How to keep your ‘summer day camp’ child well nourished
Written by Stacey Segal, RD
I can remember when my kids first went to summer day camp. They were kindergarten age and not strangers to being away from me during the day. Daycare and preschool had prepared them for full days out of the house. BUT, summer camps are a whole other beast when it comes to FOOD. It can be a free-for-all of freezies, ice cream, hot dogs, chips and all sorts of tasty treats. Every. Single. Day.
There’s nothing wrong with occasional treats like these at this age. However, let us normalize the anxiety or guilt we as parents can feel about feeding so many treats. It’s a balancing act of being ‘flexible’ and being ‘responsible’. How do we do this?
Although this may sound annoyingly cliché, it’s really all about moderation and balance. Finding ways to incorporate nourishing foods throughout the day will offset the inevitable ‘less nourishing’ foods provided at summer camps. I always find that if I know my child has had food in the day that is good for their brain and growing body, then I’m less inclined to say ‘no’ to the ice cream truck. That chime! I swear they can hear it from a mile away.
Here are 5 tips for how to nourish your ‘summer day camp kid’:
1. Take advantage of breakfast
Start the day with a nourishing breakfast. You can achieve this, even for kids with a small appetite in the morning. Consider a nutrient dense food like oatmeal. Even a small ¼ cup of cooked oatmeal contains 1.5g protein, 1g fiber, and 3mg iron. And It’s a perfect base to add a tablespoon of whole milk or cream for fat, plus Cerebelly purees for vibrant flavor and additional brain building nutrients. A favorite combo is cooked oatmeal + crushed fresh or frozen berries + Cerebelly Beet Carrot Blueberry + cinnamon.
2. Send hydrating snacks
Purees are 80% fluid. Fluid is important for a healthy summer day. In addition to a water bottle, you can send snacks that do triple duty as nutritious, hydrating, and fun. Cerebelly puree pouches are great for on the go hydrating snacks. Remind your child to bring home the pouches in their lunch box, so you can recycle using TerraCycle programs.
3. Try not to offer snacks within 1.5 hours before dinnertime
This is self-explanatory but it’s honestly such an important reminder. A hungry child will be more likely to eat dinner than one that has filled up on snacks 30 min before. And because dinner is a prime opportunity to casually add a few foods that you know will fill in some nutritional gaps they may have had in the day.
4. Fill nutritional gaps
Do you open your child’s lunch box after camp and see it still full of the good intentioned food you lovingly provided? Is there anything more frustrating as a parent? Don’t fret, dinner is an opportunity to balance it out and fill those nutritional gaps. Two nutrients that we see lacking in children’s diet at this age are: omega-3 DHA and vitamin E. These two nutrients happen to also be important for brain development. Try to focus on offering foods that contain these nutrients every week. Foods like salmon, eggs enriched with omega 3 DHA, sunflower seed butter, dark leafy greens.
5. Take advantage of bedtime snacks
Does your child love to ask for a snack right at bedtime? Try planning for it ahead of time, to ease the frustration of ‘what to give’. It’s usually best to offer a ‘solid food’ rather than a liquid one, to help prevent them from having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Aim for a protein rich snack, complex carbohydrate, and no added sugar. One of the reasons that protein is important for a good night’s sleep is because melatonin, which is a hormone in the body that helps promote sleep, is made from some of the proteins we get from our diet. And of course, a satisfied tummy means a better night sleep and a happy day ahead.
Here are a few snack ideas:
- Cheese and unsalted crackers
- Cerebelly Smart Bar
- Nut butter on toast
- Cottage cheese and frozen fruit
About
the author
Stacey Segal BScA, MSc, RD
Stacey is a pediatric dietitian and a mom of two little eaters. Her career has been dedicated to nourishing babies, toddlers and kids. She’s a staff dietitian at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, specializing in neuroscience. Stacey is also the founder of the Prenatal and Pediatric Nutrition Clinic at GSH Medical, and a nutrition writer for AboutKidsHealth website. Being a mom herself, she has experienced the challenges that come with feeding kids. She’s passionate about helping families raise well nourished kids right from the start!
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