10 New Fun, Delicious, and Nutritious Recipes to Help Your Children Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

“We Scare Because We Care” – Pixar’s Monster’s, Inc

 

Are your children scared of trying and eating fruits and vegetables? Do they think produce that is a little more exotic like artichokes, horned melon, dragon fruit, star fruit, kiwi, and plantains are like little monsters? Well good news! If you love Pixar’s Monster’s Inc. as much as we do, you’ll be excited to know that Dole has teamed up with Disney on the Fruits and Veggies Don’t Have to Be Scary Initiative to create 10 NEW nutritional recipes based on the movie that feature a variety of fruits and vegetables!

 

Activities and Digital Downloads 

 

Dole has also created some really fun activities and digital downloads for children including mazes, flip games, and make your own masks!

 

 

 

 

DIY Monster Craft 

 

And as a child play therapist I know children can have a lot of anxiety from trying new foods. That’s why I created this fun, DIY monster puppet craft tutorial for you to create with your children! It should inspire them and even help them eat their fruits and vegetables! Typically if children feed new foods to a puppet, doll, or stuffed animal first, they are more likely to try it!

 

 

All you need are some large white socks that are big enough for them to put their hands inside, some glue, and some other decorations like eye balls, pom poms, buttons, stickers, and fabric markers! Honestly just find things around the house that you can glue onto the sock to make it look like a monster! Be as creative as possible!

 

 

 

And here are the new recipes that you will love making and eating with your children!

 

Recipes

*Recipe photos provided by Dole

 

Slippery Slimy Smoothie

 

 

I found that the smoothie was the easiest and quickest recipe to make! My children and I both enjoyed the taste! It took less than 10 minutes and we had all the ingredients in our home so it will definitely be made again and again all summer long!

 

1. BLEND spinach, banana, grapes, cucumber, almond milk and Greek yogurt together in a blender until smooth.
2. POUR smoothie into two glasses and serve.

 

Green Slimesicles

 

 

This is next on our list to make!! Don’t these look incredible? And so perfect for a hot summer day!

1. PUREE spinach, banana, pineapple, water and vanilla in blender until smooth.
2. POUR into 6 (1/3 cup) ice pop molds. Freeze for 4 to 6 hours or until firm.

 

Sulley Banana Dip 

 

 

This looks so fun and delicious – I can’t wait to make this with my children.

 

 

INGREDIENTS

1. PUREE banana, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and teal food coloring in blender until blended – dip will be a bright teal color. Stir in dried blueberries and cherries.
2. SERVE dip with apple wedges and grapes.

 

Chicken Stuffed Roz Heads 

1. STIR together chicken, grapes, celery, yogurt, salt and pepper.
2. SCOOP four equal portions (about ½ cup) onto a serving plate to make 4 servings. Shape each into an oval.
3. TOP with upside down avocado half.
4. DECORATE each avocado half to resemble Roz’s face. Using a sharp paring knife, trim each pretzel twist to create the lens of her horn-rimmed glasses (cut off the double loop section of each pretzel twist and discard or enjoy as a snack, keeping the single loop portion which will become one lens. You will need 2 lenses per Roz Head). Place two pretzel lenses on each avocado to form her glasses. Add a pretzel stick to each side of avocado to form the arms of her glasses. Push 4 pretzel sticks into the top of each avocado to form her hair. Add a strawberry slice, trimmed to look like lips for her mouth and a dried blueberry to the lower left side of her face to form her mole.

 

Mike Wazowski Fruit Snack 

 

1. PLACE kiwi ovals upside down on top of each oval pineapple slice to resemble Mike’s head. Place each pineapple sliced on a melon oval on a plate.
2. SCOOP out 4 balls from dragon fruit slice with 1/4 tsp for Mike’s l bulging eyeball (snack on scraps). Place each dragon fruit eyeball on top third of kiwi. Add a dried blueberry to form the pupil.
3. WITH a sharp paring knife, trim half kiwi into Mike’s dangly legs and arms and add to sides and bottom of kiwi, draped over the pineapple. Add two almond slivers to top of each kiwi to form the smiling mouth and two more almond slivers protruding out of the top of Mike’s head to his horns.
4. SCOOP out horned melon and drizzle around Mike directly onto the plate.

