5 Better Breakfast Tips For Kids!

I was not paid for this post, just passing along information I found to be helpful myself :-)
Well, I'm a little late to the game since September is "National Better Breakfast Month" and there are only a few days left in the month...

However, we shouldn't stop eating healthy just because it's almost October, right? Right.


I often struggle getting my three kids out the door for school in the morning, making sure they've had a healthy breakfast before the bell rings.  I came across some great reminders written by Barbara’s & Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, nutrition expert, mom of 3 and best-selling author of Eating in Color, and thought I'd share them with you. 

1. Breakfast Time over Screen Time – Mornings are hectic, especially at the beginning of the school year, before everyone has settled into their schedules. Make it clear to your kids that breakfast time needs to come before they turn on the TV or play with their phone.
2. Better Breakfasts – Barbara’s Breakfast Survey revealed that juice and cereal are the most common breakfast foods on school days: 71% of children drink fruit juice and 95% of children eat cereal. Clearly, kids love juice and cereal but you can still help them make better choices. For example, 100% fruit juice rather than “drinks” or “blends” and lower sugar cereals like Barbara’s Puffins, which are also packed with whole grains.
3. Add Color! – Studies show that kids like food that’s colorful, so take the opportunity to fit in an extra serving of antioxidant and vitamin C-rich fruit--and tempt their taste buds--by offering brightly colored berries, diced apple and melon, or sliced grapes and kiwi fruit on the breakfast table.
4. Streamline Set Up – Having a sit-down breakfast is much more doable if you do a little prep in advance. Set up the breakfast table the night before: Clear clutter, and set out bowls, spoons, and napkins. Then all you need to do in the morning is serve the food!
5. Always Have Backup! – There are some days when you just have to grab and go! Being prepared with a healthy back up option is smart. I like to make extra whole grain pancakes on the weekend and freeze them for a rainy day.

As much as I would love to cook them a hot breakfast each morning, it's just not happening every day so cereal is our easiest breakfast meal.  My girls' favorite Barbara's cereal has been Cinnamon Puffins.

What's your kiddo's favorite breakfast cereal?  

Problem With Picky Eaters? #DailySunshine Shakes To The Rescue

I was given complimentary samples of this product to facilitate this post. All opinions are 100% my own and may not reflect the opinion of the company described. 

Luckily, I was blessed with children who aren't picky eaters.  

My problem is that I can't keep up with the quantity of food they seem to need to ingest, to fill their giant sized tiny bellies.

I swear 10 minutes after they finish lunch, they ask me for a snack. Not a joke. Sometimes I feel like I should just live in the kitchen because chances are, in 10 minutes one of my three girls will be requesting another snack.

Since they never stop eating, it's important to me that I'm feeding them food that fuels their body and provides essential nutrients - not just empty calories.

Now, I had heard of #Beachbody, Shakeology and #BeachbodyOnDemand before, but what does this have to do with nutritional snacks for kids?
 
Turns out, they have a yummy smoothie blend called #DailySunshine that is a fruit and veggie shake blend containing healthy fats and plant based protein. 

The question though, is of course, "will my kid drink it".............

Often, I find a snack with a good source of protein and vitamins, but my kids just won't like it.  

All three of my kiddos tried Daily Sunshine, and asked for more...

which I take as a good sign! In fact, I may have snuck a few shakes myself when I was feeling like something sweet in the afternoon, but didn't want to make a bad snacking choice. 

One of my favorite things about these shakes are that they blended up really easily, without being lumpy.  One of my complaints about another whey protein powder I use is that unless you use a blender, there will be lumps (yuck).  The Daily Sunshine packets, easily blend in a shaker cup with just 8 ounces of water or milk. 

My daughter also had fun adding her own extras to the shake, blending up frozen blueberries, peaches and chia seeds for an antioxidant punch.  

Benefits of Daily Sunshine

• One packet is equivalent to 1 FULL serving of fruits and veggies
• Made with organic fruits and vegetables
• Made with organic pea protein (10 grams of protein per packet)
• Healthy fats - ALA omega-3 fatty acids
• Contains fiber and probiotics to support healthy digestion

After experimenting with adding our own ingredients, as well as blending with ice, and simply shaking in the shaker cup - I'd definitely purchase these shake packets for my kids.

All three of my kids (6, 5 and 3) loved the taste of both the Strawberry Banana and also the Chocolate Daily Sunshine, for a healthy snack after Tball practice, school, and weekend errands. 


To find out more about this nutritional shake for kids, or to purchase, visit:

 https://www.dailysunshinesmoothie.com/