Food For Kids Archives | Joyful Messes

The Benefits of Cooking Together as a Family

Food is more than just a source of nourishment; it brings people together and strengthens relationships. Families cooking together can profoundly impact the family’s health, relationship, and overall well-being. This article will explore the benefits of cooking together and how it can positively impact your life. What are the Benefits of Cooking Together as a Family Preparing food together is an excellent way to spend quality time with loved ones. It is a fun and interactive activity that encourages communication, cooperation, and creativity. Cooking together allows family members to bond over a shared interest and create positive memories that last a lifetime. Moreover, cooking together has many health benefits, such as better control over ingredients, improved nutrition, and increased consumption of vegetables. Health Benefits of Family Cooking One of the biggest benefits of cooking together is that it allows for better control over ingredients. Families can choose healthier ingredients and control portion sizes when they…

Toddler Lunch Meal Prep to Make Your Week Easier

The life of a mom with toddlers can be hectic, and sometimes feels like we are constantly running behind schedule! From the constant toy clean-up to the meals that require special prep to ensure the foods are safe, tasty, and healthy, and everything in between. A mother’s work is never done! Many “life hacks” can save you time throughout your day. Prepping your toddler’s lunch meals for the week is one of these such hacks. You can do it in about the same time it takes you to prep their lunch once! Here are some tips for practical meal prep for your toddler’s lunches to make your week easier. Bento Box The Bento Box is one of the most effective tools for creating school lunches full of flavor, color, and nutrients. This is a way to keep your toddler happily eating healthy foods! With multiple spill-proof sections, they are easy lunchboxes…

Baby-Led Weaning

Your precious baby is growing before your eyes, and you know the time is nearing to introduce them to something other than breastmilk or formula. While this is a significant milestone for every baby, it can be stressful for the parents! What foods to start with, how to introduce them, and when exactly to start are essential things to consider. You may have been hearing about this not-so-new trend called “Baby-Led Weaning” and are wondering what exactly it is. When you hear this phrase and hear that it often starts around six months old, you may be wondering why wean your sweet baby so early? Baby-led weaning isn’t referring to weaning your infant off breastmilk or formula. It simply refers to beginning to introduce solids on your infant’s readiness schedule instead of baby cereal or jarred baby food. How To Know If Your Baby Is Ready One of the…

Kid Friendly Finger Foods for NYE

Since New Year’s Eve is a special night for everyone, it can be fun to have some kid friendly finger foods, adult appetizers, and other special treats for everyone to enjoy. The fun of New Year’s Eve is to stay up so that you can ring in the new year. If you are planning on staying in and spending the new year with the kids this New Year’s Eve, having some tasty finger foods for kids is a must. These kid friendly finger foods are perfect for New Year’s Eve and for ringing in the new year. They are easy to put together and everyone will love enjoying them during the celebration. Garlic Chicken Pinwheels An easy kid friendly finger food that only takes a few ingredients to make, these garlic chicken pinwheels are a delicious New Year’s Eve treat. Basic Cauliflower Fritters Simple and tasty, these easy cauliflower fritters…

Christmas Cookie Roundup – Festive & Fun Christmas Cookies

These fun and festive Christmas cookies are a delicious way to get everyone in the holiday spirit this year. These cookies are cute, easy to make, and super tasty. These holiday cookies are also a fun way to get the kids and the family involved with holiday baking. As everyone gathers in the kitchen to create and decorate their favorite Christmas cookies, just think of how many memories will be made! These cute Christmas cookies are perfect for holiday parties, family gatherings, or just to enjoy as a sweet treat throughout the day during the holidays and festivities. Don’t forget to leave some out for Santa! 1. Christmas Wreath Cookies These Christmas wreath cookies are shaped and decorated like a beautiful red and green Christmas wreath. 2. Sour Cream Sugar Cookies Simple and delicious, these easy-to-make sugar cookies are cut out into holiday shapes and decorated with cream cheese frosting.…

Nutritious Spins Of Foods Both Kids + Moms Love

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Conagra Brands#ad #goodeats Staying healthy can be more difficult as the fall and winter approach, and all the cravings for the best comfort foods start hitting us. Pumpkin spice is already here before September! It is also a busy time of year with school, drop offs and pick ups, after school activities and home work. I am new to the school schedule, after homeschooling, and I thought with the kids gone a few hours I would be in HEAVEN! But, there is a lot to do, with a less time after school. We are still struggling with getting our reading and writing practice in, as well as some computer work, so quick and nutritious dinner or meal options for myself and the kids are a lifesavers! Frozen food options have come a LONG way from TV dinners. I am personally a…

Why This High-Protein Pizza Is My Go-To Lunch Staple For Picky Eaters

This post is sponsored by Sweet Earth, but all opinions and thoughts are my own! #ad #SweetEarth #ConsciousbyChoice Back-to-school season is officially here in Florida, which being a Pacific Northwestern, it seems a little crazy to be starting school the beginning of August. This means I have to wake up early, pack food and get everyone dressed in one, quick swoop. In order to accomplish this with all three of my boys, I HAVE to have lunches and snacks packed the night before. My children are also not big eaters and very picky. This makes packing a lunch they will actually eat very challenging. I made the mistake of packing two cookies for dessert, and of course he ATE NOTHING but the cookies. That was a fail on the first day, so I needed to get smarter. My first-grader also won’t eat a tuna or turkey sandwich because it gets…

Creating a Kid-Friendly Hot Dog Bar This Summer

This post is sponsored by Tyson Foods, Inc. All comments and opinions are my own. Summer grilling is just around the corner and my kids LOVE hot dogs. We grill outside frequently living in South Florida, and I often set up little bars or tables of snacks and hot dogs that the kids can reach, grab and assemble on their own! I prefer to have a kids table set up because it allows me to keep the kids entertained and fed without a lot of effort on my end. If I don’t have to get plates and drinks for all of the kids and monitor their eating, then I can socialize and enjoy the evening much more! One of my biggest mom tips is shopping at Sam’s Club! It’s a great place to stock up for your family. Since we entertain a lot in the summer, I like going at…

Simple Summer Entertaining With A Pizza Board

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreschettaFresh #CollectiveBias Cheeseboards are all the rage for entertaining throughout the year, but they don’t work well for the warm summer months. Cheese go soft and lose their texture in the warm weather, so I have another simple entertaining idea for you – A Pizza Board! These are so simple and fun, yet they offer an awesome way to entertain for the summer. I’m going to go over my essentials for a good pizza board, which includes a frozen pizza because that is so simple! From there, I doctor up the board with snacks, dips, veggies and fruit to allow for lots of different sampling and munching. As a mom of three boys, entertaining has to be simple, easy and yummy. Freschetta is an awesome problem solver when it comes to fresh, yummy…

5 Ways To Make PB+J Just A Little Better

#ad This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Peanut butter and jelly is an all-time favorite here. As in, almost-daily staple because my kids love it, and I actually love feeding it to them. Fat and protein in the peanut butter is amazing for growing brains. It keeps them satiated, helps build muscle and brain power, and the little bit of sugar from the jam gives them immediate energy! It also tastes amazing, and there are no negotiations when it comes to eating. Sometimes I get bored making peanut butter and jelly, so to spice things up for back to school and make things just a little bit better, I came up with 5 ways to improve the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, plus I have a recipe for peanut butter and jelly bars!! They…

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