Are you shopping for back to school clothes and classroom supplies? What a fun time of year when you can sense that autumn is in the air and all that brings: school, football games, color change and a respite from the hot days of summer.
While you are out shopping, consider stocking your pantry with nutritious foods and snack ideas that strengthen the brain and keep your GF student healthy! Engaging your child to help with preparing these foods is also a perfect teaching moment as well as empowering your child to be independent, resourceful and responsible for their own health.
Here are some brain boosting GF suggestions for breakfast, lunch boxes and after-school snacks. All of them can be found in GFPs Meals and Snacks search and many more ideas.
What’s the most important meal of the day for kids and adults? Yep, breakfast! There has been a lot of research showing that kids perform better in school and have fewer overweight issues when they consume a nutritious breakfast to start off their day. Include a protein source, a healthy GF grain and a serving of fruit:
Brainiac Breakfasts:
- Apple Almond Pancakes
- Egg Sandwich and Sausage
- Blueberry Blast Smoothie with protein powder
- GF English Muffin Melt
- Hot Quinoa Cereal with fruit and nuts
- Yogurt with Fresh Fruit and GF Granola Bowl
Lunch in a box or a bowl: protein, GF grain, fruit, vegetable, dairy (if tolerated) for bone growth.
Lunchbox Hero:
- GF English Muffin with Nut Butter, sides of raspberries and yogurt
- Tuna Munch and Chips, apple
- Turkey rolled with Mustard and Collard Green or shredded lettuce and slices of avo inside
- Hummus with carrots and GF Pretzels or corn tortilla triangles, yogurt and berries
- Turkey Wrap filled with slices of turkey or chicken, spinach shredded, a piece of fruit.
- Quinoa pasta salad with veggies and tuna, chicken or salami
After School Snacks they will eat. Most kids don’t like veggies alone. Researchers at Penn State found that young children ate more veggie-based snacks when paired with a ranch-flavored dressing or pizza flavored dip. Sabra now makes 2 oz cups of hummus that is gluten-free. Just recently came out with GF pizza-flavored singles !
After School Winners:
- Hummus, Guacamole or Dressing with cut up Veggies: carrots, cucumber slices, peppers)
- Trail mix: assorted nuts, seeds and fruit and cheese wedge, circles or or string cheese
- Apple slices with nut butter and GF granola (sprinkle on the nut butter)
- Chicken Sausage (pre-cooked) in 1” chunks (toothpicks) with rice cakes and fruit
- Ants on a log (celery, nut butter in the hollow and raisins or craisins on top
- Beef or Chicken Jerky, Apples and GF Snack Bar
- GF Crackers, String cheese and Fruit
- Nut and Fruit Balls
Skip the milk and cookies and use these healthy snack ideas for brain-boosting nutrition!!