Back-to-School Meal Makeovers
By Adam
August 31, 2014
Lifestyle
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Are busy school mornings making breakfast a challenge? Are your kids coming home with half eaten sandwiches and uneaten apples? Whether you are short on time or dealing with a picky eater, the back-to-school season can make meal planning stressful.
Breakfast for Learning, a national charity that funds school nutrition programs, suggests trying out these five easy tips; they will help brighten up your little student’s breakfast or lunch, and ensure they get the nutrition they need to stay healthy and engaged in school.
1. Drink Up. Some kids find it easier to drink their breakfast than eat it, so pull out your blender and whip up a quick and healthy breakfast smoothie like this delicious Big Breakfast Smoothie. Bonus: Pour your smoothie into a travel mug and you’ve got breakfast to go.
2. Scrap tradition. Some kids don’t eat breakfast because they don’t like traditional breakfast foods. Who says that breakfast has to be cereal and toast? As long as they eat a balanced breakfast consisting of at least three of the four food groups they will be well nourished and ready for the school day. You could serve leftovers from last night’s meal instead or try healthy pizzas like these delicious Pita Pizzas.
3. Alter the shape. Whether it’s cutting an orange into easy-to-eat bite-sized pieces, slicing up a mundane apple to mimic a beautiful fan or simply cutting a sandwich into three pieces instead of two, changing the appearance of your child’s food will spark their interest and give them the enthusiasm they need to eat the nutritious meal that you’ve prepared. Why not try these fun Omelettes to Go!
4. Makeover your sandwich. Transform your ordinary sandwich into an impressive entrée. Leave the bread at home and stuff your sandwich fixings into a pita, toss them over a bed of lettuce, or roll them into a wrap like these Pinwheel Tortillas. Stimulate your child’s creativity by simply packing ingredients and letting your child assemble his/her own lunch. Hint: Kids love making mini sandwiches out of dinner rolls or crackers.
5. Introduce something new. We all know that variety is the spice of life, so why not spice up your lunch bag with something exotic? Once a week surprise your child with a new fruit or vegetable and at the end of the day have a family discussion about what everyone thought of this unfamiliar food. Try these Kale Chips for a delicious lunch-time snack!
Breakfast for Learning is the first and one of the largest Canadian charities to focus on nourishing children. Since 1992, Breakfast for Learning has helped 3.4 million students enjoy over 510 million healthy meals and snacks in school nutrition programs across the country.
To learn more, or find delicious breakfast, lunch and snack recipes to help make busy school days a little easier, visit www.breakfastforlearning.ca.
Image credit: Breakfast for Learning
Breakfast for Learning, a national charity that funds school nutrition programs, suggests trying out these five easy tips; they will help brighten up your little student’s breakfast or lunch, and ensure they get the nutrition they need to stay healthy and engaged in school.
1. Drink Up. Some kids find it easier to drink their breakfast than eat it, so pull out your blender and whip up a quick and healthy breakfast smoothie like this delicious Big Breakfast Smoothie. Bonus: Pour your smoothie into a travel mug and you’ve got breakfast to go.
2. Scrap tradition. Some kids don’t eat breakfast because they don’t like traditional breakfast foods. Who says that breakfast has to be cereal and toast? As long as they eat a balanced breakfast consisting of at least three of the four food groups they will be well nourished and ready for the school day. You could serve leftovers from last night’s meal instead or try healthy pizzas like these delicious Pita Pizzas.
3. Alter the shape. Whether it’s cutting an orange into easy-to-eat bite-sized pieces, slicing up a mundane apple to mimic a beautiful fan or simply cutting a sandwich into three pieces instead of two, changing the appearance of your child’s food will spark their interest and give them the enthusiasm they need to eat the nutritious meal that you’ve prepared. Why not try these fun Omelettes to Go!
4. Makeover your sandwich. Transform your ordinary sandwich into an impressive entrée. Leave the bread at home and stuff your sandwich fixings into a pita, toss them over a bed of lettuce, or roll them into a wrap like these Pinwheel Tortillas. Stimulate your child’s creativity by simply packing ingredients and letting your child assemble his/her own lunch. Hint: Kids love making mini sandwiches out of dinner rolls or crackers.
5. Introduce something new. We all know that variety is the spice of life, so why not spice up your lunch bag with something exotic? Once a week surprise your child with a new fruit or vegetable and at the end of the day have a family discussion about what everyone thought of this unfamiliar food. Try these Kale Chips for a delicious lunch-time snack!
Breakfast for Learning is the first and one of the largest Canadian charities to focus on nourishing children. Since 1992, Breakfast for Learning has helped 3.4 million students enjoy over 510 million healthy meals and snacks in school nutrition programs across the country.
To learn more, or find delicious breakfast, lunch and snack recipes to help make busy school days a little easier, visit www.breakfastforlearning.ca.
Image credit: Breakfast for Learning