“Olive You” Valentine’s Day Menu

Valentine’s Day is a day for love and spending time with those that mean the world to you. There’s no better way to celebrate than by inviting your kids into the kitchen to help you assemble a healthy meal that everyone can enjoy! This is the perfect opportunity to show the kids how fun and easy it is to try a new fruit or veggie as part of your celebration of love.

Brighter Bites believes there is always room for fruits and vegetables in your meals, whether it be with your entree, side dish, or dessert. Remember that children need at least 2-3 servings of fruit and 3 servings of vegetables per day.

We know that introducing new foods to children may be challenging, so we created a fun Brighter Bites Valentine’s Day menu to show your loved ones HUMMUS you love them! Here are some great Brighter Bites recipes full of fruits and veggies that are sure to please.

I love you with VEGGIE PIZZA my heart: First we have an entrée with assorted veggies like bell peppers, yellow squash or zucchini, onions, and tomatoes on a base of whole wheat tortilla. Your child can add the toppings! Valentine’s bonus points for cutting the tortilla in the shape of a heart <3

We make the PERFECT PEAR and Brussels Sprout Salad: As a side dish, we have a salad that includes both veggies and fruits. Your child can mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Remember that the more kids help in the kitchen, the more likely they are to try new things!

I love you from my head TOMATOES Basil Soup: Show your kids and loved ones how much you love them with this great side dish. Soups are a great way to add more vegetables to kids’ meals if they are picky about certain veggie textures. You can also add the basil to the veggie pizza for some added flavor!

You’re the APPLE (Cake) of my eye: For dessert, we have a sweet cake recipe with apples and bananas, two familiar fruits that kids love! If you are feeling extra lovey-dovey, you could also make this cake in the shape of a heart or cut the fruit slices into little hearts!

Remember that what you do as a parent is important for getting your kids excited about fruits and vegetables. Include them in the preparation of your meals while keeping in mind that kids:

• are more willing to try foods that they made;
• eat with their eyes, so choose fruits and veggies that are bright in color and look appealing;
• are more likely to try foods that you eat;
• love finger foods, so try cutting fruits and veggies into fun shapes and snackable sizes.

This Valentine’s Day encourage your children to try new fruits and veggies and continue making them part of their meals. Let us know if you try out any of our recipes by tagging us on social media @brighterbites. We love seeing your pics!