Now more than ever, we want our kids to eat healthfully. But sometimes that's easier said than done.
Seasonal Roots makes it easy for kids to experience fresh, healthy foods -- and learn to love them! Since 2011, Seasonal Roots has delivered farm-fresh produce to families throughout Virginia and MD — plus pastured eggs, dairy, and meat, baked goods, artisan goods like salsas and plant proteins, special bundles and more.
It’s all home-delivered by our neighborhood Market Managers, and it was kids who dubbed them “the veggie fairies.” A Seasonal Roots member shared: “In the spring, my kids start asking for strawberries. Then come blueberries, and after we get through peaches, they’re asking for apples in the fall, like now. No matter the season, they always get excited for our weekly delivery!”
Through our Veggie Fairy Blog, Instagram and Facebook, we provide tips to help families eat better while establishing an old-school connection to food.
Speaking of school, we’ve got you covered with a few simple tips:
1. Start with a good, healthy breakfast.
Give your child’s brain fuel for learning! If your family eats eggs, pasture-raised is the way to go. On top of having more flavor, pasture-raised eggs contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals and the highest quality protein. Serve with whole grain bread, which is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and many other nutrients that strengthen the immune system. (If your child has celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, be sure to go for gluten-free options.)
Oats, nuts, and yogurt also add up to a good breakfast. Combine the first two and they add up to… granola! Nuts and oats are both filling, like eggs. Nuts are high in minerals and heart-healthy fat, and oats are rich in antioxidants. To boost the protein content of a nice nutty granola breakfast, toss a few handfuls on top of yogurt. (While oats don’t have gluten, they’re often contaminated with it from being processed with other grains. So if gluten’s an issue, look for oats that are certified gluten-free.)
Fresh fruits are arguably the healthiest of all the healthy breakfast foods. All fruits contain vitamins, potassium, and fiber, and they’re relatively low in calories. They’re great fresh or frozen. In fact, freezing some in-season grapes makes for a fun, pop-able snack.
2. Involve your kids in meal prep.
Whether you shop in a store or order from an online farmers market like Seasonal Roots, involve the kids in the meal planning and prep. Start with cooking projects, since family meals tend to be more time sensitive.
Projects like zucchini muffins will allow your child to experiment with new skills, without ruining dinner. Once they master skills like grating, chopping, tearing greens, and peeling garlic, they can graduate to meal prep.
Kids revel in simple tasks. Plus, it is very helpful to have little fingers peeling garlic cloves while you sauté chicken.
3. Have some convenience items on hand to whip up an easy snack or lunch.
The average American kid snacks three times a day. And chips, candy, and other junk foods account for almost a third of their daily caloric intake.
Lucky for us locavores, local food can make change happen. It tastes so good that kids naturally love it, and it’s really good for you. So first of all: GO LOCAL!
Next, when it comes to kid-friendly healthy snacks and packable lunches, experts say it’s not the between-meal-snacking that’s the problem — it’s the quantity, quality, and timing of what you’re eating that counts.
So keep small portions handy in small bags or containers. And combine food groups in each snack. That can be as simple as serving a granola bar with a glass of naturally sweet grassfed milk, full of healthy fats your body needs. Other local food combos: peanut butter and whole wheat crackers or bread, a boiled egg and carrot sticks, yogurt with a side of grapes, grassfed cheese and a pear, or hummus and pita.
Combo snacks like these deliver a one-two punch: more nutrients plus they’re more filling, to tide kids over until the next meal. Or throw a couple of them together and you’ve got lunch.
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Of course, all these tips apply to adults as well as children. So whether you’re a household of one or many, join us as we get back to our roots with food that’s good for you and the planet, from people you know.
