Summer is winding down and many kids (and teachers) are headed back to school.
Start the new year off on a good foot with these healthy habits for your family.

Breakfast
Did you know a recent study showed that elementary kids who were given breakfast had 25% better math grades along with higher grades in reading and science compared to kids who didn’t eat breakfast?

Aim for a high fiber breakfast paired with some protein for a healthy balance! Here are some options to get you and your kids out the door and ready for their day!

-2 whole grain waffles, 2 tbsp peanut butter on top (can drizzle some honey for sweetness or add chopped banana or berries as well), 1 cup of milk or OJ.
-High fiber Bagel or bagel thin or toast, 2 tbsp peanut butter, banana and 1 cup milk
-Bowl of oatmeal made with milk and chopped Apple, 6 oz OJ (add nuts to oatmeal or have a HB egg on side for added protein).
-Pizza for breakfast! Open English Muffin, spread some red sauce on top, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, pinch of basil and toast in oven until cheese starts to brown
-Good ‘ol eggs and toast! Add a piece of fruit and glass of milk and you’re in business! For a time saver, you can microwave for 30 secs to 1 minute!)

Time savers: -hard boil a dozen eggs on the weekend for a quick way to add protein during the week
– teach your older kids how to scramble and microwave their own eggs with their waffles and toast!

Lunches

What are some good suggestions on what to put in a good, nutritious lunch? What are foods to avoid?

Parents don’t have to pack wheatgrass shots and stick of celery to make their child’s lunch healthy. Many times it is a matter of switching out some products for healthier ones and balancing the lunch better. Best tip I can give parents is to start feeding your child fruits or vegetables at lunch from the get go!
Other tips: Cut up fruits and vegetables and portion out snack foods when you get home from the store to make packing lunches easier.
Pack lunches the night before. (I often prep the next night’s dinner at the same time as packing lunches to save a few steps when I get home from work).

Some healthier swaps:

White bread to 100% whole grain or 100% whole grain white bread.
Pre-sliced lunch meat to no nitrate fresh lunch meat from deli
Snack foods with Red Dye #40, and excess sugar to snack foods with less sugar and dyes
Juice boxes/pop to 100% fruit juice, milk or chocolate milk
Chips, cookies and juices making up 90% of the child’s lunch vs adidng in a piece of fruit or a yogurt

I suggest aiming for each of the food groups
Dairy- milk or yogurt. (and yes, chocolate milk is fine once a day!)
Protein- lunch meat on sandwich, ham and cheese rollups, cottage cheese, grilled chicken strips, HB egg, nuts (if allowed at school)
Produce- baggie of grapes, berries, apple/banana, carrots or green peppers and hummus to dip
Whole grains- Recommend 100% whole grain bread, wraps, or crackers

Not to say, children can’t have some “fun” lunch items but try and balance them out.

How do you keep lunch ideas new and interesting, and not pack the same lunch over and over again?
I love the website and lunch planner Momables (momables.com). She has a great book on fun lunches for kids.
Switching up the sandwich or Pb & J is essential for keep kids interested in lunch. Here are a few ideas.
Try rollups, wraps, pitas instead of regular bread.
Soup or smoothies in a thermos
or
Try making a homemade lunchable. (Cut up slices of lunchmeat, whole grain crackers, cheese cubes, cut up fruit with a side)

What is the best way to keep cold foods cold? (or, is that really necessary? How long can some foods go without spoiling?)
Food safety first! Insulated lunch boxes help maintain food at a safe temperature until lunchtime. Perishable lunch foods, such as cold cut sandwiches and yogurt, can be left out at room temperature for only 2 hours before they may become unsafe to eat (Foodsafety.gov). Suggest a insulated lunchbox and a freezer pack.

Dinner recipes

Here are some of our recipes we have posted about recently..

Spinach Artichoke One Pan Casserole
Honey BBQ Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
one pot creamy chicken and veggie pasta

Meal planner: Download the below recipes here
Stuffed Green Pepper Soup
Jambalaya
Lemon Spaghetti
Pulled Beef in Crockpot