Here is the thing: I have 2 little ones at home. One is a pretty picky eater (5 years old), while the other one (3 years old) is much more adventurous and will actually eat a greater variety of food.
Breakfast for the kids at home varies between cereal with unsweetened almond milk, fruits, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches or sandwiches with Nutella.
As the kids are growing, I try as much as possible to pack on nutrition wherever possible. I look for whole grain snacks (even if it's Goldfish - they have a whole grain variety!), whole grain breads or breads with nuts and juices that have vegetables in them. I stay away from High Fructose Corn Syrup (toxic for the entire body, especially the brain!) and try to buy as much organic as possible. My kids have been growing well, and I want to believe I'm doing a good thing for them!
So here it goes: See the picture below?
Before I spread on Nutella on each slice of whole grains bread, I sprinkle a good amount of whole ground Flaxseed meal on each slice. I then spread Nutella on the bread and again, sprinkle Flaxseed on each slice.
(Note for my Brazilian friends: Flaxseed is "linhaca"!)
One slice goes on top of the other, the edges are removed (yes, my kids don't like the edge!...no big news!) and I cut the Nutella sandwich in 4. Voila!
Here are some important benefits of Flaxseed:
- Great source of Omega-3 fatty acids, like Alpha-Linolenic Acid
- Very high levels of natural antioxidants called Lignans
- High levels of fiber, great for helping reduce the bad LDL cholesterol
- Protein: 2 tablespoons have 3g. Not a lot really, but a nice boost for non meat-eaters and children!
- Minerals such as Calcium and Iron
Note on Nutella: I am not very worried about the amount of sugar in Nutella, as the kids keep active, are growing and get tons of energy from this breakfast. I like to look at the benefits it contains, such as Calcium and Iron, Hazelnuts, no artificial colors and no artificial preservatives and the delicious taste, of course. Nonetheless, I am sure there is a much healthier, let's say less sugary alternative out there. So I'll make it my mission to look for one! I'll keep you posted! I will have to visit my beloved WholeFoods Supermarket for that! Yay!
For now, have a wonderful Sunday!
2 comments:
Try this... Roast hazelnuts still with peel but without shell... Just pop in oven til they smell roasted... Shake them a bit on the tray every few minutes and place back in oven... Pay attention not to let them burn or it the final product will taste burnt and bitter. Then remove from oven, and let cool a bit. Then, use both hands and shuffle a bunch of them so the peel comes off and keep going. Use kitchen equipment to zap them into a hazelnut butter texture and then add some raw cacao powder. To sweeten I add coconut flower sugar or you can replace with a substitute... If too hard add some liquid, maybe try add some almond or coconut milk... ;) let me know how it goes xxx
I love this idea!
I will try it over the weekend, as I won't have time to go to WholeFoods this week anyway!
Thank you, Pat! You're always so creative and great in the kitchen!
XOXOs!
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