Back-to-School Nourishment for Kids

Does back-to-school mean back to poor eating habits? What your kid eats is so important to how they feel, their ability to learn, their energy levels and their capacity to handle stress.

We all know that schedules can get busy - FAST - during a school year. Sometimes that means reaching for more convenient, processed foods. And strong cravings can start to come up the busier you are and the harder the brain is working. Why is that?

Cravings are cues that the body KNOWS what it needs. When our kiddos crave “treats”, their bodies are asking for FATS. Most of the readily available treats that kids crave may have fats, but they are full of refined sugar which lead to blood sugar spikes and crashes. They are also full of preservatives, additives, and rancid oils that are inflammatory and neurotoxins.

This is NOT what their body is asking for.

What the body is craving is saturated fat in its most wholesome form. It is satiated and truly nourished on a cellular level.Saturated fat plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy nerve cell membranes which allow the nervous system to regulate. It also supports cognitive function and focus so that your child can excel through their day.

When the body is given the proper raw materials /nourishment it needs to heal and function, you will notice it!

Saturated Fats

1. Regulate the nervous system
2. Stabilize blood sugar
3. Increase focus and comprehension 
4. Support an overall better mood 

So what can you do to get more saturated fats into your kid’s diet? Here are some ideas:

Younger children need at least 6 tablespoons of saturated fat every day, so every meal and snack is an opportunity to support their nervous system!

Pastured butter can easily be added to many things that you may already be sending for lunch: any thermos lunch; soup, chili, taco meat, meatballs and sauce, stir fries, rice, pasta or potatoes can be supercharged with a tablespoon of pastured butter! It will melt and be undetectable with taste, but your kiddo will be nourished and their nervous system will be ready for the rest of the day!

Note: If you are worried about pastured butter because your child is sensitive to dairy, opt for pastured ghee or coconut oil, instead. 

Other ways to add to what you already have -

Spread some softened pastured butter onto any wrap or sandwich you are making, or consider making our favorite homemade butter mayo for your sandwich spread or even as a veggie dip!

Butter Mayo 

Ingredients:

• 2 Pastured Egg Yolks (Room temp)
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• ½ Teaspoon Real Salt
• ½ Teaspoon Onion Granules 
• 1 Cup Pastured Butter, melted 

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a wide-mouth quart mason jar. 

Using an immersion blender, start blending then slowly add in melted butter and blend until emulsified. This should not take very long!

Keep stored in the fridge.

Try Fat Bombs

In addition to supercharging lunches - fat bombs for snack and lunch time are a great way to support your kiddo’s blood sugar balance and ability to focus.

Fat bombs are just what they sound like. Little bombs chock-full of satiating and mood supporting, healthy saturated fats.

Send a Fat Bomb to go with lunch, snacktime or for the perfect after-school snack to avoid the after-school meltdowns!

Here is a great recipe to have made up for on the go nourishment: 

Coconut Fat Bombs

1 ½ Cup Finely Shredded Coconut ( If using flakes, you will want to use a food processor to mix to get a finer texture.) 

¼ Cup Coconut Oil, melted 

¼ Cup Pasture Butter, melted 

1-2 Tablespoons Raw Honey or Maple Syrup

Pinch of Real Salt

Sprinkle of Cinnamon or a little Vanilla Extract - optional

Mix until evenly incorporated. 

Put into mini silicone cups. Ideally you would want each serving to be 1 tablespoon.

Keep in the freezer until ready to enjoy. 

Feed Your Family REAL Food

Stephanie Bearup is the incredible Real Food Expert inside of Fiercely Empowered Mama. She is the mastermind behind the great recipes above and so many more inside of the Real Food Vault. If you want to feed your family more nourishing meals but don’t know where to start, you are going to LOVE everything that Stephanie has lovingly developed. Learn more about Fiercely Empowered Mama and how it will completely change your life.