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Tracie Fountain

Live a Healthy, Balanced Life

Back to School Meal & Snack Ideas

August 31, 2017 by Tracie

Another new school year is upon us and with that comes an opportunity to reset our kids’ eating habits and get them back into a regular routine of eating healthy. I know that this is sometimes an uphill battle, but with the correct tools in hand, it can be much easier!

My name is Katie Everson and I’m a Nutritional Consultant with a Masters in Nutrition Education and a mom of 3 active boys. I wish I could tell you that my kids eat perfectly, but that is just not reality as there are many situations that are simply out of my control (school birthday treats, play dates, etc.). However, I do know that if I continually put nourishing, whole foods in front of them whenever possible, I will build a strong foundation for their eating habits as they grow up. You can do the same for your kids, so let me help you get a jump-start for the upcoming school year!

Breakfast. We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that is absolutely true. Breakfast is an opportunity to give kids nourishing food so they can go to school to focus and learn. Most of us don’t have a lot of time in the morning so it has to be something quick. The majority of cereal available to us in the grocery store doesn’t provide the nourishment kids need, usually contains GMOs and includes a laundry list of processed ingredients.

Here are some alternative ideas you can consider giving your kids for breakfast:

  • Scrambled eggs, omelets, or any way your kids will eat an egg. Eggs are an incredible source of protein and will help power kids through their morning at school. Serving eggs with fruit on the side is a great way to start their day. People tend to think that cooking eggs is a long process, but it truly is quicker than you think!
  • Grain Free Banana Pancakes. This is a great recipe because you can make it ahead of time. I have a son who refuses to eat eggs, so this is a way that I can sneak them into his diet for protein.
  • Honey Pork Sausage (Recipe Collection II: Family Edition). Sausage is another great idea for kids who don’t like eggs, but are lacking protein in the morning. You can make these the night before and then warm them up in the morning. Serve them up with the pancakes listed above, steel cut oatmeal, or fruit.
  • Ezekiel English muffins with almond butter, a glass of whole milk, and fruit. Ideally you’d want to include more protein in your kids’ morning meal, however this is a good alternative for picky kids who are transitioning out of cereal or do not like some of the options mentioned above.
  • Greek yogurt. You can add nuts, seeds, fruit, or honey to make it more fun and interesting.

Lunches and Snacks. If you cringe at the thought of packing your kids’ lunch and being prepared for after-school snacks, you are in the same boat with a lot of moms out there! It’s okay to feel overwhelmed because so many times it’s hard to come up with new ideas. However, once you figure out new food ideas that are nourishing, it is rewarding for both you and your kids.

Here are some ideas to help get you started:

  • Soup, soup, soup! Soup is something you can make ahead and freeze in appropriate-sized containers that will work for your family. We all know that kids are picky and don’t like to eat everything all of the time. However, there are endless soup recipes available that are nourishing and made from whole foods. You can also get your kids involved in the process by having them cut up ingredients and help put the soup together if they are old enough. You can then warm it up in the morning before school and send it along in a thermos like this one that will keep things warm for up to 5 hours!

thermos

Both of Tracie’s Recipe Collections include a variety of soups you can try that are super tasty and very nourishing!

  • Smoothies. You can make and freeze smoothies for later use, which will allow you to save time. Both of Tracie’s cookbooks also include several different smoothie recipes. One way to save time is to make smoothies and then freeze them in ice pop molds. You can take them right from the freezer, put them into your child’s lunch and they will be thawed perfectly for lunchtime. The key is to make several at one time so you don’t have to come back and make more for a while.
  • Hummus (original Recipe Collection) or Ranch Dip and raw vegetables. These recipes can be used for both lunches and snacks. Kids love to dip almost anything in ranch! And on the flip side, hummus doesn’t have to be boring. You can add a variety of different flavors to traditional hummus that will spice things up to keep your kids’ interest.
  • Hard-boiled eggs. These can be used for lunches or snacks. Match with vegetables and/or fruit to make a balanced meal.
  • Miniature homemade pizzas. Lunches can be as simple as making little pizzas with an Ezekiel tortilla or English muffin (cut into ¼’s), along with pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese. Make 20 at a time and place them in the freezer. They can be put in lunches and eaten cold. 
  • Whole chicken leftovers. Use whole chicken that was made the night before. You can use a “clean” barbecue sauce (like Daddy Sam’s) and warm it up in the morning with the chicken. Place the chicken in a thermos (see pic above) and send along with a slice of sourdough for them to make a sandwich at lunch. You can also keep the chicken plain and make a wrap using an Ezekiel tortilla. Add spinach, cheese, avocado, or any other whole ingredient your child would like to have in it. Try using a container with built-in dividers (that also happens to be collapsible!) like this one:

