The cooler weather is slowing making its way to the Northeast, which means the Fall season is around the corner. Autumn is a beautiful time of year with crisp air, a plethora of striking fall colors, and the beginning of the school year. It is perfect time to start schooling our kids on nutrition, to help set them up for academic success.
Below are six back-to-school culinary nutrition tips that can help reduce cold and flues that are prevalent in the fall, as well as providing sustained energy throughout the day.
You know what they say…. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Make it a good one!
Hearty Breakfast
Overnight Oats are easy to make in Mason jars the night before, and your child can customize this dish with their favorite fruit toppings.
Recipe: https://www.theresastable.com/recipes-2/blueberry-overnight-oats
Let’s face it kids lead very busy lives these days. School, sports, music classes. They tend to jump from one activity to next. Being well hydrated will help keep them sharp in their thinking, energized, and will aid in digestion.
HYDRATE, hYDRATE
Throw a couple of bottles of water in kid’s backpack for an easy grab. More if they are involved in after school sports or activities.
It is easy to throw in a bag a of chips or cookies to a bag lunch. However, many of those convenient snack foods are not the best for gut health. It is important to balance out the good bacteria versus the bad bacteria that can accumulate in our bodies from excess sugars and processed foods. Probiotics can help with that balance.
Dialy DOse of Probiotic
Add a Greek yogurt as part of lunch or a snack.
We want students to be the best they can be inside the classroom and out. Adding healthy fats and omega 3’s to your child’s lunch daily can benefit students with their mood, attention, focus, metabolism, energy, and the immune system.
Healthy Fats
Add avocado to a sandwich, or if allowed you can add a small number of almonds, or pumpkin seeds as a snack. You can also add hemp seeds or chia seeds to yogurt.
Kids don’t think about how many times they poop in a day. They don’t care. But it is important to provide foods to your child to help them stay regular. Fiber does just that, it helps to absorb food more efficiently, maintain healthy blood sugar levels, and produce vitamins.
Healthy Dose of Fiber
Add simple fresh cut fruits and vegetables as a snack, and part of lunch each day.
Growing children need sleep! It is vital to their mood, behavior, and attention.
Get your ZZZ’s
TIPS: To help your children get a good night’s sleep:
· Stick to a regular bedtime routine
· Remove electronic devices from your child’s bedroom
· Sleep in a dark room.
Creating good eating habits when kids are young is a great way to help set them up for nutrition success as they grow into adulthood. Make it fun!. Involve the kids in making their lunches and deciding on proper snack foods. You may not be able to apply all the tips into a daily ritual and that is okay. Start slow introducing new nutritional foods. Overtime you will be pleased to observe kids actually asking for sliced fruits and veggies in their lunch box.