Kid Friendly Chicken Pesto Bowtie Pasta

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #2PerDay #CollectiveBias

Healthy families and healthy kids…that’s all we really want as parents right? Happy and healthy. Seems pretty simple but we know that’s not true. Not now days when everything we do as a parent is scruitinized and judged. There’s alwasy someone standing in the sidelines to point out that you’re doing it wrong or that they do it better. We say we’re not going to  listen to that as long as we know we’re being the best parents we can, but I hear ya…it’s hard. Real hard. 

What about things that are just genetic and beyond your control? Guess what? My kids are underweight – at least according to all the fancy charts we’re supposed to go by and Dr. Google. Now I don’t feel that they’re unhealthy by any means, but I try to give feed them foods that they’ll not only eat, but that are packed full of things like protein and fiber that I know they need a little extra of with those super fast metabolisms and of course putting on a few pounds wouldn’t hurt. (A problem that most of us mama’s would love to have right?!)

One thing I’ve found that has been working great with my daughter is PediaSure® Grow & Gain. It comes in a variety of flavors like Strawberry and Vanilla, but we prefer the Chocolate Shake. All she knows is that it tastes great, but mama knows that with two servings a day, she’s getting the extra nutrition that her petite little body needs. PediaSure® is clinically proven to help kids grow and it makes me feel good that it is also the #1 pediatrician recommended Brand. Two PediaSure® shakes a day is clinically shown to help kids gain weight in just 8 weeks and so far, they love drinking it! A quick trip to our neighborhood Fred Meyer and we’re all stocked up!

PediaSure® Grow & Gain and PediaSure® Grow & Gain with Fiber should be given to your child or children twice per day for 8 weeks, along with a well-balanced diet, in order to help them gain weight and/or height. Currently you can find a coupon to save $3 on any two PediaSure products at Kroger.com. You can also sign up on PediaSure.com/2perday to get additional savings and tips and tricks and it’s alway good to have a good trick up your sleeve!

Now, we all know that once cannot live off of delicious Pediasure alone…well you probably could, but really shouldn’t. So as part of that well-balanced diet I’ve been referencing their website for some awesome recipes that promote variety, healthy eating, and yes, weight gain for the little ones. One that my daughter loves and that I can also feed the rest of the family is the Chicken Pesta Bowtie Pasta!

Chicken Pesto Bowtie Pasta Recipe

(found on PediaSure.com)

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) package bowtie pasta

1 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

Crushed red pepper flakes* to taste

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and cut into strips

1/2 cup pesto

Pinch of salt

Directions 

In a large pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic until tender, and then stir in chicken. Season with red pepper flakes. Cook until chicken is golden and cooked through.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto. Toss to coat evenly.

*Optional