All-Day Functional Foods for Kids on the Go

Food plays such an integral part of our daily lives, especially for kids and teens. Like their parents, kids are moving through their days faster then ever, switching gears hourly as they maneuver through their obstacle course like schedules, all the while expected to think, respond, and perform with maximum mental clarity. Their day doesn’t end with the last class, but most often continues with little rest as they must be on time for their after school sports practice, or the countless array of extra-curricular activities. What use is going to class if one is too tired and hungry to digest the information their teachers are feeding them? Our expectations for our kids to perform at the highest level are naturally high, but a sprouting child or hormone fluctuating teen can’t take all the blame for falling asleep in class, being late, or just losing focus altogether if we are not giving them the tools to create natural, sustained energy that can keep them going all day. The energy you help them create as they are growing will be a feeling they will not forget, and they may not feel the pressure to improve their performance through synthetic means. How our kids fuel can absolutely make the difference in how well they are building their foundation and ultimately how they experience their daily schedule.

This schedule graduates week after week, month-to-month, and each year, becoming more complex. Ideally, you can help them establish a life-long foundation for learning, discovering, experiencing and becoming. Of course, we must all lead our children by example so the lifestyle must start with us, and filter into them. Inconsistencies between our actions and their actions will lead to inconsistencies in their behavior. The most available and non-synthetic tool available to create a strong foundation is food. Functional foods are the key–not empty calories, sugars, and fast food. Functional means the ability to serve a purpose for which it was designed; therefore, functional foods have been designed to promote mental clarity and focus, physical and mental energy, emotional balance and overall development. Such foods include whole grains, raw and unprocessed fats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean white meat, fish, fruit, and legumes.

Eating for kids should be a fun experience and it is the best time to introduce new foods, while they are developing their tastes. Kids need to picture healthy, functional foods the same way they see a new pair of sneakers for basketball. That new pair of shoes will ignite them to run faster and jump higher, just as that pita sandwich with veggies will make them think and focus quicker and longer, and will prevent the radical ups and downs that excess sugars cause. No difference really, just a paradigm shift in how your child perceives foods. If you start from day one, than their need not be a shift. Their perception of foods will be as it should be, and perhaps, with enough consistency, it will become cool to be healthy and energetic. My view is that healthy foods in their natural state can be more interesting, fun, and even cool for your kids. The key is to induce passion for understanding foods at as young an age as possible, connecting the dots for them to understand how everything they eat and drink affects their bodies and minds so that the word, “yuck!” is their response when they see or smell a fried burger, fries, and soda. Imagine that! Help them believe whole-heartedly that dead, lifeless, overly processed food is yuck because it actually depletes their energy. Lead with passion, and they will follow.

I’ve included snack ideas below that you can teach your kids to make. These foods are functional in the sense that they provide optimal energy and give them the nutrition they need on many levels as they glide through their daily transitions…

Kid-Friendly High-Energy Snacks

Triangle quesadillas (whole grain tortilla with goat cheddar or rice cheese)

Tortilla roll sandwich (Spread over a whole grain tortilla, some Veganaise or humus, sandwich toppings, veggies, etc and then roll it up and cut in half

Raw dehydrated bars/cookies

Home made veggie burrito

Scrambled eggs in a whole grain pita half

Mini homemade Pizza on whole English muffin or bread with favorite toppings, toasted in the toaster oven

Frozen grapes are a great sweet treat

Peanut butter and banana sandwich (try Alvarado sprouted bread or whole grain bread)

Pureed yams in a cup (bake a yam and then puree it with a little salt and honey – yum)

Home made chicken strips (leftovers from last night’s dinner)

Yam fries (bake 1 or more yams for 25 minutes at 425 degrees, peel, cut in ½ lengthwise, and then cut 1 inch strips, lay them on a baking sheet greased with grapeseed or coconut oil, sprinkle a little sea salt on the fries and then bake for about 15 minutes on each side at 425 degrees. Delicious!

Fruit sweetened yogurt

Fruit Leather (no sugar added)

Whole grain crackers (Kashi, Dr. Cracker, Flat Bread crackers, etc.)

Natural, fruit sweetened granola in a baggy (try Nature’s Path, Kashi, Ezekiel, Go Raw, …)

Smoothie and juices from Evolution, Naked Juice, Odwalla, etc.

Frozen juice is a great replacement for popsicles

Raw almonds, walnuts or peanuts with raisins

Chopped raw veggies

My recipe for oatmeal bites

Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood shake

Young Thai coconut pureed into pudding

Young Thai Coconut water

Functional Foods for Teens

Lavash Rolls: Made with Flat lavash bread (carried at Trader Joe’s, etc) – spread humus or desired spread over the bread and top with avocado, meet veggies, olives, etc., roll up lengthwise and cut into thick rounds.

Whole grain Pita sandwich: Cut in ½ and stuff with avocado, cheese, tuna, lettuce, or any combo of choice.

Fruit juice sweetened yogurt and a handful of raw almonds

Stirfry leftovers: Rice with stir fry veggies and fish/chicken in a container with soy sauce.

Raw, dehydrated energy bars and crackers (Go Raw, Lydia’s, Just Good Energy, Living Nutz, etc.)

Egg Burrito in a whole grain tortilla (hold the bacon, butter and heavy cheese) – try scrambling the eggs in coconut or grapeseed oil, adding sea salt, tomatoes, cilantro, onion, bell peppers and goat cheddar

Dried fruit and nuts without sugar added

Prepacked Sushi rolls – look for rolls made with brown rice like Kikka and natural food deli’s.

Smoothie and juices from Evolution, Naked Juice, Odwalla, etc.

Toasted corn tortilla with avocado spread over it, sea salt and salsa

Tortilla wedges – 2 toasted corn tortillas with spread of choice (humus, Veganaise, Tabouli, cheese, etc), layered with meat and/or veggies and cut into triangles

Breakfast rice – Already cooked brown rice topped with cinnamon, raisins, honey, and almond milk

Natural, prepackaged lunch items such as lettuce wraps, tortilla wraps, salads, veggie burgers, rice dishes, etc. (Healthy companies available at most natural food stores include Foodology, Vegan Kitchen, Just Good Energy, Rawvolution, Good Mood Food Café, Evolution, etc)

Amazing Grass Superfood shake

Young Thai coconut pureed into pudding

Young Thai Coconut water