SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KTIV) -
Children who eat breakfast have higher attendance rates in school, decreased tardiness, increased concentration, increased problem solving skills and improved muscle coordination.
Fareway Registered Dietitian Whitney Packebush shared these ideas to help kids get that healthy start to the day.
If you feel short on time in the morning, try baking Kashi® GOLEAN Crunch!® Cookies the night before.
Kashi®GOLEAN Crunch!® Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Makes: 12 cookies
Ingredients
4 cups Kashi® GOLEAN Crunch!®
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup egg substitute or 1 egg white
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. PULSE cereal in food processor or blender about 10 times. ADD baking powder, egg, cinnamon and sugar and process for about 20 seconds, or until mixture is well blended. STIR in cranberries. SPRAY ¼-cup measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray. PLACE a piece of foil on a cookie sheet and SPRAY with non-stick spray. Use measuring cup to drop ¼-cup mounds of cookie mixture onto foil. FLATTEN cookies by PRESSING down gently with the bottom of a glass. BAKE for 10 to 13 minutes. The cookies should still feel a little soft when you pull them out of the oven, but they will harden as they cool.
Nutrition facts per cookie: 120 calories; 1 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 90 mg sodium; 25 g total carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 4 g protein
Recipe courtesy of Kashi Company©
Lunch Ideas
Please even the pickiest eaters at lunch by packing a kid-friendly lunch that's also good for them. Aim for a variety of food groups, and choose foods that will travel well until lunch time. If you're running low on ideas, follow the sample lunch below - it can even be modified to meet your kids' unique tastes!
Think all food groups: whole grains, protein, dairy, fruits and veggies
Bento Box ideas: Turkey Roll ups
Makes 2 servings
Total time: 15 minutes + chilling time
Ingredients
2 whole wheat tortillas
2 Tbsp. flavored cream cheese
¼ pound shaved turkey
Thinly sliced vegetables, such as 1 carrot, peeled and julienned, ¼ cucumber, seeded and julienned, 2 lettuce leaves
Directions
SPREAD a thin layer of cream cheese over each tortilla. LAY ingredients down in the middle of the tortilla, letting the veggies extend past each edge of the tortilla. ROLL tortillas as tightly as they will go. WRAP in plastic wrap and REFRIGERATE for at least one hour, or overnight. To slice, CUT each rollup in 4 even slices.
After-school Snack
The break between lunch and dinner can be a long time, especially for children. In order to satisfy their hunger without sabotaging dinner, focus on serving a light snack that includes a variety of food groups.
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