Meal Planning for the “On the Go” Kid
By Sydney Antolini, Camp Shane Georgia Nutrition Instructor
When families are on the run, they need something to ‘grab and go,’ or something that is readily available so they can eat quickly and rush off to their next soccer game or ballet practice. Finding a healthy choice can sometimes be challenging when you’re always on the run. As a partner of the Together Counts™ program for healthy, active living, here are some on-the-go meal tips you can use with your family.
Meal Preparation
Planning ahead and meal preparation is the key to restoring healthy meal options ‘on the go.’ Taking the time each week to plan meals out for the week and preparing meals ahead of time is a great way to make mealtime throughout the week easier. Not only does meal preparation reduce cooking time, but meals are healthier, fresher and nutritionally adequate for growing kids. Try this Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli for a great dinner option!
Snacks
Additionally, having pre-portioned snacks readily available in the fridge or pantry makes it convenient for kids to grab food on the go. Placing snacks in plastic bags helps kids eat correct portions of those snacks. A few good ideas to keep on hand are:
- Part-skim cheese sticks
- Apple slices
- Carrot sticks
- Pre-portioned peanut butter
- Snack size pretzel bags
- Kids nutrition bars
- Trail mix
- Crackers
- Greek yogurt
- Peanut butter crackers
- Grapes
So while families may be constantly on the go, in the car and busy between school and extracurricular activities, simple meal planning will be a big help during busy weeks. Making healthy, easily prepared meals and snacks not only creates consistency throughout the week, but also allows meals to be more nutritionally adequate for busy families and hungry kids.
Established in 1968, Camp Shane is the premiere and longest running weight loss camp for girls, boys, teenagers & young adults with locations in Arizona, California, Georgia, New York, Texas and Wisconsin. They encourage and teach their campers that leading a healthy lifestyle and losing weight can still be fun! To learn more visit www.campshane.com.
For more meal ideas, check out these reads from Together Counts: