Healthy Eating Tips for Back to School
Getting your child to eat healthy every day can be a challenge. It takes drive, planning and a little creativity. However, teaching your child about food and nutrition from an early age can be very useful in instilling healthy habits that they will stick with into adulthood. This is what I most attribute to my kids’ healthy eating habits and love of food. Teaching them to love healthy food doesn’t just stop in their teens like it did in my house. Nutrition education is an ongoing process, and everyone is constantly evolving. I’ve taken their healthy eating game to the next level these days – here’s how.
The Importance of Nutrition Education
I’m very special about who I work with. But I was honored when Revolution Foods approached me because we were very much in line with our mission of developing healthy eaters. Revolution Food designs, produces and delivers healthy, affordable meals to more than 2,500 children’s education centers, districts, charter agencies, and community and after-school youth programs nationwide. Their mission is to develop lifelong healthy eaters by making food made by chefs inspired by kids for all. To this end, the brand engages with students at every step of product development to ensure they create food that kids will actually love, collaborates with renowned chefs to create menus that are culturally and regionally relevant, broaden kids’ taste buds, and serve as The first to provide a clean label supply chain at the national level, carefully selecting genuine materials free of artificial flavors and colors.
In addition to creating balanced meals and promoting fresh, high-quality ingredients that exceed nutrition guidelines, Revolution Foods also works with key partners such as FoodCorps and Share Our Strength to offer nutrition classes, cooking classes, gardening classes, vegetable tastings and other education for students Activity. As a mom, it’s important to know that there are companies out there like Revolutionary Foods that take every measure to ensure our young people are properly nourished in order to reach their full potential in school
Revolution Foods believes that proper nutrition and healthy food can drive positive academic outcomes and help children reach their true potential. Recent research shows that nutritious foods can improve health and academic performance. Students at schools that contracted with healthier school lunch providers performed better on tests, according to a recent paper from the University of California, Berkeley.
Educating Kids About Nutrition
My family and I have a few ways to eat healthy throughout the day. Here are some examples of simple tips and tricks that may also be useful to you:
Eat Breakfast Daily:
Ever since my kids eat solid food, they eat breakfast. I even get my two older kids to eat oatmeal every day – to this day they eat oatmeal on a regular basis. I’ve inculcated the idea of breakfast in my kids that they will actually complain if one day breakfast isn’t ready for them!
Place Healthy Snacks Strategically
I always have healthy snacks on hand, but the trick is to keep it where the kids can see it. Since many people, including children, eat with their eyes – snacks should be visible but also eye-catching. My favorites are keeping a bowl of washed berries front and center in the fridge – or this bowl of clementines on the kitchen table where my kids pass by countless times a day.
Show Kids Where Food Comes From
Many kids don’t know the farm-to-table process or even what fruit or vegetables on a farm look like. I often take my kids to the supermarket to teach them the different vegetables and fruits and how to choose them. I also tried taking them to our Saturday farmers market, which showcased everything from fresh eggs to homemade jams. Also, every fall I take my kids apple picking and then my entire extended family goes to bake once (hello apple pie!). For several years, I took them to the farm to pick vegetables like eggplant, green beans and butternut squash. Through these different hands-on methods, my kids developed a real appreciation for food to better appreciate meals made with fresh, whole ingredients.
Educate On How To Balance A Plate
According to the USDA’s My Plate, half the plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables, a quarter filled with grains, and a quarter filled with lean protein. A glass of milk or dairy products should also be set aside. I asked the kids to point out how their plate was laid out at each meal and told me how I could improve it to be more like MyPlate. Of course, no plate is perfect, but if a plate is missing veggies, then I tell my kids to eat the missing food at their next snack.
Have Kids Participate In the Kitchen
I have taught my kids how to cook since they were very young. From unpacking to mixing to measuring, they did it all. As teens and teens, they are now old enough to cook for themselves (with some help with the oven and stove, of course!). Smoothies and making scrambled eggs are two of my family’s favorite meals to make for breakfast.
