On the heels of Halloween, with a mound of leftover candy in my kitchen, I thought “let’s dive into the world of kids’ nutrition!”

It’s been a long time since I thought about planning kid-friendly meals, so I started by doing a little research. In my pursuit, I stumbled upon a recent study revealing that 62% of kids’ breakfasts exceed the Daily Guidelines for added sugar.  Many kids get a day’s worth of added sugar before they even get to school.  And here’s the kicker — most of this sugar sneaks in from processed foods disguised by “healthy” labels.  You may be surprised to see how much added sugar is in seemingly healthy yogurt, cereal and breakfast bars. Many of these “healthy” kids’ options have as many grams of sugar as that “fun size” candy bar that I just ate.  (Don’t judge — I warned you that Halloween has invaded my house!)

Again, being out of practice, I reached out to expert colleagues for advice. They offered awesome ideas like egg scrambles, avocado toasties, overnight oats and breakfast smoothies.  Sure, these sound amazing, but who can do that every day?  After all, have you seen a school drop-off recently?

I’ve been a member of the JCC for 20 years, and I know it to be a pretty laid-back place.  That’s with one exception– morning drop-off!  I’ve witnessed the beautiful ballet of parents, and it’s a sight to behold. Picture this: parents patiently waiting for parking spots to open,  gracefully running in to drop off a child, and then flawlessly pivoting to their next destination. It’s practically Olympic-level choreography. Imagine asking one of those pros to fit an avocado toasty into that morning routine. Seriously?!

Here is a Public Service Announcement.  You don’t need to be perfect! We all want kids to have good nutrition, eat fewer processed foods and less added sugar, but let’s be realistic.  Start small – really small!  For example, instead of buying sweetened yogurt, go for plain yogurt.  No kid loves plain yogurt, but throw in blueberries, raisins, honey, or some plain granola and magic!

At the end of the day, small adjustments matter. They show that we care about health and it helps instill good habits without the stress of feeling like we’re failing.  If you want to chat more about lunchboxes or share your own kid-friendly hacks, reach out! I could use some practical tips from real parents navigating the wild world of kids’ nutrition.

Carolyn Kontos, MS, ACC, offers Wellness & Nutrition Coaching at the JCC through her Eat Well Programs. For more information, contact Carolyn at [email protected]

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