With the AMAZING summer we have been having so far, it’s hard to believe that school is just around the corner! But between trips to pick up school supplies, we are frequently reminded of how important healthy food choices are to help support improved energy, concentration and academic performance for a successful school year.
Often parents find it challenging in today’s fast-paced society to ensure that their kids are living a healthy lifestyle and exercising regularly.
Fruits and vegetables, along with a whole foods diet, have been shown to support a healthy immune system – which means less sick days at school. With the abundance of commercially processed and high sugary foods available at the grocery stores and seen in the media; it can be very difficult to teach children about healthy and nutritious foods rather than low nutritional foods.
The best way to shift the above trend is to get your children excited about eating a whole foods diet with a balance of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes. Lean meats, free-range chicken, eggs and fish are great choices for proteins as well. These foods are high in vitamins, minerals, essential nutrients, fiber, proteins and healthy fats.
Quick and Easy Snack Ideas Include:
- Protein SMOOTHIES! Blend fruit, protein powder (whey or plant based), plain organic yogurt, greens, flaxseeds and water in a blender until smooth.
- Homemade granola and plain organic yogurt or coconut/almond yogurt for those who can’t do the dairy.
- Sprouted grain bread/rice cakes with nut butters (almond, hazelnut, pumpkin seed) with cut up apple slices.
- Plain rolled oats or quinoa cooked on the stove top with fresh fruit and nuts. Overnight oats or chia pudding made the night before can also make breakfast quick and easy.
- A hardboiled egg on sprouted grain bread or quinoa and fresh fruit.
- Veggies and dips (hummus, bean dips, guacamole) *Try adding a little color by mixing in a steamed beet, yams, spinach or kale to your hummus!
- Mixed nuts and dried apricots or apples
- Hardboiled egg wrapped in lettuce leaf and drizzled with honey mustard
- Apple dipped in almond butter topped with shredded coconut
- Make healthy homemade cookies or granola bars using raw nuts and seeds, oats, dried fruit and sweetened with apple sauce, dates or stevia (a natural sugar found in most grocery and health food stores).
- Kale chips!
Some supplements to keep in mind:
