Make breakfast a priority

To encourage your child to eat breakfast before school, sit down and eat with them. If you are running short on time, try and wake up 10-15 minutes earlier or have breakfast on the go. A balanced breakfast doesn’t have to be an elaborate hot meal. A bowl of whole-grain cereal (skip the sugary ones, aim for less than 10 grams of sugar per serving) + low-fat milk + a piece of fruit is a quick and nutritious breakfast.

Have a nutrition snack ready for after school

No matter how well a child eats at breakfast and lunch they will most likely be hungry after school. Some families eat dinner when kids arrive home from school, but many families don’t eat until two or three hours after school is out. If your child needs an after-school snack, try to:

1. Find the right-sized snack to help them come to dinner hungry, but not starving.
2. Send a snack to school with your child if they ride the bus, or you have a long drive home from school.

Create a ‘snackle’ box if you’re on the go!

Between practices and all the other after school activities, snacks are also essential to keep the energy going before dinner. Here’s 5 snack combo ideas to get you started:

Picnic Pack

1 cup kale chips

12 raw almonds

1⁄2 cup grapes

1 clementine

1⁄2 cup roasted chickpeas

Mediterranean Mix

1⁄4 cup hummus

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup grapes

5 mini pita chips/ crackers

Little Lunch

8 wheat crackers

4 oz. turkey

1 oz. jack cheese

1 cup carrots and celery

1⁄4 cup ranch dressing or hummus

Healthy Holdover

1⁄2 cup popcorn

1⁄2 cup tomatoes and carrots

1⁄2-1 sliced apple

2 tbsp almond or peanut butter

Color Cups

1⁄4 cup sweet peppers sliced

1⁄4 cup grape tomatoes

1⁄4 cucumber sliced

1 hard boiled egg

1⁄4 cup dill yogurt dip