Eating clean for Easter: Healthy holiday recipes for kids

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Easter is on Sunday, and if your kids are hungry after hunting for eggs, Jaime Miller, a registered dietitian with Village Health Clubs and Spas, stopped by Good Morning Arizona to share healthy, kid-friendly recipes for the holiday.

Easter Egg Snack

• To make a snack carton, use colored plastic eggs and fill them with the same-colored fruit/veggie/healthy items (edamame in green, strawberries in red, grapes in purple, carrots in orange, yellow bell pepper in yellow, ham in pink, etc.).

Carrots and Hummus

• Fill a paper cup with hummus and place the cup into a small terra cotta pot.
• Poke a hole in the carrots using a toothpick and insert a small piece of parsley.
• “Plant” the carrots in the pot by putting the carrots in the hummus.
• You’ll want 3 to 4 carrots per pot.

Easter Bunny Pancakes: Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ medium banana, ripe
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 egg OR 1 tbsp flax meal + 2.5 tbsp water
• ¼ cup cottage cheese

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with butter or oil and heat over medium-low heat. Drop batter into desired shapes. Cook until bubbles appear on top. Flip cakes and cook until golden brown on the underside. Serve with desired toppings such as fruit, coconut, fresh whipped cream, a drizzle of nut butter, or maple syrup.Serve with desired toppings such as fruit, coconut, fresh whipped cream, drizzle of nut butter or maple syrup.

Carrot Cake Muffins

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (150g), or gluten-free flour
• ½ cup rolled oats (50g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp nutmeg

Wet Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed overripe banana (240g), two medium
• 1 cup grated carrots (120g), 2-3 medium carrots (not bagged matchstick carrots)
• ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce (70g)
• 2 eggs, or 2 tbsp flax meal + 5 tbsp water to make flax eggs
• ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
• 3 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Combine the dry and wet ingredients until they are combined. It is important not to overmix. Scoop batter evenly into a greased, lined or silicon 12-cup muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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