Breakfast Proteins

Is your breakfast low on protein? Get creative. Add one of these protein sources every day:

* Eggs, cooked any way you like them (hard-boiled eggs are easy to have around for a quick protein boost)
* Unsweetened yogurt or cottage cheese with berries
* Refried beans spread on whole grain toast or tortillas
* Nut butters
* Burritos with eggs or beans and cheese on whole grain tortillas
* Breakfast steaks, lean pork chops or turkey bacon
* Chicken or vegetarian breakfast sausage
* Hummus on whole grain or corn tortillas
* Nuts added to oatmeal, yogurt or cereal
* Tempeh
* Scrambled tofu
* Unsweetened kefir
* Cheese sticks
* Cream cheese on whole grain crackers

Ideas for Inspired Lunches

Stuck in a peanut butter and jelly rut? Try these ideas for a little something different:

* Whole wheat tortillas spread with peanut butter sprinkled with raisins or dried cherries, rolled up and cut in two.
* Pizza quesadilla or a tomato cheddar soup and cold antipasti spread including tortellini, meats, cheeses and green beans served with grapes any other fresh, bite-size fruit.
* Hummus and spinach wrap, cherry tomatoes with string cheese, and yogurt.
* Baked corn chips, black beans, cheese wedges and fresh pico de gallo with jicama sticks.
* Whole wheat or buckwheat noodles with peanut sauce, sugar snap peas, a pear, almonds and a fortune cookie.
* Tuna salad with grated carrots, served with crackers or in a pita.
* Cheese triangles served with pepperoni and whole wheat crackers for stacking.
* Crostini (toasted French/Italian bread slices) served with chopped olive salad, roasted turkey and hard-boiled eggs.
* Vegetarian brown rice sushi rolls with soy or ponzu sauce.
* Smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumbers on mini bagels.
* Shumai dumplings/potstickers packed cold with ponzu sauce or peanut sauce.
* Vegetable fried rice (make the night before or use dinner leftovers).
* Chocolate almond butter with graham crackers.
* Fruit kabobs made from assorted colors of melon balls and other fruits on a bamboo skewer, served with yogurt for dipping.

Grab-and-Go Natural Snacks

One thing that differentiates snacks from meals is that they should be easy and quick. Pack your pantry and fridge with the following foods so kids can grab and eat them without needing any help or prep work:

* radishes, pre-cut or baby carrots, pre-cut bell peppers, squash, celery (with optional dips or spreads)
* “finger fruits” like grapes, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, cherry tomatoes
* easy to handle fruits like apples, pears, plums, bananas
* nitrate-free deli meats
* smoked or canned salmon
* soy milk
* string cheese, cheese cubes or pre-sliced cheese
* low-fat yogurt
* hard-boiled eggs
* nuts and seeds/dried fruits/trail mix
* cereal/granola
* popcorn
* soy or rice crisps
* high-fiber whole wheat crackers
* applesauce
* fruit leather
* dark chocolate