CBS Las Vegas NOW: Healthy Back to School Essentials

School is back in session! Today I share healthy easy recipes to help fuel busy students on CBS Las Vegas NOW.

Make-ahead breakfast

My customizable chocolate and vanilla overnight oats are a great make-ahead breakfast option for kids. Combine 1/2 cup of oats, 1 tbsp of maple syrup and chia seeds, 1/2 cup of almond milk, and 1 scoop of Else Plant-Powered Complete Nutrition Shake for Kids in Dreamy Chocolate or creamy vanilla which helps fill in nutrient gaps for growing kids and can be enjoyed on its own or mixed into recipes. It’s a delicious kid-approved minimally processed dairy milk alternative, that’s low in sugar, made with clean, whole plant-based ingredients – like almonds, tapioca and buckwheat and without common allergens like soy, dairy and gluten. Transfer to a jar, place in the fridge overnight and can top with your favorite fresh fruit in the morning.

Build a balanced lunchbox

Next, build a better a balanced lunchbox around protein, produce and whole grains in creative ways. My two lunches check all your boxes.For the taco box, start with black beans and cheese for protein, add whole grain tortillas and veggies. Fresh Cravings salsa which is a great way to get in a serving of veggies and is made with a short list of organic whole food ingredients. Find it chilled in the produce section at Walmart and Food 4 Less. In the Mediterranean box, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and arugula are the veggies, farro is the whole grain and for protein I added roasted chickpeas and creamy Fresh Cravings hummus which you can find chilled in the produce section at smiths in classic and roasted red pepper. Its made with a short list of high quality ingredients like Chilean extra virgin olive oil, NON-GMO chickpeas and savory tahini so besides protein, it also adds good fats and filling fiber.

Stock up on essentials to stay healthy

Next, incorporate essentials to stay healthy while heading back to school. Prebiotics are a type of fiber found in foods like bananas, asparagus, onions and oats that can support digestive and immune health by helping to nourish the good bacteria in the gut. Superfoods like Life’s First Naturals cow colostrum also contains prebiotics as well as immune factors and protective proteins that provide immune and digestive health benefits to adults and children over the age of 1. Poppi is a better-for-you prebiotic soda made with real clean ingredients and around 1 tablespoon of pure unfiltered apple cider vinegar Unlike traditional soda, it’s low in calories and sugar with 20 calories or less and 5 grams of sugar of less per can and comes in delicious flavors like raspberry rose, grapefruit, and ginger lime. Next, incorporate probiotics which are beneficial bacteria that support digestive and immune health. They are found in fermented foods like sauerkraut and yogurt as well as high quality probiotic supplements like TruBiotics which is comprised of a propriety blend of the two most clinically studied types of good bacteria – Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus.

Make after school snacks with benefits

Finally, I have an afterschool snack that will help you stay cool. These homemade frozen smoothie tubes are a cool treat with benefits. Simply blend up your favorte smoothie, add them to resealable pouches and freeze until set.