Nutritious choices made simple ®
Another school year is upon us. Before sending their children to school, parents will weigh the pros and cons of participating in school lunch versus packing lunch at home. In addition to cost and convenience, nutrition is an obvious factor in this decision.
A vegetarian middle schooler? An adolescent who only wants to eat “natural foods.” Neither is rare. Both can be frustrating for caregivers who want to be supportive, but see their adolescent’s food choices as limiting, inconvenient, or sometimes unnecessary. While a young person’s desire to control their diet may seem out “of the blue,” it’s quite common and not always a bad thing. Done correctly, a shift in food preference gives an adolescent an opportunity to consume a balanced diet, understand where their food comes from, and possibly learn a bit about the food industry. There may even be a chance that the rest of the household can learn from their young family member.
This slaw is colorful and delicious, and with the inclusion of sunflower seeds and cheese, it’s the perfect dish to include in a kid’s lunchbox to know they’re getting a nice collection of nutrients to see them through the day. Serve with their favorite whole grain crackers–it’s fun, tasty, and kid-friendly-weird spooned up on crackers.
In most minds, dorm room dining does not evoke Instagram-worthy images of nutritious foods. Students typically do not have access to a kitchen and can feel resigned to warming up easy mac or ramen noodles in a microwave or splurging on a fast food delivery order. Yet, with some ingenuity, it’s possible to eat healthy and on a budget from a dorm room. Here are a few simple strategies and recipes from Guiding Stars to help college students eat healthy dorm room meals and snacks without spending all their cash.
Lots of colleges and universities have healthy food these days, but sometimes you just want to make something in your own room (maybe in your jammies even). And that’s ok! A tube of cinnamon rolls baked in a toaster oven is tasty, as is ramen from the hot pot at midnight, but they’re hardly “real food.” If you want to cook in your dorm room more than just once in a while, it’s a good idea to learn to cook something that is actually nourishing. Here are a few suggestions to help you take your dorm cooking game up a notch…
End-of-summer exercise means different things to different people, of course. For me, the basics are covered in my gym, but I do like to milk the last few days of summer freedom with time spent outside. Outdoor fitness in your town might not look like it does in my area. But no matter where you live, I bet you can find some fun things to do that let you enjoy August’s precious days while also providing good exercise.
Little pita pockets are the perfect bread for school sandwiches. They’re easy for small hands to handle, and allow a great bread-to-stuffing recipe so you know your little muncher is getting plenty of veggies and protein with every bite of bread. This easy salad is packed with flavor and sure to please.
College students will begin the fall semester in about a month. Freshmen will suddenly have the freedom to choose what they eat without any input from their parents. If they live on campus, students will make these decisions at an all-you-can-eat dining hall.