4 Back-To-School Recipes that are Good for the Brain
For many kids across the country, the first week of school is already behind them and for others, it’s just around the corner. As you settle into the early morning routine and all the afterschool activities, we have some tasty and easy-to-make brain boosting Wild Blueberry recipes perfect for breakfast or snack time. Adding frozen Wild Blueberries to your recipes will ramp up the blueberry flavor that kids love and provide high nutritional value, too. This super-fruit that grows wild only in Maine and Eastern Canada has twice the antioxidants and 72% more fiber than their regular blueberry counterpart. Also, recent research has found that Wild Blueberries may have a significant positive effect on memory, concentration, and mood in children and teens. Keep the kids on a healthy track with these 4 yummy WILD recipe ideas that are great before and after school!
Breakfast:
Wild Blueberry French Toast Pinwheels
Make French Toast an everyday breakfast for your kids with these delicious bite-sized French Toast Pinwheels. Not only is this recipe easy to make, but these pinwheels are lighter, and more refreshing compared to the traditional weekend French Toast. For this recipe, use a tortilla-style bread for the base and fill it with cream cheese topped with Wild Blueberries. Roll it up like a burrito and then slice into pinwheels. The Wild Blueberry flavor is the real star in this recipe. It’s fruity and intense, but it’s not super sweet, and one serving of Wild Blueberries for this recipe has 32% less sugar and twice the antioxidant capacity than regular blueberries. Perfect for little hands, your kids are sure to love this nutritious AM treat!
Wild Blueberry Kefir Breakfast Smoothie
Some mornings are easier than others, and there are definitely days when everyone is running late. Don’t let the kids skip the most important meal of the day, even on the most hectic of mornings! Try our kid-friendly Wild Blueberry & Kefir Smoothie made with bananas, graham crackers, iron-rich baby spinach, and of course Wild Blueberries! Wild Blueberries are especially good for kids because they deliver more than a quarter of the fiber per serving they need every day and are loaded with brain-building plant compounds. Plus, using kefir in this smoothie adds calcium and a special probiotic punch (kefir is a fermented milk drink usually stocked in the dairy section). Simply place all these healthy ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a travel cup and send your kids off to catch the bus!
Snack Time:
Snack-time at school is a very important meal for kids. Instead of packing their lunchbox with processed granola bars, fill it with homemade Wild Blueberry Crumble Bars! Wild Blueberries are only 80 calories per cup and are an excellent source of manganese, which is important for bone development. These homemade treats are an excellent healthy snack for your kids – and they are delicious too! Simply combine frozen Wild Blueberries and fresh orange juice to make the filling. Take the dry products (oats, almond meal, rice flour, etc.) to make the crust. Lay a layer of crust on a cookie sheet, top the crust with a layer of the sweet purple filling, then top off the crumble bar with another layer of crust. Sprinkle pieces of pecan to add a little extra crunch before placing in the oven. Serve once cooled or freeze for a week’s worth of snacks.
After a long day at school, kids typically run home from the bus stop and raid the pantry for their afterschool snack. Nothing will satisfy your kids’ hungry bellies more than our yummy Wild Blueberry Yogurt Pops! These pops are made with frozen Wild Blueberries, plain or vanilla yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup, and lemon zest. To keep the kids full until dinnertime, add some protein powder. And as an extra special treat, drizzle the pop with melted chocolate before freezing. This healthy after-school snack will have your kids screaming for more and make you the after-school snack hero of the day.
Here’s to a great new school year!