Summer is here! June 21st brought in the official first day of summer, and with it the challenges of having fun in the sun while maintaining health goals. Oftentimes the routine of school and work schedules can help us stay on track nutritionally—being prepared—even when the ‘lazy’ days of summer have arrived—can help you and your family avoid a nutritional free-for-all that will diminish the quality of your summer fun, and also make it difficult to get back on track when summer ends.

The break from school and the busyness of summertime activities doesn’t need to be a break from a healthy lifestyle; instead, it can be an opportunity to practice and reinforce habits that will support your goals all-year-round. Whether you’re avoiding certain foods due to allergies, or want to maintain weight and an eating protocol, being prepared is always the key to success. 

So… Be Prepared!

Guard Against the Sugar Temptation

Summer often presents temptations in the form of ice cream, candy, and other foods that don’t fit into dietary goals and restrictions. Too much sugar and not enough protein can cause headaches, muscle pain, and sugar crashes that lead to tired, cranky children and adults. 

Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bars are a quick and easy snack that’s a great source of protein to have at home and out-and-about to help you stay on track. Our gluten-free, sugar-free, paleo, and AIP friendly foods are conveniently packaged in individual servings—they’re a delicious way to be prepared with an alternative to sugar temptations. 

Fun at the Beach

Not far from the sand is often a boardwalk lined with sugary temptations and less than healthy meal options. A beach bag filled with healthy snacks, meals, and plenty of water can help to keep you and your children feeling great and make your time at the beach great summer memories.

Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bars individual serving packages keep out water and sand, making them an ideal, high-protein beach snack to help ensure your family feels good and can avoid sugar cravings at hot and sandy destinations.

Visiting with Family and Friends

Summer often means traveling to see family and friends, or having them come to your home for a visit. Keep from the influence of other’s eating habits by having a plan.

Communicate

Food can be an expression of love for some people—kindly make others aware of your nutritional needs and goals ahead of time to deter them from offering food to your children that isn’t best for them, and to help keep your temptations to a minimum as well. In order to avoid the feeling of ‘love-rejection’ others may feel when you turn down their food, initiate activities to encourage quality interaction that instills the expression and exchange of love and good feelings. 

Take Responsibility

Don’t expect others to provide for or conform to your way of eating. Bring your own healthy snacks and be prepared to do your own cooking for yourself and you can offer to make meals for everyone, especially when allergy restrictions are an issue. You may find your loved ones enjoy learning about your eating habits—and enjoy the taste as well as how it makes them feel.  

Road Trips

Too things are likely to happen on long road trips… boredom and hunger that can lead to crankiness, bickering, and complaining. Two steps can help avoid the unpleasantness and make your family stellar road trippers!

Step one is to have plenty of things to occupy the time in the car (books to read, music, games, videos, coloring books). 

Step two is to stock up on healthy travel food that’s easily accessible when you’re on the road.  The temptation to run in for snacks when you stop for gas will be greatly reduced if there are healthy and tasty options in the car. 

Before you hit the road, let children know what the meal plan is and what snacks there are to eat, and don’t go too long between meals. Try to stick to a normal eating schedule that will keep your family out of the Famished Zone, which is the time that often leads to eating anything and everything in sight, whether it’s good for you or not.

Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bars don’t need to be refrigerated—if you do bring along perishable items, pack them in a well-iced cooler—you don’t want food to spoil and be wasted, or for any one to get sick.

Traveling Abroad

Getting on a plane and traveling thousands of miles from home can land you in a culture of unfamiliar food options. While planning your foreign travel research about the food culture where you’ll be vacationing. Many restaurants now have their menus and contact information online to make your fact-finding mission easier. 

Get your children involved and excited about your food plan—let them help you choose some of the eateries, and create a plan to hunt down the best of the best of a certain dish or snack that fits within your eating plan—you can even make a map. When you find a food treasure, have children help you write online reviews. It can be a treasure hunt that’s good for you!

Wild Zora Meat & Veggie Bars don’t need to be refrigerated, so they’re an ideal snack for the family to carry in backpacks when out sightseeing and adventuring. They’re also an acceptable snack to take on a plane that will easily pass through travel security.

Now Have Fun and Be Healthy!

Much of what children learn that they take into adulthood comes from their parents. Summer is an opportunity to teach and model eating habits that will encourage a lifetime of happy, healthful eating.

As a family you can practice eating mindfully, being prepared with healthy options, and making healthy eating a fun challenge that will help you and your children feel as good as possible during the summer season and throughout your lives!