The kids are out of school and enjoying playing with friends and being around the house. With that, comes more opportunity for eating at home and snacking, so here are some ideas from Dr. Wood for healthy summer eating!

Make sure your kids are not skipping breakfast - even if they sleep in late! Fuel is important in the morning and studies have shown that people who skip breakfast tend to eat more calories in their day. There may be more time for breakfast, so try to get your kids out of the cereal rut if they have been in one during the school year. Who knows, you may find some new favorites.

• A protein shake with fresh fruit and a dollop of peanut butter or almond butter can be a refreshing start on a hot day
• Granola with yogurt and fruit, add a bit of flax oil for some healthy fat
• Eggs with cheese, spinach, tomatoes, peppers or whatever veggies you can get in
• If you have a little time, make some homemade granola or muesli to have on hand - get the kids to help!

There may be more opportunity for snacking around the house. Try to limit snacking to mid-morning and mid-afternoon and try to avoid all day grazing or eating when they are bored. Also make sure the TV is off when they are eating - not a good habit to get into and people tend to eat more calories when eating in front of the TV. Here are a few summer snack ideas:

• Stuff a whole-wheat pita with cottage cheese and fruit
• Freeze grapes for a refreshing snack on hot days
• Make your own freezer popsicles with fresh fruit, yogurt and 100% juice
• Buy melons and cut them up and have them front and center in the refrigerator
• Peanut butter and banana or apple slices on an English muffin
• Have your kids pick some new fruits to try - passionfruit, papaya, kiwi or what ever else they can find!
• Have a dipping snack trial day- try hummus, ranch, peanut butter, bean dip. guacamole or salsa with any veggies

Remember to encourage your kids to drink plenty of water and stay active in the summer months!

Summer is here and the kids are outside playing. As we enjoy going to the beach, playing sports and engaging in many more fun events a word of advice in regards to staying healthy heart wise. Sweat contains water and salt, which are essential to keep our blood pressure and blood flow to vital organs in balance. Therefore an adequate water and salt intake are important during prolonged exercise in the sun or a crowded gym. Coaches need to pay special attention to the needs of their younger participants as children lose water even more quickly due to their relatively large body surface area. Make sure your kids are staying hydrated with plenty of fluids. They will also need to get some extra salt if they are sweating a lot - pretzels are a low fat way of keeping enough salt on board. Enjoy the summer and please stay safe heart wise!