When it comes to building healthy lifestyles in your home, there are endless ways to infuse your snacks, apps and meals with nutrient-dense veggies. It’s one thing to eat healthy food – it’s another thing entirely to celebrate it and love it every day. As a parent, finding a healthy veggie-based recipe that your kids love is like winning the lottery. That’s why we’re so thrilled that Loubies and Lulu is sharing her new, kid-approved recipe for Mini Pepper Poppers: jackpot!
A healthy diet full of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients is vital for kids to grow and develop a healthy, happy lifestyle. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Healthy diets don’t always come easy and everyone has their own preferences. That’s okay! Parents are the most creative and innovative people in the world, so there is no shortage of tips and tricks to encourage healthy eating in a fun and flavorful way.
One of the easiest ways to infuse each meal with a healthy helping of vitamins is to simply sneak some nutrient-dense foods – like spinach, carrots, broccoli and peppers – into your kids favorite recipes. It’s great to make sure your kids’ diets are full of the right ingredients, no matter what tricks you have to use!
What’s even better is when you can prepare a new kid-approved recipe that truly celebrates fresh produce and makes healthy veggies the star of the show!
Sure, snacking veggies like Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are absolutely loaded with Vitamin C, fiber, B6 and iron, but – more importantly – kids love them for their super sweet, juicy flavor and satisfying crunch. There’s no tricking needed – they’re just that good.
Snacking veggies like Juno® Bites Red Grape Tomatoes and Uno Bites™ Nano Cucumbers are other great options for snacking at school, at home or on the go. Even the pickiest kids like some combination of these three amazing veggies.
Each of them is incredibly versatile and can be paired with a smorgasbord of kid-friendly dips, cheeses and much more. Grape tomatoes can be sprinkled in with noodles in a lunchtime bento box, while Aurora Bites can be grilled with sausages on a Saturday afternoon.
When it comes to dinnertime, these same versatile snacking veggies can be used as the foundation of incredibly tasty (and incredibly healthy) family meals and appetizers.
Our friend Andrea from Loubies and Lulu recently shared with us one of her favorite family finger food recipes that showcases the naturally vibrant flavor of Aurora Bites while giving everyone a boost of nutrients they need.
Her fast-track to flavor combines savory chicken, BBQ sauce and, yes, even bacon, with these super sweet mini peppers. We love it, kids love it, and we think you’ll love it too.
Start by cooking several strips of bacon in the oven at 350ºF until they’re just as crispy as you like.
While the bacon is sizzling, prepare the peppers by slicing them lengthwise and removing seeds to create a “boat.”
This is the perfect chance to get your kids in the kitchen so you can explore the wonderful world of fresh veggies together.
In a bowl, combine shredded chicken, mayo and buffalo-style barbecue sauce. Have your little helpers mix the ingredients together well. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for easy clean-up, your kids can help fill each “boat.”
Let them chill in the fridge for an hour or more, or in the freezer for 20 minutes. This helps everything cook evenly later on.
Fifteen minutes before it’s time to eat, pop your poppers right in the oven at 425ºF. After about ten to twelve minutes, they should start to bubble – that’s how you know it’s time to remove them and let them cool for another two or three minutes.
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve your fresh and flavorful finger foods on a large platter that everyone can dive into.
What’s great about this simple recipe is that it’s healthy, flavorful and versatile. It can be an after-school app to enjoy before dinner, a complementary side dish, or a savory snack to enjoy during a movie or football game.
Feel free to experiment with new and exciting fillings made with other ingredients your kids love. They might enjoy peppers filled with cheesy bacon or a pizza stuffing. For a bit of Mediterranean flair, try our Aurora Boats recipe with creamy feta cheese and sweet balsamic.
To view, download or print the full recipe for Loubies and Lulu’s Mini Pepper Poppers recipe, click here.
