We appeared on ABC's View from the Bay doing a segment on Simple Meal Makeovers of Unhealthy Kids' Meals. If you missed our previous appearance, you can see the clip here.  As always, we had  a lot of fun - Janelle and Spencer have got to be the nicest TV hosts around. 
You know the unhealthy kids' meals we're talking about: hot dogs, pizza, and chicken nuggets.  They're high in saturated fats and sodium, and they're low in nutrition.  Too much of these foods and you set up cravings for fat and sodium that carry into adulthood (not to mention creating unadventurous and unhealthy eating habits!).  Our demo recipe was Fruit Fizz, a healthy alternative for soda using fresh juices, agave nectar, and mineral water!

So here are all the recipes for the meal makeovers.  Let us know how you and your kids liked them!

      
              BEFORE: Chicken Nuggets                                    AFTER: Dinner on a Stick

Dinner on a Stick

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Fresh vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and snap peas
Fresh fruit such as grapes, strawberries, and melon balls


1) Combine yogurt, salt, and pepper.
2) Marinate chicken chunks in yogurt mixture for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
3) Using long wooden or metal skewers, skewer the chicken.  Dispose of the marinade you used for the chicken. 
4) Cook on the grill or use an oven.

Oven Instructions: Preheat oven to 400º F.   Place skewers across a foil-lined 9 x 13-inch oven-safe pan. Cook in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until chicken juices run clear when cut.

5) Skewer fresh vegetables and serve alongside Peanut Sate Sauce, hummus, plain yogurt, or your favorite dip.
6) Skewer fresh fruit.

         
            BEFORE: Hot Dog and Fries                      AFTER: Mini Meatloaf and Sweet Potato Fries

Mini Meatloaf

If you like, you can skip the potatoes in this recipe and just use 1.5-2 lb lean ground turkey breast.  The recipe for baked sweet potato fries is found here.

1 lb lean ground turkey breast
1 lb potatoes, boiled and mashed
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Bold & Smoky Kansas City Style Barbeque Sauce
1/2 small yellow onion
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To brush on top:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Bold & Smoky Kansas City Style Barbeque Sauce

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Oil muffin tins or spray well with non-stick cooking spray.
3) In a large bowl, combine and thoroughly mix all of the ingredients.
4) Fill the muffin tins with the mixture, using 1/2 cup for each "muffin."  Using your fingers, shape each one into a mounded muffin shape.
5) Combine the ketchup and barbeque sauce and brush the top of muffins.
6) Bake for about 30 minutes (If you have a meat thermometer, they are done when the very center measures 170 degrees).  When they're done, run a knife along the edge of each muffin and pop them out of the tin.

Makes about 10 mini meatloaves.


      
                        BEFORE: Pizza                                                 AFTER: Quesadilla Dippers

Quesadilla Dippers

1 large flour tortilla
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup cooked chicken or Just Chicken, cut into small pieces
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Salsa
Organic Black Beans (canned)

1) Place tortilla in a very lightly oiled pan over medium heat.
2) Sprinkle on cheese and add chicken across the half the tortilla.
3) When cheese starts melting, fold the tortilla in half.
4) Flip quesadilla and grill on other side for an additional minute.
5) Cut quesadilla into triangles and serve alongside small bowls of each condiment and one bowl of heated black beans.


Fruit Fizz:
Soda has got to be one of the biggest culprits in bad eating habits. Consisting of nothing but chemicals, high fructose corn syrup, and often caffeine, it has no place in a child's diet. It might not be such a coincidence that the rise of high fructose corn syrup products about 30-40 years ago correlates with the rise of obesity in this country. Instead, try to cut back on sugary drinks in general and have kids drink more water or milk. For a soda substitute, try our Fruit Fizz recipes which rely on agave nectar (or fruit fructose) as the sweetener. Agave nectar won't cause the same sugar spike as soda and it also dissolves readily in cold drinks, unlike honey.


Citrus Fruit Fizz

1 Tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 Tbsp lime (1/2 lime)
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 cup sparkling mineral water
Raspberries (optional)

1) Stir juices and agave nectar together in a glass.
2) Add water.
3) For fun, add fresh raspberries as an edible garnish.


Pomegranate Fruit Fizz

1/3 cup 100% Pomegranate Juice
2/3 cup sparkling mineral water
Pomegranate seeds (optional)

1) Stir juice and mineral water in a glass.
2) Add pomegranate seeds as an edible garnish. They'll float to the top and add a festive flair.


One last thought: For those times that you do go out to a restaurant, we suggest that you skip the kids' menu and instead encourage your children to order something off the regular menu. They can share an order with a sibling or with you. By ordering off the regular menu, you'll have much better food options and you'll also create more adventurous eaters! Forget about mac-n-cheese and chicken nuggets. Eating out should be a time for kids (and adults) to explore wonderful and different foods.