It's a great time of the year! This year take an initiative to make sure your children are getting the healthy nutrition their bodies need for the holidays. They will probably be bombarded with all sorts of seasonal snacks and treats during their classroom parties or at their holiday get-togethers with friends, so let's make sure to provide the those healthy and hearty meals at home. Here are a few hints you can employ to help make sure your little ones get what they need (besides all the presents!) this holiday season: Have you thought to serve seasonal fruits and veggies? During fall and winter, apples, pears, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, nuts, oranges and tangerines, lemons and oranges are all in season, so choose a selection of recipes that include these and try preparing them with your family. You can also mix all of the fruits together and make a delicious fruit salad to snack one! Apple slices also great with a peanut butter spread, and is a simple and tasty way to give your kids the extra protein and nutrients found in apples and peanut butter.
Pack in the protein
For children, protein is a key ingredient for growing healthy and strong bodies, and the holidays are a perfect time to give them what they need!
- Dinner is a great time for grilling up juicy hamburgers on the grill for your little ones - a quarter pound patty (4-ounces) has 28 grams of protein - and it will pair wonderfully with seasonal fruits and veggies from the list above.
- A 3.5-ounce chicken breast is good for 30 grams of protein. Try rubbing them with lemon and pepper for a great taste. If you are a dipper, ketchup or a honey mustard are both tasty choices. You can also slice and serve in a leafy green salad - you could even throw some pear slices and chestnuts on top! And for an after-dinner dessert, throw a handful of nuts (almonds, peanuts and cashews have between 5 and 8 grams of protein per 1/4-cup) together with chocolate candies and raisins for a quick homemade fun snack for your kids - pair it with the benefits of chocolate milk and it's sure to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth!
- Now for the most important meal of the day, we didn't forget about it, breakfast! Each large egg contains 6 grams of protein. You can scramble one up and top it with cheddar cheese, which has about 7 grams of protein per ounce. Also consider cottage cheese as it has 15 grams of protein per 1/2-cup. Yogurt boasts around 10 grams per cup, so just add in your blueberries and strawberries for some holiday flair and you've got a protein-packed breakfast snack! And did you know? A typical glass of chocolate milk has 8 grams or 16% of the daily value your children need in just one cup - just one of the many benefits of chocolate milk! So spread some peanut butter on a piece of toast (you can add honey, jelly or hazelnut spread for an extra bit of sweetness) and serve it with a nice, cold glass of chocolate milk!