Making food interesting to a picky eater takes patience and creativity. My son Roo is going through the phase of eating only specific foods (chicken fingers, applesauce, yogurt, cheese quesadillas). I am trying to help him experience a variety of food and enjoy eating it... Which hasn't gone well... If he lays eyes on cucumbers, he will hide. When I eat carrots, he cries for me to stop...
I am taking the approach of healthy eating to a new level by making food fun.
What could be more fun and appealing than this Tropical Fruit Boat?
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 3/4 cup blueberry or grape juice
- 2 bananas
- 1/2 cup watermelon cubes (1/2-inch)
- 1/2 cup pineapple cubes (1/2-inch)
- 1 cup mango cubes (1/2 inch)
- 2 fruit roll-up sheets, any flavor
- 4 thin pretzel sticks, each 4 inches long
Directions:
- In each of 4 shallow bowls, place ½-cup blueberries and 3 tablespoons juice.
- Cut each banana in half crosswise on a diagonal, then split halves lengthwise.
- In the center of each bowl, arrange 2 banana slices to form the sides of the “boat.”
- Evenly divide the watermelon, pineapple and mango in the banana boats.
- To make the boat “sails,”: on a cutting board, lay one fruit roll-up sheet over the other and press together; cut the double layer into 4 triangles.
- Make 3 small cuts along one edge of each triangle; thread onto pretzel sticks.
- Push the pretzel sail into a fruit cube.
- Serve immediately.
Thanks to my pals at the Blueberry Council for supplying the recipe and image.