smartplanetLunches do not have to be a formal recipe! The simpler you keep your ideas, the quicker it will be in the morning and the higher your success rate will be for providing quality food! Start with whole foods in mind and branch out to more recipes after you have practiced a bit.

  • Leftovers are key. When you are planning your dinners for the week, double your recipe on the nights your meals are freezable or use them the following day for lunch. For example, when I make spaghetti and meatballs, I definitely plan on freezing the meatballs. I use Tracie’s Grain-free Meatball recipe (original Recipe Collection) along with Jovial brand (made from einkorn flour) or gluten free noodles. The more you freeze, the more variety you’ll have during the week with your kids. My kids are not always crazy about having the same meal two times in a row, so that is when I can rely on my freezer meals to pull a “new” meal out for their lunch. I always put hot meals in their thermos (see pic above) in the morning and it stays warm until lunch.
  • After-school snacks. These can be a bit tricky because you don’t want it to get too involved with dinner coming soon. One idea is apple nachos. Slice up apples and spread them around a plate. Drop almond butter around it, add melted Enjoy Life chocolate chips, and walnuts. Give them a string cheese on the side and you have an easy, but balanced, after-school snack.
  • Cheese and Fruit Kabobs (original Recipe Collection). This is another great after-school snack idea. It’s super easy and you can add whatever fruit you have on hand.
  • Muffins. Lastly, muffins can be used for both lunches and snacks. They can be placed in the freezer and used over time. A great recipe to try is Tracie’s Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Recipe Collection II: Family Edition) or Einkorn Flour Banana Muffins. If your kids like muffins, you can find several different recipes they like, set aside time to make them all in one day and then pop them in the freezer. You’d then have multiple muffins on hand and would not have to make them all that often. I always use Jovial einkorn flour for my muffins or coconut flour. When making muffins, quality ingredients are key. Try placing them in reusable pouches like these that are super cute and simultaneously save you money and the earth!

puchesThe above ideas should be a great way to jump-start the new school season! Every child has different food preferences, but the more we expose them to different foods, the more we learn about the variety they are willing to eat. Consistency will usually lead to a breakthrough of establishing successful mealtime habits.

 

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Katie and her family

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This note is way overdue. Just a BIG THANK YOU! For all you have done for me via education on food. My life is totally different now and I have never felt this good. So much I did not know or understand. Once I was told I was pre-diabetic it was a big kick in the pants. The reality of what I was doing to myself loomed over me and I finally had to put on my big girl pants and deal with it. But without the knowledge I had gained from you, I am not sure that putting on my big girl pants would have been enough. I needed to understand how the food affected my body. As of now, I have lost more than 15 pounds. My body is still healing, but that is the difference, Tracie…it is healing. So thank you and God Bless!!!

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I honestly have nothing to offer for critiques and anything I’d like to see different on the class…it totally exceeded my expectations and I feel so lucky to have found you, this information, and to live where I live with all the resources I have around me. This was truly a phenomenal class that was exactly what I needed to get me to the next level in nutrition and health. I have believed since I was little that healing ourselves should be natural and from our food sources.

Well done..I like the power point since I’m visual, I love the recipes and meal plans, snack ideas, especially the calorie count of them as well as the info on the handouts to reference.

I just want to tell everyone!!

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My name is Aaron Stecker and I am 10 year NFL veteran. I was injured at the end of last season but I did not want that injury to be the end of my career. I wanted to make a come back. My fantastic trainer recommended that I meet with Tracie and discuss how diet changes could help me reach my performance goals. I was happy that he recognized how a balance between the right exercise and nutrition can make all the difference. Tracie taught me how to balance my protein, carbs and fats so that I was able to have better workouts and less cravings. I also learned about the best types of foods to support metabolism and to decrease inflammation. The food recommendations surprised me but they worked. I am now at the weight and speed that I was during my rookie season and I am really excited to have a great year.

