healthy eating

The Coconut Craze

10 FUN FACTS ABOUT COCONUTS

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about kids, it’s that kids love to learn—especially if what they’re learning is quirky and fun! Try out these fun facts about coconut on your kids:

1. Coconuts are not a nut; they are a fruit, related to peaches and plums because, like those fruits (called “drupes”), they have a single seed at their center.

2. The word coconut comes from the Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which means “grinning face” or “skull.” It was named by 16th century sailors who thought the coconut shell looked like the face of a monkey!

3 FUN & HEALTHY RECIPES FOR THE 4th OF JULY

RED-WHITE-AND-BLUE COCONUT CREAMSICLES

A creamsicle might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of healthy foods–but this homemade red-white-and-blue version, made with fresh berries, coconut milk and a little sugar-free coconut-milk ice cream and honey, is as healthy as a yummy, kid-friendly dessert can get. The recipe was created for a child with dairy sensitivities; if you prefer, use low-fat dairy milk and ice cream, which will also reduce the sugar content a bit.

Recipe adapted from kaylaaimee.com.
Used with permission.

COOKING UP SOME HEALTHY FUN

If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be starting a blog dedicated to healthy foods, healthy cooking and healthy eating, I would have said she was crazy.

I mean, I’m not known as the healthiest of eaters. (My family, friends and housemates will corroborate.) Sometimes I skip meals. Sometimes—especially if I’ve skipped a meal—I stop at a drive-through for a burger. Sometimes I open a can for dinner and call it good. I have a weakness for pie and ice cream. Red wine. Dark chocolate. And I’ve never thought of vegetables as my closest friends.

So how do I explain Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli and Once Upon a Parsnip, picture books that feature veggies, of all things?