Back to School Tips to Boost the Health of Your Children...And You!

The school year is back in full swing and it's a great time to boost their brains and growing bodies with nutritionally packed foods. 

We all want the best for our children, but we often overlook that fact that their nutrition is one of the most important components of living a healthy, happy life. What our children eat has a direct impact on motivation and how they think, feel, act, and react to every day situations. 

Take these simple tips and transform your child’s diet into one that is packed with nutrition and good health:

1) Add Color 

Adding bright and colorful fruits and veggies to your child’s plate will get their diet on the fast track to health. Fresh fruits and veggies are filled with fiber, vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health. 

If your kids are resistant then make it fun. Serve veggies with salad dressing as a dip. Cut fresh fruit in the colors of the rainbow and place them on a skewer. Serve a color themed meal – all green, all red or all orange. Use your imagination and you’ll come up with an endless number of ways to make fruits and veggies fun to eat. 

Helpful hint: 

If you're not eating fruits and vegetables, it is unlikely that your kids will eat them either. Your children look up to you so be sure to model healthy behaviors!


2) Think Whole Foods 

Processed foods are the biggest problem with our modern diet. Packaged and refined food products are filled with empty calories that quickly lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, processed foods make up a large portion of the diet of many children. 

Train your kids to opt for whole foods, rather than packaged ones. Whole foods are foods that are in their natural state. Here are some ideas your kids may enjoy: an apple dipped in chickpea cookie dough dip (see recipe below); a piece of sprouted grain bread spread with natural peanut butter; a hard boiled egg; a piece of grilled chicken; or a bowl of beans.  

Helpful Hint: 

Get the kids involved. Children of all ages can help with the preparation of foods. When they help out, they are more likely to eat what they have prepared. Give these ideas a try: have them put veggies in a bowl or on a plate; put toppings on your homemade pizza; spread the peanut butter or jelly on toast or their sandwich; pour the sauce into pasta; or anything else their willing to help you out with. 


3) Use Wholesome Sweeteners 

Refined sugar and corn syrup are packed into many of the foods that your kids love. The good news: there are more wholesome sweeteners available – sweeteners that add vitamins and minerals rather than empty calories. Use the following rather than white sugar or corn syrup:

• Coconut Palm Sugar: This pure, dried coconut plant sap retains its mineral and vitamin content. Use it to replace white sugar in baking.
• Pure Maple Syrup: Forget the “fake” syrups containing corn syrup. Pure maple syrup contains potassium, calcium and some amino acids.
• Brown Rice Syrup: Use this dark syrupy sweetener instead of corn syrup. It takes longer to digest and won’t spike your blood sugar like refined sugar.
• Dates: Throw a few seeded dates into your blender to sweeten your smoothie rather than adding white sugar.

4) Make Smart Substitutions 

Kids love pizza and pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and that’s not going to change any time soon. Rather than fight your kids on their favorites, try making smart substitutions to make their favorites more nutritious.

• Pizza: Boost the nutritional content of your pizza by opting for wheat crust over white, adding veggies and lean meats to the toppings.
• Pasta: Use sprouted grain or whole grain pasta rather than traditional white pasta. Add veggies to your pasta sauce and stick with red sauce, since white sauce is high in unhealthy fats.
• PB&J: A PB&J, made with white bread using sugar-filled peanut butter and corn syrup-filled jelly, has very little nutritional value. Instead, use sprouted grain or whole grain breads, all-natural peanut butter and whole fruit jam! 

5) Ban Sugary Drinks 

One of the best things that you can do for your child’s good health is to instill in them a love for water rather than sugary drinks. Soda pop and juices are filled with empty calories that encourage weight gain. 

The easiest way to do this is to stock your house with lots of pure, filtered water. They may even enjoy some naturally-flavored seltzer for a bubble treat. Avoid having the fruit drinks and soda readily available, which will encourage both you and your kids to reach for the H2O. 

Special Note: While these tips have been suggested for your children, they will also do wonders for your health, mood, and energy. Try these 5 tips out for 30 days and enjoy the benefit of feeling and looking better!

Chickpea Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chickpeas (drained and rinsed very well)

1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup all-natural nut butter of choice (peanut, almond, cashew, etc.)

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

2 Tbsp old fashioned oats

Up to 1/4 cup almond milk, if needed

3 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

Serve with sliced apples, strawberries or graham crackers

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, except the chocolate chips.

2. Puree well. You may need to use a spatula to move the mixture around. Add the almond milk to help combine the mixture if needed.

3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and fold in the chocolate chips. Serve with your favorite pairing. Enjoy!