Fun Foods That Fuel the Family

MISSION, KS--(Marketwire - Sep 29, 2011) - (Family Features) For a lot of busy moms, it seems that kids' activities dominate the family calendar. Between school, soccer practice, ballet rehearsal and everything in between, sometimes you need to have a plan of attack for keeping the family satisfied.

Eating right goes a long way to giving everyone the energy they need to fuel all those activities, but it can be tricky coming up with new ideas for meals and snacks the kids will actually eat.

Blogger Meagan Francis, from The Happiest Mom, shares a few of her ideas for satisfying hungry kids and keeping them going throughout the busy day.

Quick Breakfast Bites

• Wrap up the first meal of the day in a tortilla with scrambled egg burritos. If you're in a hurry, they can be a great on-the-go breakfast.
• Make a fruit smoothie or a toasted whole grain English muffin with peanut butter and no sugar added jelly.
• Skip the sugar-bomb-in-a-bowl cereal and go for whole grain cereal with strawberry or banana slices.

Stock Up On Easy-To-Cart Snacks

• Fat free pretzels dipped in peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) is a creamy, crunchy snack that gives kids a little protein to fuel their afternoon activities.
• Let the kids help make a custom blend of homemade trail mix using their favorite ingredients. Try walnuts, almonds, yogurt covered raisins, sunflower seeds, and mini chocolate chips.
• A delicious, low fat -- and fun to eat -- portable snack, string cheese pleases just about every kid.
• Be prepared with snacks that are easy to eat in the backseat. Meagan likes to pack Heinz^® Dip & Squeeze^® Ketchup to pair with snacks, which holds 3 times more ketchup than traditional packets. You can buy them in a 10-pack box at the grocery store. They're easy to toss into your purse or the glove compartment and a great no-mess solution that little fingers can manage. Find more kid-friendly food tips at: https://www.facebook.com/HeinzKetchup.

Pack Some Lunchbox Fun

• Stuff it - Fill pita pockets with their favorite chicken salad, low-sodium deli meat, or peanut butter and a banana.
• Dip it - Give them finger foods to dip, like apples and peanut butter; baby carrots and ranch or yogurt dip; or even oven fries and homemade chicken nuggets with Heinz^® Dip & Squeeze Ketchup. Kids can either peel back the lid to dip, or rip off the top to squeeze.
• Build it - Let them build their lunch by packing the ingredients in separate baggies or containers. Try a stacker with crackers, cheese and deli slices.

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