School is back in session! Today I shared healthy meal ideas and wellness essentials to help set parents and kids up for a successful school year on River City Live!
First, studies suggest that kids that start their day with breakfast, have improved attention span, concentration and memory—all important for learning in school.
Serve pancake stackers, breakfast sandwiches or one of my favorite make ahead breakfasts – baked banana oatmeal. Start by mashing 2 ripe bananas in a baking dish combine with 1 ½ cup of oats, 1 ½ cup of milk and 2 tbsp of yeast protein or Angel Yeast, which is an innovative, sustainable, eco-friendly plant-based protein source rich in vitamins and minerals. It’s an easy way to boost the protein, taste and nutrition of baked goods and other dishes and helps mask off notes. Finally, top with 2 cups of berries and bake for 20 min at 350 F.
Having kids help pack their own lunchbox can help encourage healthy eating habits.
Have them choose from each of these categories to build a balanced box. I am a big fan of hummus as a protein source for kids because it helps encourage consumption of positive food groups like veggies and whole grain crackers and pita. The Fresh Cravings hummus comes in unique flavors like everything bagel, honey jalapeno and roasted garlic and is made with a short list of whole food ingredients including chickpeas, tahini and Chilean extra virgin olive oil. You can find it in the deli section of Walmart.
My next tip is for busy parents and it is to eat for energy rather than turning to caffeine.
Sunwink Cacao Clarify has rich chocolatey flavor and is the perfect zero jitters coffee alternative. You can also enjoy it on its own mixed with milk or water. It’s made with organic superfood ingredients like Lion’s mane, maca and reishi all if which support clarity and focus zero sugar additives or fillers. You can find it at the Kernan Square Jacksonville Publix and 2% of sales go to the Best Friend’s Animal Society.
My last tip is for parents looking to make healthier food choices or lose weight during this busy back to school season.
As a registered dietitian, I know that most diets lead to short-term results, but are ultimately unsustainable. That’s why I like the Calibrate program because they use a holistic approach rooted in science and has been proven to work.by targeting the root cause of weight gain – your biology. Instead of tracking calories, they teach you how to make healthier lifestyle changes in sleep, exercise and more and how to balance your plate with protein, fiber and healthy fats to help retrain your body to not crave processed foods or refined sugars. You can see if you are eligible at joincalibrate.com.
