March is National Nutrition Month, so it’s the perfect time to start healthy habits for you and your children! March is also a sign that Spring is right around the corner, which means more fruits and vegetables are back in season!

Here’s some easy and simple tips to start your kids on the healthy track!

Make sure to have plenty of portable snacks such as nuts and fresh and dried fruits. We love dried apples—and we grew up on raisins and dates (we ate them like they were going out of style, yum!)! (Remember, when you buy dried fruits check the ingredients to make sure they have no added sugars and keep the portions to about ¼ cup as the calories can add up quickly compared to fresh fruits.)

With the warmer weather coming, stay extra hydrated by eating fruits and vegetables since they have a high water content. Two of the highest? Watermelon and cucumber.

To receive the recommended amount of calcium, a simple snack is string cheese (it’s one of Tammy’s daughter’s Summer’s favorites)! Fast and easy! Yogurt and leafy greens contain calcium and contribute to calcium requirements!

Always keep a large bowl of fresh fruit in your kitchen so the kids have easy access to healthy foods all day!

It’s always fun to include children in the cooking process as well. Take them grocery shopping, let them help to pick out produce and include them in all steps of preparing dinner.

Remember to make changes slowly because they don’t happen overnight.

Here’s a great family recipe everyone is sure to love – simple, quick and easy! It has 15g of protein and 4g of fiber!

Peanut Butter, Apple and Turkey Bacon Sandwich

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-natural peanut butter
• 4 slices crisp cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
• 8 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
• 1 large red delicious, Fuji, gala or other apple of your choice, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions
1. Combine peanut butter and bacon in a small bowl.
2. Spread mixture on one side of all the bread slices.
3. In a another small bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice.
4. Place apple slices on one side of bread with peanut butter and bacon mixture; cover with remaining bread slices.
5. Enjoy!

Do you make any healthy sandwiches for your family?