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Elizabeth M. Ward MS,RD

Elizabeth is a freelance writer and nutrition consultant. She also contributes to the Diet Challenge Blog for USA Today!

One of our favorite bloggers and a member of our Mom Panel, Elizabeth from A Nut in a Nutshell, headed out to New York City last weekend for BlogHer 2010, an annual conference that gives bloggers the opportunity to learn more about their craft, network, and interact with their favorite brands. (Like Mom’s Best Naturals!)

Elizabeth landed in NYC armed with her Mom’s Best Flip Cam, and spent the weekend chatting with bloggers about their favorite parts of the famed conference. Here are some of their responses:

The new school year is quickly approaching – and has already begun, for some of you – which means getting back into the routine of getting up early, making it to the bus stop on time, and most importantly, making sure your best-laid plans for eating healthy translate to the school cafeteria.

Dietitian Elizabeth Ward recommends making sure your kids keep their energy and brain power up by going back to basics. She suggests starting the day with a mix of complex carbs and protein – think whole grain cereal with milk – and including additional proteins and fruit in their lunch bag.

Check out the video below for more of Elizabeth’s tips on packing nutrient-rich lunches and snacks to ensure that healthy eating will last all year long!

Want your child to get the most out of school this year?  Help him to fuel his body and brain with good nutrition all day long.

Breakfast

Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day.  Your child’s brain requires a constant flow of energy, also known as glucose. Breakfast helps replenish the nutrients the body called upon during the night to keep it running, and jump starts your child’s day.

Eating breakfast also prevents hunger that distracts kids from learning in the classroom.  Research shows that children who eat breakfast tend to have better short-term memory than their counterparts who do not eat the morning meal. But it’s not just any old breakfast that bolsters brain function in kids – studies suggest that consuming very high-calorie meals in the morning impairs concentration.

Use the morning meal as an opportunity to work in at least one of the three suggested daily servings of whole grains, which are relatively lower in calories and richer in fiber than their highly refined counterparts, such as doughnuts and packaged breakfast pastries.

A serving of whole grain cereals, such as those found in Mom’s Best Naturals cereals, keeps calories under control and helps the body to better regulate blood glucose levels, providing your child’s brain with a steady energy supply. Whole grains are also rich in B vitamins, necessary for constructing brain cells, and for the production of neurotransmitters, compounds in the brain that help nerve cells to communicate with each other.

Since children typically douse their cereal with milk, breakfast is a way to include dairy products. Dairy foods are packed with protein, which helps to keep kids fuller for longer, and they provide B vitamins.  Eggs are also an excellent protein source and a top supplier of choline, a compound associated with better memory.

Lunch

Your child loves PB&J sandwiches and wants one in his lunch box every day. How does the All-American sandwich fare as brain food? Pretty well, actually.

Nut butters, and seed butters, such as sunflower seed butter, are great sources of healthy fats, and they supply vitamin E, which protects cells, including those in the nervous system and brain, from damage. To boost nutrition, make nut and seed butter sandwiches with grated carrots, California raisins, or sliced bananas, and whole grain bread.

Your mother told you fish was brain food (well, my mother did, anyway) and she was right. Fish is an excellent source of the omega-3 fat DHA, which is essential to brain development. Research suggests that people who consume higher amounts of omega-3 fats perform better on tests of their mental skills. Canned light tuna is a safe, nutritious choice for kids, but how about trying salmon instead? Salmon is a stellar source of DHA.  Prepare salmon salad sandwiches on whole grain rolls for a change of pace.

Lean roast beef is an excellent sandwich filling choice. It’s filled with protein, and with a form of iron that is highly absorbable by the body. Iron helps kids stay energized and is crucial to nervous system and brain health.

Snacks

It’s tempting to rely on snack chips and sugary beverages when you’re packing snacks during the hectic morning rush or when your child insists on these low-nutrient goodies.  Mom, resist the urge!

Children get about 25 percent of their calories from snacks. That’s why snacks should be regarded as mini meals, and not as treats.

Send snacks to school that combine complex carbohydrate and protein so that your child’s brain gets the energy it needs, and he stays fuller for longer. Here are some suggestions:

• Hummus, sunflower seed butter, or peanut butter and baby carrots

• Trail mix made with Mom’s Best Naturals cereal, nuts or sesame seeds, and dried fruit

• Yogurt and fruit

• Sliced apple and cheddar cheese

Happy Eating!

Liz Ward

I have always loved having the kids home for the summer, and I’m a person who never gets bored, so I’ve found ways to keep my kids busy and having fun. There are a myriad of scheduled activities for kids to participate in outside the home, such as summer reading clubs at the library and bookstores, day camps, and swimming lessons, but today I want to focus on simple, everyday activities at home.

I have always encouraged imagination and creativity through play, as it’s not only fun, but educational too. If you give the kids a few supplies and a starter activity, and then just let them take it where they want it, they’ll have a blast!

• Running through sprinklers is a favorite childhood activity. Add in an umbrella, a bucket, and a big squishy sponge and watch what fun they will have!

• Fill a wading pool with water on a really hot day, dump in a big container of ice cubes, and let the kids try to get the ice cubes out of the pool with their feet! Read the rest of this entry »