Valentine’s Day can be a fun day for the whole family, but it can easily get overloaded with chocolate and other sweets. There are many ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day without all the extra sugar. Try one or more of the ideas below:
- Plan a themed meal that the whole family can cook together! Pick foods that are red, white, and pink. For example, make Stuffed (Red) Peppers or pasta with tomato sauce for a red themed meal. Beets have a fantastic red color that you can see in this smooth Beet Dip and cozy Beet and Tomato Soup. Or cut your foods out into heart shapes. A heart-shaped homemade pizza is one example. For dessert, make this Berry Good Pizza recipe and shape the pizza dough into a heart!
- For dessert, cut up fruits like watermelon, strawberries, blood oranges, red apples, dragonfruit, raspberries, and bananas into bite-size pieces, then use them to make pretty patterns on a skewer or popsicle stick. Serve with pink strawberry (or other fruit flavored), low-fat yogurt to dip your fruit kebabs in. Or make a sweet smoothie, like this Banana Berry Smoothie or this Strawberry Smoothie.
- Valentine’s day is the perfect day to get your heart pumping by moving your body! Have a dance party at home after dinner and let every family member pick their favorite song. Maybe the kids can even teach you some new dance moves? Or try Musical Hearts (details here), a fun game similar to musical chairs but with hearts and lots of movement. A heart scavenger hunt is another indoor activity: hide paper hearts around the house and see who can find the most. Winner doesn’t have to do chores for a week (or whatever prize you pick)!
- A feel-good activity can warm your heart. Make cards for your local nursing home or military service members. Video call a far-away relative to wish them a happy Valentine’s Day. Get creative and see how you can spread kindness!
You can visit our Eat Smart website for more healthy and affordable recipes. Head over to our Facebook page for even more tips, and share what your favorite Valentine’s Day activities and recipes are!
