Take the pledge! Raise a Food Lover
Can you believe that back-toschool season is almost here! It’s the time of year where families are beginning to settle back into their routines after enjoying the summer off. As parents dust off the lunch boxes and get ready to think about how best to help fuel their kids for productive days ahead, I am happy to provide you and your family some great ideas for some simple, healthy fall meals — and to introduce a program from Atlantic Superstore that will help get your family on the road to raising a new generation of food lovers!
Involving young kids in the kitchen is so important; not only does it allow you to spend more time together but it’s also a great start to building lifelong skills and healthy habits. When you involve your kids in meal preparation, it encourages them to try foods they might never think to eat otherwise. This can be as simple as getting the kids to help prepare their school lunches by washing and peeling vegetables, grating cheese or assembling their wrap or sandwich. Children will learn how to choose and prepare healthy foods, which in turn will set them up to create healthy meals they will actually want to eat.
Another great way to educate the older kids is getting them involved in developing a healthy lunch menu for themselves. Create a list of food options from ■ ■ ■ ■ different food groups and have them mix and match by choosing one from three of the four food groups. When kids are part of the meal preparation process, they are more likely to be excited about eating lunch at school again — which will decrease the chances of packed lunches being left untouched.
Atlantic Superstore is inviting parents to Raise a Food Lover through a variety of fun activities and resources, like family-friendly recipes and tips, cooking classes and more. First, families can take the pledge to Raise a Food Lover at www.atlanticsuperstore.ca/ raiseafoodlover. Then they can participate in a series of simple challenges to get the ball rolling. The first challenge, just in time for Back to School, is the Cook Together Family Challenge, which runs until Sept. 12. This is a great opportunity for families to commit to cooking and eating together for at least one meal every week. Post a photo of your family meal on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #raiseafoodlover for a chance to win prizes!
Breakfast is also another very important meal to keep in mind for the upcoming school year. It’s important to ensure kids get a well-balanced breakfast to help keep their minds sharp and ready to learn in class. Remember to include three of the four food groups.
Breakfast can be a challenging meal as it can be a hectic time in most households while families are getting everyone ready for the day ahead. This is where planning ahead becomes key! Try this awesome Rainbow Fruit Parfait with Homemade Granola and don’t forget to involve your kids. They can easily be part of the prep by measuring and mixing the ingredients for the homemade granola. This is definitely a makeahead recipe (you can even do it on the weekend!) that will make your morning mealtime that much simpler.
Ellen Greenan is a Registered Dietitian with Atlantic Superstore in New Glasgow. Have a nutrition question? Want to book an appointment or shop with the dietitian? Book online at www.atlanticsuperstore/ dietitians or contact me by phone at 902-921-0700 or by email at ellen.greenan@loblaw.ca.