaped grapes, tomatoes, & cocktail sausages the same way :) If your little one is too young for toothpicks, I show how to make them without in this blog post.

What's my Healthy Eating Game score?

At first I scored Bella's lunch with 60 points, as shown below. But then I realized I could add an additional 5 points for her Klean Kanteen of water, and a 10 point red card for the cherry tomatoes :) Yay!

What Fun! Want to Play?

You can make your family's meals more fun with Crunch a Color's Healthy Eating Game! You might also like the companion game, Conversation Starters - I recently reviewed both games here. 

Healthy Homemade Kid-Friendly Chicken Nuggets 

Makes approximately 24 nuggets
Ingredients

• 1 lb ground chicken 
• ¼ cup old-fashioned oatmeal 
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided 
• 1 tsp Zatarain's Creole Seasoning
  (or seasoning salt & paprika to taste), divided  
• ½ tsp garlic powder 
• ¼ tsp black pepper 
• ¾ cup breadcrumbs

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, oatmeal, half the grated parmesan, half the seasoning, the garlic powder and the pepper.
2. Knead the dry ingredients into the ground chicken.
3. Moisten hands to prevent sticking and form 1 tbsp of chicken mixture into a ball. Press into a small cookie cutter (play dough cutters work too!) for shaped nuggets or simply flatten for a basic nugget shape.
4. In a small shallow bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with the remaining seasoning and grated parmesan.
5. Press the nuggets into the bread crumb mixture and turn over, patting crumbs into surface to coat evenly.
6. At this point you can freeze the nuggets on a cookie sheet, then store in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Add 3-5 minutes to your cooking time when cooking from frozen.
OR
7. Bake in preheated 375° F oven. Arrange the nuggets on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Lightly spray the nuggets themselves with cooking spray or olive oil for a crispier coating (optional). Bake 15-20 minutes, turning once, and checking - don't overcook!

• NOTE: These baked nuggets will not really brown - if browning is desired, place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes near the end of cooking.

Visit my post at MOMables.com for a print-friendly version of this recipe, and see how I used them to make a healthy kid-friendly lunch that beats the boxed storebought version :)

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Giveaway Closed
Thanks for entering & congratulations to the winner :)
Enjoy your Crunch a Color Healthy Eating Games!

Like the look of our EasyLunchboxes? Get some!

And the Crunch a Color Healthy Eating Games too!

Crunch A Color Review!

My family got to try a new game over the Winter Break, Crunch a Color: The Healthy Eating Game for Kids!

We love playing with our food :) And while playing the game hasn't got the sproutlets liking any new veggies yet,  it has gotten them to try things, which is a really big thing in itself for my family of fearfully picky eaters. The more they try something, the more chance they'll start to like it - so we'll keep playing, and maybe eventually somebody will find they do like cauliflower after all :)

This is what you get with Crunch a Color: The Healthy Eating Game:

• Reward Chart (the game comes with one double sided chart, & you can print out more from their website)
• 90 colourful cards - they are wipeable, like a deck of playing cards
• Rules of Play & Tips for Parents cards  
• Points by Color cards for easy reference

I wanted to get some pics of my family playing, even postponed my review until Sailor Boy was home to do so, but my camera broke! It's just the flash part, but unfortunately that meant no pics in low light, which is the only light available at supper time. Oh well, I'm sure you can picture us, right? Just imagine a family of 7 with a mess of food & cards on the table, cheering on the pickiest kid as he finishes his broccoli for the win :)

We also got to try Crunch a Color: Conversation Starters, which can be played on it's own or with The Healthy Eating Game.  Conversation Starters cards ask questions & present dilemmas that inspire creative thinking & healthy debates. Some are simple questions like "How did you help someone today?" while others are more thought-provoking, such as "What new product would you like to design?" And best of all, there are no incorrect answers :)

This is what you get with Crunch a Color: Conversation Starters:

• 100 Question cards like those in the Healthy Eating Game
• 4 Create Your Own Question cards
• Suggestions for Play card

I can think of uses for Conversation Starters beyond the dinner table! 

• Road trips & plane rides
• Doctors & dentists waiting rooms
• Restaurants, waiting for a table or the meal
• Homeschooling creative writing topics 
• Inspiration for writing to pen pals

We decided to use them for letter writing while Sailor Boy is deployed ♥

We'll draw a card each week, and each sproutlet will write their answer in a letter to Daddy. Then he'll write back with his own response to the same question :)

Mia Bella got started right away:

I think it will amuse him to read their different answers to the same question, as well as encourage communication and help him keep in touch with who they are, and of course it will be a good writing exercise for them!

Want to know more about Crunch a Color?

If you're like most parents, battles over broccoli can lead to a less than happy family dinner table. Jennifer Tyler Lee, mom of two formerly picky eaters, struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals so she decided to turn healthy eating into a game! Crunch a Color is the award-winning series of nutrition games that make healthy eating fun. Kids earn points eating colorful veggies and trying new foods in The Healthy Eating Game. Racking up bonus points for starting a conversation is easy with Conversation Starters created by kids for kids. 

