Nutrition and Wellness for Growing Minds and Bodies
All this time at home can make meal planning a bit harder. Children’s bodies need the entire alphabet of vitamins and minerals to grow healthy and strong, but picky eaters and irregular grocery store trips can make it tough to get kids a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, and proteins—let alone ones they enjoy.
To help, we’ve compiled some guidance for keeping their diets consistent with the nutrition they’d be getting in our centers. Plus, you’ll find some helpful time-saving tips for simpler, wholesome mealtimes.
What and how we serve
- Help boost your baby’s health by dishing up these five immune-boosting foods they’re sure to love!
- Kids eating you out of house and home? What’s a normal amount of food for them to have every day? It’s all about portions and schedules. Here are some tips for mealtime schedules and portion sizes.
- Is it time to say bye-bye to pureed baby foods? We have a guide for baby’s first finger foods for exploring new tastes and textures!
- Our centers are pausing our family-style dining practices right now, but guess what … we got the practice from families like you! Read about how to try family-style dining at home to help foster healthy eating, independence, etiquette, and more!
Health and wellness
- What’s an easy way to make sure your family is getting the right vitamins and minerals while also fortifying your health? Eat the rainbow! Learn about the benefits, plus get a creative and fun snack idea. Fruits and vegetables are more fun to eat in bug form!
- When the days at home seem endless, it can be hard to stay focused and present even during breaks with family. But mindful eating practices are not only good for the mind and body, they foster the best family conversations, too.
- A microbiome is the genetic material encoded by a living population of organisms (microbiota, like bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that resides both inside and on our bodies. And they’re crucial to our overall health. Here’s a little science on how a healthy gut supports a healthy mind supports a healthy body!
Time-saving recipes and resources
- Sometimes the simplest dinner recipes are the yummiest! Ingredients in this Easy Veggie Pot Pie recipe are pantry staples, or can be substituted for other veggies they love. The best part is prep is less than 30 minutes.
- Burritos are great for any meal as far as we’re concerned. Making slow-cooker chicken or veggie burritos is a wrap with this recipe filled with nutritious favorites. Substitute chicken for eggs or scrambled tofu to make it breakfast. Or sub any of the veggies for their favorites!
- Does it feel like a good part of your day is spent keeping your family fed, just to turn around and do it all over again? Here are some easy tips to make meal-planning easier.