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The Four

Wellness for the Family: Gift Ideas from the Heart for the Stomach

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Every February we are sure to find grocery aisles filled with heart-shaped chocolates and candy fill for Valentine’s Day. While it’s fine to enjoy in those favorite sweets every once in a while, consider these healthy ways to spruce up your child’s Valentine’s Day lunch or a fruit-based dessert. Fruit/vegetable cutters in heart shapes available at many groceries and online retailers are great tools for these treats.

Bento Box Lunch. Combine pinwheels made of a whole wheat tortilla, veggies such as lettuce and avocado, and a protein of choice with heart-shaped vegetables and a dipping sauce.  Hard vegetables such as bell peppers of various colors, cucumbers, and celery are the easiest to cut and dip. 

Edible arrangement. Cut strawberries and pineapples into heart shapes using a fruit/vegetable cutter. Take it from me and avoid bananas and kiwis as these are too soft to cut and may disintegrate when it comes time to dip in the chocolate. Place on safe spears and dip in melted chocolate. White chocolate chips with red food coloring was used for this bouquet. To reduce the amount of chocolate, consider half dipping fruit and leaving some undipped. When chocolate is set, prepare a glass with colored tissue paper on the bottom and arrange sticks. Voila!

Safety note: make sure to use spears for the fruit that are safe for children to use. Popsicle sticks and lollipop sticks that have a soft edge are among better choices.

To connect with Shanthi Appelö from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan .

 

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