How to keep the diet of your kids healthy this summer.
With longer days, hotter temperatures and no school, family gatherings, as well as traveling, your children are restless and looking for things to do. Activities will make them hungry, for sure. It can be a stressful time to make healthy choices because options are limited and motivation is low. Whatever they do, there’s no reason to let their diets slip up during the summer holidays.
Making sure your kids stay consistent with their eating habits during the summer ensures both short-term and long-term health benefits. Keeping them full of the vitamins and nutrients they need helps them stay active and sets consistent healthy eating habits for them at any time of year.
1. Hydrate.
With temperatures rising, the most important thing to keep in mind during the summer is to keep your kids properly hydrated. It’s all about water! If kids are being active and sweating outside, they need to stay hydrated. And though it may be tempting to just let kids grab whatever they want out of the fridge, it’s important to keep control over what they drink.
- Choose water first. If your child says they are thirsty after an activity, offer water first before any other drink.
- Sugar-sweetened drinks like sweet tea, lemonade, juice, or soda, are not recommended at any time of the year. Instead, try adding fruits to water or even sparkling flavored water as a way to keep drinks flavorful and interesting.
- Pure fresh juices are okay in moderation but no more than a cup a day.
- Hydrate with fruits and veggies which have great water content such as watermelon, melons, berries, cucumbers, celery, and bell peppers.
2. Enjoy cold treats.
Summer is the perfect time for ice cream, popsicles, and other cold treats to help kids stay cool. To keep it healthy, you can find 100% fruit pops at the supermarket or if they like something creamier, greek yogurt bars or frozen yogurts can help your kids get more protein.
You can also whip up homemade treats which are a lot more convenient and you have control over the ingredients.
- Blend together various fruits and yogurt combinations and pour them into reusable popsicle molds.
- Cut up various fruits and dip them in chocolate or yogurt then freeze them.
- Use frozen fruits like bananas, mangoes, or strawberries to create homemade ice cream.
3. Plan your meals.
Meal planning is a great way to provide a necessary structure and ensure healthy meals and snacks at any time of the year. Some ideas work especially during summer.
- Make sure to include all the necessary food groups- protein, whole grains, fruits, vegetables- into your meal planning. Changing up options and even getting different foods on the plate can be fun for younger kids and get them more engaged in eating healthy foods. Pick a protein like chicken and then lay out all the options to create a salad bar for kids to build their own!
- Another great and quick idea is soup! You can make yourself a large batch of soup like gazpacho, vegetable soup or shorba/chicken or bone broth and freeze them. Then you can heat them up when you need them and serve.
- Cold pasta salads are another great summer item. You can toss a mix of whole grain or bean-based pasta with little cheese or turkey slices as well as veggies like bell peppers and zucchini to deliver both fiber and protein in the diet.
- If you’re running low on time, you can keep quicker meals like sandwiches and wraps healthy by using whole grain bread and mixing in fruits, veggies, and proteins. A combo like spinach, chicken, and hummus in a wrap, with some strawberries on the side isn’t just delicious but nutritious and filling. Remember to get the kids involved in prepping and always make it fun!
Dr. Salma Siddiqua earned her MBBS from Batterjee Medical College for Sciences and Technology in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is currently working as a pediatrician in the Ministry of Health Hospitals in Riyadh. She has particular interests in Research and Pediatric Cardiology. She is also a mental health advocate.
