NUTRITION
Eat For The Heat
H
ot summer days call for new mealtime strategies when feeding busy kids. “Appetites change with the weather. No one feels like eating in the heat, which makes choosing nutrient-dense foods even more important,” says Toronto-based nutritionist Theresa Albert. Children require energy to stay fuelled during activities such as hiking, softball and swimming. Nourish and hydrate your kids this summer with these seven strategies.
1. OFFER NUTRITION REMINDERS “Our kids tell me when they’re hungry and remember to hydrate, but when they’re caught up playing, they can use a little reminder,” says Vancouver mom Melissa Bruntlett, who blogs about her family’s bike-centric lifestyle at Velo Family Diaries. “We spend summer on our bikes, with trips almost daily,” says Bruntlett. To keep her eight-year-old daughter and five-year-old son energized, she reminds them to nosh on their fave fruits: berries for her and apples for him. “We also pack items that are easy to munch on during breaks, like trail mix,” she says.
2. PUMP UP THE H2O The best choice for summer sipping, water offers maximum hydration and contains no sugar, caffeine or additives. Albert recommends one eight-ounce cup of water for every hour of vigorous activity. (To change things up, coconut water is a better choice than fruit juice, but limit consumption to one cup per day, she says.) Your kids can also take cues from camp employees, who encourage hydration before, after and during activities, says Ronald Tenthorey, food service director at YMCA Camp Wanakita in Haliburton, ON. Staff members also lead by example, refilling their own water bottles at Wanakita’s many ice water stations, says Tenthorey. THIS KIDS’ NUTRITION SPECIAL IS BROUGHT TO YOU IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
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CANADIANLIVING.COM | AUGUST 2014
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HOW TO KEEP YOUR KIDS FUELLED AND HYDRATED THIS SUMMER. BY YUKI HAYASHI