Thanks Tracie!

Aaron Stecker   

Angie heals her digestive issues.

I sought Tracie’s guidance amidst a whirlwind of dietary confusion after versing myself on many conflicting diets. She cleared my frustrations with sound advise and teachings that fostered an understanding of her recommendations. This allowed me to focus my efforts and enact distinct changes consistently to my diet. This consistency produced results in the form of my health goals.

I came to Tracie wishing to regulate my appetite, have more energy, increase my sense of well-being, allieviate digestion problems, and recalibrate a healthier metabolism after years of damaging dieting. I am achieving these goals with more stability every day using food as my health catalyst and metabolic medicine. At first, it took dedication, patience, and involved trusting Tracie. As I started to see and feel my body construct better health with nutritional materials, I knew I was reaping a cornucopia of health. I began to demolish old nutritional beliefs and patterns not serving my health goals. I replaced them with new, nutritional tools and blueprints that actually worked to repair and build better health. I improved my health and quality of life substantially.

I am very grateful for the gift of health Tracie guided me to create for myself. I now know how to fuel my body vehicle for maximum efficiency and function, and Tracie provided me with the education, encouragement, and support to achieve this.

Angie   

Sara dropped her soda and pounds!

With no real intentions and my Diet Pepsi in hand, I attended a Lunch n’ Learn hosted by our company’s wellness team. The presenter was Tracie Hittman and with my limited knowledge about nutrition she easily caught my attention, and I knew I wanted to learn more. I joined her program and it was honestly money well spent.

The program included weekly meetings with Tracie, bi-weekly testing, and monthly classes on a variety of topics. I started off by changing when and what I eat. Because you want to keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day, it is best to eat every 2-3 hours. I always now have balanced snacks near by which helps me avoid cravings around lunch and dinner time.

Figuring out what to eat was a bigger challenge. Many of the foods I was being told to eat were completely opposite of what society has drilled into our heads for so long. I stick to a balanced diet with protein, fruits, and fat (healthy fat, of course). It isn’t about counting calories or avoiding foods with fat; it’s about looking at the ingredients and avoiding foods with hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, etc. If you don’t know what an ingredient is, it’s most likely not good for you.

I have lost almost 30 pounds and feel great!

Thanks Tracie!

Sara   

Jenny shares her successful conversion!

(This is a message that one of our clients sent out to her contacts.)

Hello all,
Some of you may have heard me talk about the nutrition consultant that I began seeing several months ago. She is now starting a seminar series that I would highly recommend. I am forwarding this on because it is sooo interesting!

So far, this change in my eating habits has helped me feel way more energetic, have less “crashes” after eating, I ENJOY the food I eat, I have learned a ton of delicious new recipes, I don’t feel guilty about what I’m eating and I am not eating so much processed, junk-filled food! I’ve even lost weight! Also, I’ve decreased my cravings and feel satisfied when I’m done eating. Overall, I just feel better!

It is really amazing what Tracie can teach you about food and it all makes sense. I no longer read calorie and fat content, but instead I read the ingredients. My rule of thumb is if I can’t pronounce the word, then I don’t eat it. ;-)

Oh, and Steve really likes food too so that makes it so much easier!

Jenny   

Lisa gains energy and drops depression.

When I went to Tracie, I was in a panic mode. No matter how I ate, I was consistently gaining a pound a week or so. I already knew I had Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, but doctors weren’t putting me on medicine yet to deal with it. I also felt lethargic, slightly depressed, irritable and often couldn’t sleep at night.

Not only did Tracie get me eating healthier—which immediately helped me feel better—she hooked me up with a doctor who understood thyroid issues and prescribed the right medicine. Now I’m losing weight, feeling positive and having all the energy I need to get through the day.

Although my journey is continuing because it took years for me to get to this point, I am making much better choices, getting closer to my health goals and feeling like I’m in control for the first time in years.

Thank you, Tracie!

Lisa   

Amy loses pounds and headaches.

Working with Tracie is a wonderful experience! She has helped me make some important lifestyle changes. I have already seen an increase in energy, a decrease in headaches, and have lost over 10 pounds. I would recommend Tracie to anyone looking to improve their health and well-being.

Amy   

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