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Chocolate Baked Pears

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Chocolate baked pears recipe for healthy kids

Our country is in a crisis.  Kids today can be over fed, yet under nourished.  Kids can have adequate calories at the end of the day (1500 calories), but if those 1500 calories come from soda and candy, they won’t have the proper nutrients they need to thrive and grow.  When we choose to focus on quantity of food over quality of food, a child is in danger of being overfed and undernourished.  Kids all over the country are falling into this trap and choosing processed foods with very little nutrients to support their growth.

Many parents like to know how many calories their child should be eating.  I understand this helps set a measurement for them to reach.  However, if you are just looking at calories, your desired outcome may not be achieved.   Consider two food that have the same number of calories.  First, 2 pieces of the delicious chocolate I have at my desk has 88 calories.  Second, a small can of Tuna fish in  my kitchen cupboard is close to 80 calories.  Clearly, the Tuna fish is going to provide important nutrients than the same amount of calories from the chocolate.   If we are too fixated on calories over real food, our kids may not get the nutrients they need.

chocolate baked pear recipe

One strategy that’s effective in ensuring that our kids eat quality food is to make real, quality food the center of the meal or snack.    It’s OK to have something void of nutrients as accents to the food (like the chocolate chips here) as long as the majority of the food is from nutrient dense sources (the pear.)

chocolate baked pear recipe

This is why we love this chocolate baked pear dessert.  In a world where dessert is desired, at Super Healthy Kids, we want the dessert to contain redeeming qualities, like nutrition.   Using fruit for dessert is not only delicious, but can contribute to our daily recommended nutrients of the day.

chocolate baked pears
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4 from 5 votes

Baked Pears with Chocolate

Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 80kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Cut pears in half and remove the core.
  • Arrange pear halves, cut side up, in a 9 inch pie plate. Stir together lemon juice and vanilla, brush over pears.
  • Bake, covered, for 30-35 minutes or until pears are tender. 
  • Uncover pears and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spoon any liquid in the pie plate over pears. Serve warm.
  • Prepare pears as above. Place in a microwave-safe pie plate. 
  • Cover with waxed paper. Cook on high 4-6 minutes or until pears are tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 12g
Keyword : baked, chocolate, gluten-free, pears, quick and easy, vegetarian

www.superhealthykids.com

So, let us know what you think of these chocolate baked pears, and choose fruit for dessert.

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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