It's all about hearts and the color red during February with Valentine's Day and the national celebration of Healthy Heart Month. Have some fun with your family and plan a healthy themed dinner to celebrate. During the week, set the kids to work as they plan crafts and centerpieces for your upcoming meal.
Menu
RED Sauce over Spaghetti
Tossed Salad with RED Radishes & Tomatoes
RED Strawberry & Vanilla Yogurt Layered Parfait
Activities
Choose an activity that is best suited to your child's personality. Or, let them flex their imaginative muscles and do them all!
Crafters: Have kids cut out heart shapes in any color paper. Help kids write a Valentine's Day message in the center. Tear tissue paper into small pieces and crumple into balls. Glue crumpled paper onto cards to decorate. Or, color with crayons.
Artists: Have kids fold any color paper in half. For the front of the menu, kids can draw a name and logo for their restaurant. On the inside, kids can draw pictures of the dinner menu items. Decorate with Valentine's Day stickers or crumpled tissue paper balls.
Writers: Have kids create a restaurant menu with heart health facts. List the facts on the menu cover. Older kids can create a few extra menus with heart healthy foods to serve later in the month.
Cooks: Depending on their skill level, pick an activity that is safe and fun for kids.
Cap the strawberries.
Wash the lettuce for salad. Tear into bite size pieces.
Slice the strawberries, tomatoes and radishes.
Heat and stir the sauce.
Layer the yogurt parfait.
Serve plates with spaghetti and spoon on the sauce.
Prepare salad with radishes and tomatoes.
Shake on the Parmesan.
Bonus RED Game: Spend a few minutes during dinner to see who can list the most foods that are red. Will the winner get out of cleaning up after dinner?
For more dinner ideas, download a copy of Need Help Mom? on Amazon.
