Healthy Choices for Your Family

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast doesn't have to be a challenge. Here are some quick and hassle-free breakfast ideas:

• Whole grain cereal with low-fat milk
• Greek yogurt topped with berries
• Whole wheat toast topped with avocado
• 100% whole grain waffle topped with nut butter and sliced banana
• Apple with 2 tablespoons nut butter
• Yogurt parfait: Yogurt layered with fresh fruit and cereal
• Homemade muffins, like these carrot cake muffins

Having healthy choices at lunch is really important. Kids need the right foods to sustain their energy throughout the afternoon.

Try these easy-to-make healthy lunch ideas:

• DIY Nacho Box: Assemble a lunch box with multigrain scoop tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, black beans and a mini container of guacamole.
• Nut butter or sunflower seed butter with banana slices and honey on whole wheat bread.
• Bean-cheese spirals: Black beans and cheese rolled tightly in a whole wheat wrap, sliced in spirals.
• Turkey wrap: All-natural turkey breast, hummus and fresh spinach in a whole wheat wrap.
• Salad on a stick: Using a straw, thread chunks of turkey, cheese, cucumber and tomato like you would a kabob. Serve with a side of their favorite dressing.
• Cold pasta salad: Precooked whole wheat pasta with tomatoes and cheese.
• Serve any of the above with grapes, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks or cucumber and fruit.

New and creative lunch ideas

Packing lunch – it's a daily dilemma! If your kids come home with a lunch box that's still half-full, these ideas may help you pack what they will eat!

• Include them in the shopping. If they help pick out their lunch food, they're more likely to eat it. Worried about their choices? Give them the task of finding foods that get 1, 2 or 3 Guiding Stars!
• Over 4 years old? Ask them to help pack the lunch. It may seem like a small thing, but if they feel like lunch was their "creation," they'll be more excited to eat it.
• Make it fun! Use cookie cutters to make fun-shaped sandwiches. Make faces out of plain sandwiches – blueberry eyes and a cherry tomato nose!
• Keep it cool by adding a frozen 4-ounce juice box to your insulated lunch bag. It will thaw by the time your kids need it, but aids in keeping their food chilled and safe.
• Always include something you know they love to eat. It doesn't have to be a cookie… how about a few strawberries, a granola bar or an individual-sized box of cereal? Have them pick out that special something from foods that you approve of.

For quick, healthy meals at dinner time, plan for success. The evening meal is the most challenging for busy families. Sports and after-school activities and homework often leave little room for sitting down together. But taking the time to plan a family meal is well worth it. In fact, studies indicate that frequent family meals increase self-esteem, a sense of well-being, positive social behaviors, and a stronger family relationship. Additionally, families that took the time to eat 3 or more meals together per week show a 24% increase in healthy food consumption.*

*Source: Food Marketing Institute Family Meals Month Campaign 2019

Healthy family meal recipes

Most kids would rather keep playing than stop for a drink. And because kids may not recognize thirst as quickly as adults, risk of dehydration can increase. The chart below can help identify the right amount of fluid for your child based on their age.

Data are from Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) Tables. Recommended Daily Allowance and Adequate Intake Values: Total Water and Macronutrients.

Fulfilling these needs can be easy when you incorporate any of these options:

• Water (always a great choice – let your kids pick out their water bottle to make it fun!)
• Add frozen fruit such as berries, cherries or mango to water. As the fruit thaws it will keep the water chilled and provide a natural fruit flavor.
• Low-fat milk (vacuum-packed works well)
• Try seltzer water! It's a flavorful, carbonated option for soda lovers who are trying to cut back on sugar. Not enough flavor? Add a splash of 100% fruit juice, which only adds a small amount of natural sugar.
• Fresh fruit contains water, so eat some throughout the day. Pop fruit in the freezer to have a nice cold snack on hand to cool you down on a hot summer day!
• 100% juice boxes (limit to 4-6 ounces per day)