If there is one thing most women seem to be seeking daily, it’s balance.  Anna Getty is one of these women.  Only, instead of just seeking balance in her daily life, she has made it her mission to find balance while fulfilling a remarkable number of roles: actress, fashion maven, chef, yoga teacher, writer, green & holistic lifestyle expert.  On top of all of those positions, Anna Getty is also a mother.  Here, Anna pulls together her expertise and wisdom, gained from years of passionate study about health and nutrition, and shares a some of her favorite tips and a recipe that will help you feed your children in a healthy, balanced way.

Okay, so I don’t know a single mom or parent for that matter who is NOT trying to get their kid to eat. We as parents are a part of this weird club and it’s not very fun most of the time. We bribe, we finagle, we beg and we manipulate, in short we will do anything to get our kids to eat food and if we are lucky, wholesome food that will help our children grow and their brains develop not the junk food variety. So here are a few tips and recipes that have helped me along the way with my children.

My daughter is a self-proclaimed vegetarian so getting efficient amounts of protein into her is sometimes an issue. So we drink a lot of smoothies in our house. There are a lot of great protein powders on the market including rice protein, pea protein, hemp, soy, whey amongst others. What is important is to vary them so as to not develop an allergy to any one protein. There are also a lot of flavors. Look for powders without added sugar and let your kids help make the smoothie. Freeze fruit in baggies in advance and have fun. Below is one of my go-tos my daughter never rejects. There is something really yummy about Strawberries and Bananas. If your child is allergic to strawberries substitute them with blueberries.

This recipe calls for rice milk but feel free to use another milk. This smoothie can be transported to school in a Thermos.

Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie
1 ripe banana
 (fresh or frozen)
4 strawberries (fresh or frozen)

4-6 ice cubes
 (omit if using frozen fruit)
10 oz. rice milk

2 dates (pitted)

2 table spoons rice protein powder
Place all ingredients in a blender and process till smooth. Add more milk for a thinner consistency.

Starting off the day right is important, that means a hearty breakfast, not one filled with sugar. First get your kid hydrated with a nice glass of water, in our house we call it “washing our belly out.” I have noticed that giving things fun names makes my kids more likely to jump into any given process.

My daughter was getting bored with scrambled eggs and toast so one day I decided to get out a bag of cookie cutters and cut out a shape in a piece of bread and then fry the egg in the cut out shape and toast the little piece of cut out, served along side the “egg in the hole.” My daughter loves this and every time we do this she picks a different cookie cutter. Sometimes a heart, a flower, a shamrock, around the holidays it’s a Christmas tree or a Santa. Her plate is clean before we get into the car for school.
I found that the more I fight to get my kids to eat the more they fight me. If I ease up and get creative they work with me and it’s more fun for everyone.

Anna Getty is an actress, fashionista, chef, author, lifestyle guru, prenatal yoga goddess and, mother.  For more of Anna’s tips, and to learn more about  her books, Anna Getty’s Easy Green Organic Kitchen and I’m Dreaming Of A Green Christmas  (both published by Chronicle Books),  please visit her website at www.purestyleliving.com.

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