My Secret Sauce

My mom said I was a picky eater when I was a kid, and that one day when I grew up she wished that I would have a little girl who acted exactly like me.

Paybacks are a bitch.

Rylee, my six-year-old, has not been appreciating all my “clean eating” cooking experiments.  Left to her own devices she would survive on buttered toast, ice cream and cereal.  She will eat some fruits and vegetables, which is good, but my biggest dilemma with her is protein.  The only type of poultry she will finish is fried chicken (but only if it is sufficiently hot,)  and only eats fish, red meat, and/or eggs under duress.

But last night I followed the advice of my BFF, Meghan, who suggested I add chia seeds to her spaghetti sauce.  Brilliant!

Chia seeds are an Aztec superfood.  They are packed with omega fatty acids, fiber and protein.  They are also a good thickening agent.  If left in water the seeds turn into a gel, which is kinda weird and cool at the same time.  Also, they don’t really taste like anything, and thus can be hid quite easily.

I put the plain spaghetti on one side of the plate and the chia seed enhanced meat sauce on the opposite corner.  Yes, the food must be segregated.  God forbid the pasta touch the sauce!  (I told you she was picky…)  She ate all of it!  Yay!

Thanks, Meghan, for the tip!

Calling all bloggers, mothers, and food enthusiasts:  Do you have any healthy kid-friendly recipes or tips you’d like to share?  If you blogged about this, you can put a link to your post in the comments section.

Thanks!  Your help is appreciated!

Lisa 😉

• @sheslosingitnet
• http://www.facebook.com/ShesLosingIt.net

Sheslosingit.net (c) 2013 Lisa Traugott.  All rights reserved.  No portion of this blog, including any text, photographs, and artwork, may be reproduced or copied without written permission.