It’s that time of the year again. Back to school season is underway! Besides returning to classrooms and textbooks—it also means getting back into the swing of preparing healthy meals and snacks that fuel kids with the energy and nutrients they need for successful days of learning and playing. First take the guess work out of snack time by stocking up on nutritious options.
Pistachios are a great back to school snack option because they a good source of complete plant protein and fiber with 6 grams of plant protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Plus, pistachios give you more nuts per serving – about 49 pistachios, compared to just 23 almonds or 18 cashews. Besides snacking on by the handful, You can also elevate your classic PB&J sandwiches with homemade pistachio butter. Simply roast 3 cups of lightly salted pistachios for 10 minutes at 350 F and blend in a high-speed food processor until you achieve a smooth consistency. Store your homemade pistachio butter in an airtight glass in the fridge for up to a month and add to sandwiches or pair with apple slices for a snack.
Another nutritious kid-approved snack to keep on hand are the Harvest Snaps Mixed Snack Packs.
Ideally sized for lunchboxes, Harvest Snaps Mixed Snack Packs contains six, single-serve bags of the brand’s best-selling Lightly Salted and Tomato Basil Baked Veggie Snacks, along with Crunchy Loops Sour Cream & Onion. These tasty veggie snacks feature farm-picked green peas or red lentils, milled whole in-house for maximum nutrition, as the #1 ingredient to provide plant protein and fiber, plus are completely free of artificial flavors, preservatives and common allergens. You can find the Harvest Snaps Mixed Snack Packs at Sprouts Farmers Market and online through HarvestSnaps.com.
Next, build better meals at home with California beef and dairy products. California beef and dairy products like ground beef and cheese are not only delicious but offer tremendous food value both nutritionally and for the shopping budget, which is more important than ever.
To set children up for success, it’s important to make sure they eat a balanced diet that provides the nutrients needed to fuel play, empower learning, and optimize growth. Beef and dairy’s nutrient profiles contribute to healthy childhood growth and development. Parents and caregivers can rest assured that options like dairy and beef products can support school-age children in eating enough protein, iron, choline, and B6 and B12. To make English Muffin Cheeseburger pizzas, start by cooking ground beef in a skillet to an internal temperature of 160 F, then add pasta sauce, onion, bell pepper, Italian seasoning and salt and cook through until the veggies are crisp tender. Top English muffin halves with the beef mixture and cheese and bake for 5-7 minutes at 400 F or until the cheese is melted. To make beef jerky trailmix simply combine 1 cup of chopped beef jerky, ½ cup of shelled pistachios and ¼ cup of dried cranberries.
Finally, save time cooking dinner with the New Lean Cuisine Balance Bowls.
Ready in minutes, LEAN CUISINE Balance Bowls are made with quality, well-balanced ingredients that deliver bold flavor in four delicious and nutritious varieties that contain 400 calories or less and 0g of added sugar. LEAN CUISINE Balance Bowls were crafted alongside members of the American Diabetes Association to be the first frozen entrées to meet the organization’s Better Choices for Life nutrition criteria for calories, sodium, total carbohydrates and more, as indicated by the ADA Better Choice for Life a seal on the pack- a simple way to identify products suitable for someone looking to manage their diabetes through appropriate dietary choices. You can find Lean Cuisine balance bowls locally at Walmart, Target and Kroger.
