Homemade Granola & Tropical Fruit Parfait

It took me three times to get this right and I am so happy to share it with you.

This Homemade Granola is super delicious with fresh tropical fruit.

So, in preparation for having a kid, I have done a lot of experimenting on different recipes that I will be able to make that are healthy and delicious for kids and adults. To be quite honest, it is a lot harder than what it seems. I mean sure I can feed healthy stuff to my kid the old-school way, which consists of being forced to sit at the table until all of you veggies are gone. Although I do believe that kids needs to learn how to appreciate and like the flavor of fruit, veggies, and legumes as they naturally are, I also believe that to make sure they are getting the proper nutrients that you have to trick their minds a bit.

Do you remember Popeye the Sailor Man?

For instance, when I was younger I loved spinach…as is! I didn’t need anything on it or mixed with to get me to eat it. How is this so? Popeye! You know Popeye the Sailor Man? I loved that cartoon as a kid! That cartoon character made me love spinach because he made me believe the more I ate spinach the stronger I would get. I use to flex my muscles in the mirror after I would eat a serving of spinach. That is one example of how mind-manipulation worked to get me to eat healthy.

I would love if my child idolized an acceptable childhood character/hero that results in them making better choices with their diet or in life. But seeing how positive childhood heroes are depleting, it is up to us parents to be their hero by coming up with delicious ways to get them to enjoy healthy food. This is definitely a way to do it! This summer, we are keeping my husband’s niece for a few weeks for a summer camp that she is attending here in Cincinnati. So, it is up to me to figure out how to get her to eat wholesome and healthy meals in a way that she would like and that is good for her. For dessert, instead of buying Little Debbie Snack Cakes, candy, or other sugary desserts, I fed her this parfait with fresh fruit that includes fresh pineapple, papaya, and mango along with this Homemade Granola and she loved it! In fact her words were “ I’m so full but I can’t stop eating because it’s so good!” Yep… I did that.

Now I know, this was kind of easy win and I still have ways to go, but it’s important to introduce healthy and fresh products to our children. My niece is going to be the best guinea pig this summer. I am okay if she eats something that she doesn’t like. That would be more of a challenge for me. What I want to see happen is that she learns to like something that she never thought she would. I hope to remember my tricks for trades but the good thing about this recipe is that I can always come back to my blog and read this article and repeat this recipe for my little boy and my other future kids…I’m sorry child. I’m only doing this one more time :-). Enjoy!