Winner of the Dr. Toy and Parent Tested, Parent Approved awards, Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to get kids to eat healthy and try new foods. Jennifer’s passion is making mealtime fun, easy and healthy for busy families. Her easy recipes, quick tips, and new food adventures are regularly featured at Pottery Barn Kids, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, The Huffington Post, and on her weekly recipe blog at www.crunchacolor.com.

And like the box says, Crunch a Color gives back! A portion of your purchase of either game supports non-profit children's nutrition programs, so more than just your family will benefit!  I like that!

Want to Play?

Crunch a Color is generously offering to give a game to 5 lucky readers! 
All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, telling me which game you'd like you and/or what you'd use it for! And if you want bonus entries,  you can follow @crunchacolor on Twitter & Like them on Facebook.

Enter via Rafflecopter below :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 FUN Gifts To Encourage Healthy Eating

Looking for last minute gift ideas? Give the gift of good eating habits with one (or all!) of these five fun ways to encourage healthier eating, a gift that will last beyond the holiday season and for many New Years to come.

1.    Bring some fun & games to the table with

Crunch A Color

Created by a mom, Crunch a Color® is the award-winning healthy eating game that makes mealtime fun! Kids earn points for eating a balanced and colorful plate of veggies, fruits, proteins and grains. Bonus points for trying new foods! Crunch a Color® has been featured by Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, Pottery Barn Kids, Laurie David’s Family Dinner, Kiwi Magazine, Dr. Greene, and Yum Food & Fun For Kids, among many others, as a simple, fun and playful way to make healthy eating fun for the whole family.

Get the table talking! Created by kids for kids, Crunch a Color's award-winning Conversation Starters for Kids are sure to invite giggles and great conversation to your family table. Chock full of curious questions and delightful dilemmas, these 104 conversation starters help kids share their thoughts, grow their ideas, and make mealtime fun!

20% off for Bent on Better Lunches fans with code: bentonbetterlunches

We'll be playing these as a family when Sailor Boy gets home for Christmas Leave! Look for my Review & Giveaway in the New Year!

2. Get your family eating their 5 fruits & veggies a day 
with help from Today I Ate A Rainbow!

The Rainbow Kit from Today I Ate A Rainbow! is a rainbow-themed nutritional chart that encourages your child to "eat a rainbow" every day - a serving of fruit or veg in each of the 5 colours on the chart - and mark them with magnets as they do. It's also much more than a nutritional chart! It's a game, a challenge, an incentive... and it's fun! It even comes with a book!  We love ours - click here to read my review and catch our Rainbow Week!

The Rainbow Kits have recently been revamped! The charts are now a full magnet board that can be hung on a fridge or wall! Only $18.99 and if you buy 2 kits the shipping is free!  www.todayiatearainbow.com

3. Stuff a stocking with one of these adorable fruit & vegetable

Garden Heroes

These cute & cuddly plush beanie characters from Learning ZoneXpress are great incentives for making good eating choices!
Also from Learning ZoneXpress...

4. Inspire kids to help make healthy snacks with LANA's 
Fruit & Vegetable Snack Recipes

 

LANA makes healthy eating fun & easy! LANA cookbooks are spiral-bound with sturdy wipeable laminated pages. Full of the promise of tasty treats & kitchen fun, they're sure to bring a smile to any preschooler's face :)

The LANA (Learning About Nutrition through Activities) Preschool Program website, http://lananutrition.com/ is a wonderful resource for ways to help kids learn about making healthy eating choices through play. They even share FREE downloadable activities & recipes every month!

 

My smaller sproutlets & I have made many of the snacks within our LANA cookbook. Click the pics above to see a couple I've posted about :)

Get FREE shipping between now & Christmas from Learning ZoneXpress with the code BOBL Enter at checkout at http://www.learningzonexpress.com/

5.  Give bigger kids & grown-ups ideas for packing healthy lunches with the  EasyLunchboxes 

Cooking With Trader Joe's Cookbook

This fabulous cookbook is full of recipes contributed by your favourite lunch bloggers (Like me! That's one of mine at the top right, below! Simple & sweet.) It's perfect for anyone who packs a lunch in to school or work - or you could get it for yourself to give your family the gift of better lunches all year! 

Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Easy Lunch Boxes is available at bookstores everywhere including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.

Also brought to you by EasyLunchboxes, there's a new community for lunch packers - no matter what brand of containers, bags, coolers, or lunch boxes you use! Let's Pack Lunch! is the place to connect with the very people who packed the lunches in the cookbook, and more!

So there you go, a handful of my favourites, and where to find them. There aren't many shopping days left in this holiday season though, so if it's too late to order from the websites, you can still get some of these from Amazon!

Have a Happy & Healthy Holiday!