 

 

Green Slime Nacho Cups 

 

 

This recipe takes about 25 minutes to make but only 7 ingredients!

 

1. PREHEAT oven to 400˚F. Toss plantain slices with oil and season with pinch salt. Arrange slices in a single layer with no overlapping on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
2. BAKE for 16-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Take baking sheet out of the oven and flip plantain slices over about halfway through cook time.
3. SCOOP out flesh of avocado with a spoon into small bowl and mash, reserving half an avocado shell. Stir mashed avocado with lime juice, garlic and remaining salt. Stir in slaw reserving a few shreds for garnish. Scoop into reserved avocado shell and smooth top with back of spoon. Stick reserved cabbage shreds out of avocado mixture to look like hair.
4. SERVE slime nacho cups with plantain chips.

 

Little Boo Brussels Sprouts Bites 

 

 

I have to admit I did not like Brussels Sprouts when I was younger, but I love them now. It is an acquired taste – but if you start young, children will adapt to the taste much better than waiting until they are older to try them!

 

1. TOSS together Brussels sprouts and oil until well coated.
2. PLACE in air-fryer bowl. Cook on 350ºF setting for 12 to 14 minutes or until crispy and golden.
3. STIR together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper until blended.
4. SERVE crispy Brussels sprouts with yogurt dip.

 

Oodles of Monster Swoodles

 

 

This recipe is such a great option to make for dinner! I love that the noodles are made from sweet potatoes!

 

 

INGREDIENTS

1. HEAT oil in large skillet set over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds. Add spiralized noodles, and cook, stirring occasionally with tongs for 15 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes, salt and pepper until combined. Cook for 1 minute longer or until tomatoes are heated through.
2. DIVIDE among bowls. Serve with some of the noodles hanging down sides of the bowl to form “tentacles”.
3. DRIZZLE with remaining 1 tsp of olive oil and lemon juice before serving.

 

Monster Mash 

 

 

I cannot wait to make this side dish! I love mashed potatoes – and this recipe has a special twist to add some vegetables like spinach! This recipe takes about 30 minutes and the longest of this bunch, but I guarantee it is worth the wait!

 

1. ADD potatoes and plantains to medium saucepan. Cover with water. Stir in olive oil and maple syrup; bring to a gentle boil.
2. COOK for 20 minutes or until tender, adding spinach in the last minute of cooking to wilt. Drain reserving 1/3 cup cooking liquid.
3. ADD plantain and potato mixture and reserved cooking liquid back to hot saucepan. Mash with a masher tool or the back of a fork until smooth and creamy. Mix in dried basil and season with salt and pepper.

 

Monstropolis Waffles

 

 

1. PUREE plantains, water, oil, apple sauce, egg whites, flour and salt in blender until smooth.
2. PREHEAT and grease waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions.
3. DIVIDE batter in half. Ladle half into waffle iron to cover about two-thirds of the grid surface. Close the lid. Cook until steam stops emerging from the waffle iron, and waffles are golden brown and cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Cut waffles into sections and divide among 2 plates.
4. TOSS together blueberries, kiwi and maple syrup for easy fruit compote. Serve over waffle sections.

 

Disney Banana Stickers

 

You can also find Dole banana sticker peel and play digital downloads on the website! So next time you are at the grocery store, look out for Mike Wazowski and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan from Monsters, Inc., on millions of DOLE® Bananas and Pineapples and start collecting all the different stickers on your sheet!  

 

In the meantime, tell me which recipe is your favorite? And stay tuned for a BIG giveaway next week!

 

This post is sponsored by Dole but all opinions are my own