RDToolkit2020-CC-FINAL_UPDATED-8-1-23

August Healthy Back to School Tips

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Support your child’s learning in the classroom with a nourishing, filling breakfast! For a new twist on eggs, try our breakfast egg stuffed sweetpotatoes #breakfast #backtoschool ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/breakfast-egg-stuffed sweet-potatoes/ Are you or your children big snackers? Snacks are a great way to get extra nutrients and fill the gaps between meals. We love snacking on these whole wheat sweetpotato zucchini muffins and they’re perfect for back to school! ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/whole-wheat-sweetpotato- zucchini-muffins/ veggies in a pasta recipe kids love! #recipe ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/kale-and-sweetpotato baked-mac-n-cheese-casserole/ Newsletter - Copy Are you someone who sits down for breakfast, eats it on the way out the door or in the car, or skips it entirely? If it is the latter, you may want to start adding a small breakfast in! Breakfast is associated with better nutrient intake, more physical activity and better performance in school, especially among children, and can contribute to maintaining a healthy weight. * Don’t have time to cook? Sweetpotatoes help make a quick breakfast possible. Some options to consider in clude adding mashed sweetpotatoes to your smoothie or cooked oatmeal or substitute toast with sweetpotato toast topped with nut butter, fruit, yogurt, nuts and/or seeds. * Gibson, S. (2003). Micronutrient intakes, micronutrient status and lipid profiles among young people consuming different amounts of breakfast cereals: Further analysis of data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of Young People aged 4 to 18 years. Public Health Nutrition, 6(8), 815-820. doi:10.1079/PHN2003493 Now that it’s back to school season, it helps to start thinking about simple recipes that provide easy leftovers! We love this sweetpotato and kale mac and cheese casserole that serves up a healthy dose of

Talking Points y Sweetpotatoes can make great additions to children’s school lunches. Cut them as sweet- potato fries, blend them into sweetpotato muffins or bread, or puree them into a hummus for a healthy dipping option. y With summer fun and traveling, the family may be eating new snacks and at inconsistent times. To make the Back-to-school transition easier, try to get kids eating regular meals and snacks that include fresh fruits and vegetables. y Since sweetpotatoes can be used in so many ways, they are a great snack option! Top baked sweetpotatoes with peanut butter and chocolate chips for a fun, filling snack or blend cooked, mashed sweetpotatoes into their favorite smoothie. y Did you know breakfast consumption is associated with positive outcomes for diet quality, micro- nutrient intake, and weight status? It also impacts classroom learning, behavior, cognitive thinking, and school performance. For a healthy, make-ahead breakfast, our sweetpotato blueberry baked oatmeal can be made the night before or frozen for the future. ncsweetpotatoes.com/recipe/sweet-potato-blue berry-baked-oatmeal/

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