Kale is one of those veggies that are SO good for you…but for people like me who are really sensitive to bitter flavors…kale can be quite a challenge to eat!  At least they used to be a challenge…that was until I discovered making kale chips!!!!  They end up being these crunchy pieces of goodness that I cannot get enough of and they’re a healthy snack!  The other thing I love about making kale chips is that it’s the perfect recipe to make with kids!

Ingredients:
• Bunch of kale
• Olive oil
• Sea Salt
• Garlic Powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash and dry the kale leaves.
3. Remove the leaves from their stem by holding the base of the stem and with your other hand slightly pinch and rub up the stem. Just like we do in our video
4. Rip the kale into smaller bite size pieces.
5. Place the kale on a baking sheet and pour on the olive oil.
6. Be sure to really massage the oil into all the leaves or have your kids paint it on!
7. Sprinkle with Sea Salt. We also like to add a pinch of garlic powder.
8. Spread the leaves around so that they aren’t touching – you want a single spaced out layer on your baking sheet.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 – 15 mins. Every oven is different so for your first batch keep a close eye on them so they don’t start to burn!
10. After they’ve cooled down you can easily earn your green magnet enjoying by your healthy, crispy, tasty Kale Chips!

Here is our new video on how to make a delicious batch of kale chips with your kids!  In the Rainbow Kitchen

Happy Healthy Eating,
Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

Making your own apple sauce is really easy and it’s another great thing to make with your kids!  They can wash the apples, peel the apples and if they are comfortable with a knife then they can help you chop up the apples too!  We sometimes like to have apple sauce as a treat after dinner and sometimes we just love having it as a little snack

We prefer to make our apple sauce without sugar, we just choose a naturally sweet and juicy variety of apple like red or golden delicious!

All you need:

1 pound of apples
5 -6 tablespoons of water
cinnamon (to taste we like to use a lot of cinnamon!)

Wash the apples.  Peel them, remove the core and then slice into small chunks. Place your apples into a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the  heat to a simmer and sprinkle in your cinnamon. Simmer the apples until t soft. Be sure to stir often to prevent burning!!!  We learned that the hard way   Once they are nice and soft you can serve warm or cold!

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

On the weekends and during summer holidays my daughter usually wants a little snack between breakfast and lunch so we usually come up with something healthy to snack on.  I am a big believer in presentation…it only takes an extra couple of minutes but it can make a meal or a snack so much for fun!  We like using cute trays, small glasses and  fun little bowls to jazz things up a little   We all eat with our eyes so when you have time why not make a healthy snack more appealing by making it cute and fun!  Cute and fun works for all the processed food aimed to get your child’s attention so you might as well do the same when it comes to healthy food!

Try slicing produce in different ways and display it in things like small glasses or poke a toothpick through it to create a fun element to the snack!  Take a look at this colorful healthy snack I made with my daughter yesterday!

• Glass of water
• Apple slices with cinnamon
• Green bean sticks
• Sunflower seeds
• Peach chunks
• Nectarine slices

At our house snack time always means fruits and/or veggies!  If you set the habit that those are the items available for a snack in between meals it’s really easy to get in the minimum 5 fruits and veggies your kids need to be eating every day!!!

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

Our school year is winding down, just two weeks to go, that means we won’t be making school lunches for a couple of months!  So before we put away our lunch gear I thought I’d share how we tackle school lunches! Making lunches is a group effort at our house…that way one person isn’t left having to make lunches every single day. We have fun putting together healthy combinations and since we’re the Today I Ate A Rainbow family, we’re always sure to include colourful fruits and veggies!!!

I  like to involve Hannah in the lunch making process because I think it’s important for her to feel comfortable in kitchen and learn skills that will last a lifetime! We usually put together her lunches the night before school because our mornings are busy enough! She washes the fruit and veggies, chops things that are easy such as cucumbers, fills her water bottle and helps out any way that she can.  Our goal is for her to make her own lunches so the more we teach her now…the sooner that will happen!

The only thing I always do myself, is write her a note. Sometimes it’s a knock knock joke, sometimes it’s just a funny doodle, and others are messages of encouragement and love! It’s a way for me to be a part of her day at school and remind her that she’s special!

Making lunches together is a great time to connect with your child!  If your kids are finished the school year already then get them involved in making lunches at home!  Maybe they’ll even make you lunch one day!

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

After a fun trip to the farmers market Hannah and I made roasted rainbow carrots for dinner!  We’re so used to seeing orange carrots that it’s such a treat for our eyes to see bright yellow and deep purple carrots!  Purple just happens to be my daughters favorite color so whenever we come across purple produce she is more than excited to try it.

We like to cook together as a family as often as possible as there are so many opportunities for little ones to learn and help out in the kitchen!

Look at that purple!!!!

Sunny yellow carrots!

I pretty much just watched Hannah prepare this…she took charge and had a blast…I was so proud to be HER assistant this time!

Ta da!!!  Our delicious roasted rainbow carrots!

I would like to encourage you to get your kids involved in the kitchen, yes it can sometimes mean that things take twice as long and can be twice as messy when they first start helping out, but if you keep at it you might be pleasantly surprised and find yourself being the helper just like I did this weekend!

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!