The school year can provide structure for kids when it comes to waking up, bedtime, mealtimes, and overall routine. Schools have strict guidelines on what can be offered for breakfast and lunch. These all comply with the national school lunch standards. But what happens when that last school bell rings and that structure is gone? Sometimes summer can turn into a “free for all” when it comes to what and when kids eat, especially if they get to stay home. Today’s blog post is filled with summer food ideas as well as tips and tricks to keep the summer filled with fun and nourishment!
Meal Planning with Nutrient-Rich Foods
It can be overwhelming to know what to prepare for your kids to eat, and summer increases the number of meals you have to provide. You don’t have to create elaborate, complex meals for them to be healthy and well balanced! Let’s talk about how to keep it simple, saving you time and brain power!
Let’s start with the basics: the food groups. The five food groups are dairy, fruit, vegetables, starches/grains, and protein.
Here are some basic guidelines to follow, along with some examples:
- Include 2-3 food groups per snack:
- Apple slices and peanut butter
- Yogurt with fruit and granola or oats
- Crackers and cheese
- Fruit leather with mixed nuts
- Carrot sticks with ranch yogurt mix
- Pretzels with cheese and peanut butter
- Include 3-5 food groups per meal:
- Pita bread with tomato sauce, shredded cheese and pepperoni
- Turkey and cheese sandwich with grapes
- Veggie wrap with hummus and orange slices
- Ham and cheese roll ups with crackers and cucumber slices
- Boiled egg, pretzels, veggie sticks with ranch and fruit
- Yogurt bowl with fruit and oat toppings
Many kids will either be hungrier in the summer with the extra activities and time to play, or they won’t want to stop their fun to sit down and eat. Here are some tips for tackling both of these scenarios:
- Have cold lunches and snacks to limit preparation time.
- Make mealtimes fun – switch the fun instead of stopping it!
- Have them help with food prep. Assign age-appropriate tasks such as washing fruits and vegetables, making a sandwich, or cutting up produce.
- Prepare some items ahead of time. You can wash and cut up some fruits and veggies and pre-portion them for easy meal assembly when needed.
A tip for “picky” eaters: let them pick! Give them a few options for each food group and let them choose from there. “Would you like cucumber, carrots, or celery with lunch?” can come off much better than “you’re eating carrots with your lunch”. Kids like to have options, but sometimes too many options can be overwhelming. For example, “what do you want for lunch/dinner” can oftentimes lead to an answer of “I don’t know”. We all know that’ll lead to frustration for both you and them! If you’d like to get your kids to try something new, add only a bite or two to their plate with other foods you know they like. Don’t make them pressured to try or eat it. Leading by example can help.
Snacking
Snacking is perfectly fine! I’ll say it again for the people in the back, SNACKING IS OKAY! In fact, many kids need snacks throughout the day between meals. They are all growing at different rates and have different calorie needs, so one kid may need 3 snacks per day while another may only need one. Follow the snack guideline above and help your kids make fun and balanced pairings for their next snack.
Mealtimes
It’s important to try to keep mealtimes consistent and close to those during the school year. For example, if they usually eat breakfast at 7am during the school year then try to have breakfast by 9am. It’s okay to have a slight variation, and it’s normal to vary a little especially with different morning routines or vacations, but try to keep them within a 2-hour time frame. If mealtimes will be more than 4 or 5 hours apart, plan for a snack in the middle to help your kids avoid getting too hungry!
Summer Hydration for Kids
Summertime brings hotter weather and more time outside. Both of these increase hydration needs not just in kids, but in everyone! It can be difficult to get kids to drink enough water sometimes, here are a few tips:
- Let them pick out a fun water bottle. Whether it’s a cool color or they get to decorate it with waterproof stickers, kids will be more likely to drink out of a bottle they love!
- Try flavored water. You can use the premade sugar-free water packet, or you can add fruit, herbs, and some veggies into the water for added flavor! You can check out our hydration blog post for more information on how much water is needed, and ideas for water flavoring pairings!
- Avoid concentrated sweets such as soda or juice as these can affect your kids hunger and add extra sugar to their diet. Instead, opt for sugar-free or low-sugar varieties of juices or rehydration drinks. These can be good for on the go, convenient options.
Food Safety During Outdoor Activities
Summertime brings some fun opportunities to eat food outside such as picnics, BBQs, pool parties, lake/river time, etc. It’s important to keep your food safe while you’re enjoying your fun in the sun!
- Keep your food colder than 40*F or hotter than 140*F. The temperature in between these numbers is known as the “temperature danger zone”—the zone in which food will grow bacteria and potentially make people sick.
- Plan ahead. Know how long your food will need to stay cold or warm for and prepare accordingly. Use ice packs or hot packs to keep your food at the right temperature. It might take a bit of research for you to find what works best for your needs.
Seasonal Fun: Gardening and Farmers’ Markets
This season is when gardening and farmers’ markets are in full swing! These can be great opportunities for kids to learn about where food comes from, try new foods, and see different options you may not be able to find in your local grocery stores. You could make this a weekly venture! Plant a huge garden or add some seeds to a single pot for the windowsill. No matter what you decide to do, your kids will learn a little more about where their food comes from and how they can make choices on picking new items!
Don’t Forget the Sunscreen!
Even if your kids don’t get sunburnt, it’s important to still apply sunscreen every 2 hours they are outdoors. Vitamin D is absorbed through the skin from sunlight. It can still be absorbed when you are wearing sunscreen, so there are no worries about sunscreen interfering!
We have looked at meal and snack options, the use of snacks, hydration, keeping food safe outdoors, and how to get the most out of summer activities. If you need more help with summer food ideas, reach out to one of our dietitians to get tailored help that’s customized to your family’s needs! We are here for you and your whole family, just a few clicks away!
