WACO, Texas — Good nutrition is essential for children's health so they can grow and prevent disease, and now with at-home learning, parents have an extra task having to prepare weekly meals for their kids.
Robin Cohagen, a mom of three and contributor to The Waco Mom's Blog wrote articles on summer meal plans and packing lunch for your kids to help parents.
"I set up a timer every weekend to remind me what am I having for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day," Cohagen said.
She said it can get overwhelming, especially if you don't have a plan.
"Keep it simple and think about sandwiches a few days of the week so peanut butter and jelly and turkey and cheese," Cohagen said.
Jessica Urban, an Aramark Registered Dietitian at Baylor Scott & White - Hillcrest said a balanced meal for children and adults includes something from every food group, like fruits, vegetables and proteins.
"All of the different food groups and all of those different foods have things in them that help your child to grow well, and to think well, and to perform well in the classroom," Urban said.
It's also good to give your kids snacks, but make sure you watch their sugar intake.
"You want to make sure you're choosing more complex sweets that would come from fruits rather than those refined sweets," Urban said.
Cohagen said something that helps her is saving all her planning sheets for any time she feels stuck. She also said it's helpful when you pay attention to what your kids enjoy and it's okay to be repetitive sometimes.
"They would rather their lunch be fun, so the more pieces you can let them build together or just throw together, they love that," Cohagen said.
Her biggest tip for parents is to not overthink it. You don't want to add unnecessary stress to your plate.
For information on healthy meals, visit Choose My Plate: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/
The Waco Mom's Blog: https://thewacomoms.com/