How this Quick Lunch May Improve your Child’s Brain Health

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Abbott.

As a mom of 6, I’m always looking for ways to make great nutrition kid-friendly. It’s easier on me if my kids want to eat the things prepared.  By finding healthy foods they like now, I’m hopeful they’ll continue to develop healthy habits as they get older. This healthy (and quick) lunch is loaded with Lutein, a nutrient that has been shown to improve your child’s brain health.

As kids head back to school I’m on the hunt for quick and easy recipes that can not only be thrown together quickly (I know how crazy lunchtime can get once school starts), but also are packed full of nutrition to keep my kids going all day.

What is Lutein and why do your kids need it?

I recently spent some time learning about Lutein, something commonly known for its benefits to eye health. As a mom, what I was excited to find out was that new research has discovered that it may also enhance learning and memory — perfect for kids as they head back to school.

The study showed that kids who ate diets with higher levels of lutein did better on academic exams.

My oldest son is heading into high school this year and we are both well aware that his grades this year matter more than ever. The pressure of having exams that “count” towards college has been causing some anxiety around my house (for us as parents and for my son).

I’m a big believer that good nutrition can solve so many of life’s problems, so I love the idea that I can give my son a little boost by making sure he gets the nutrition he needs. Adding Lutein rich foods to your diet may help improve cognitive function at every stage of life – from infancy to adulthood – which means it is a great choice for everyone in your family.

Matt Kuchan, PhD, a lead scientist at the global healthcare company Abbott  says “Our research – from infancy to adulthood – brings to life the important role nutrition plays in helping to create strong brain connections, helping us to focus, and preserving our memories.”

Lutein can be found in leafy vegetables, egg yolks, avocados, brightly colored fruits, and more.

The problem is, convincing kids to eat the foods we know are good for them isn’t always easy. I’ve found two solutions to that:

• Make nutrition-dense food in a kid-friendly form (think fruit salad. I’ve never known a kid to turn down a great fruit salad)
• Bring your kids into the kitchen and get them cooking. They are much more likely to eat food they’ve had a hand in preparing (especially when they’ve been given some choice in the ingredients).

We’ve done both of those with this quick and easy recipe that will become your go-to lunch or after school snack during the busy school year.

Super Green Egg Burrito

These Super Green Egg Burritos are loaded with spinach. I know at first that doesn’t seem overly kid-friendly but hear me out.

I’ve found that most kids don’t have a problem with the taste of spinach — It’s the texture that they take issue with. By blending the spinach into the eggs, kids can’t pick out the spinach and it gives the eggs a brilliant green color that younger kids will get a kick out of.

Super Green Egg Burrito Ingredients

• A big handful of fresh spinach 
• 6-8 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• Tortilla

Super Green Egg Burrito Instructions

Rinse your spinach well. Have your kids pull large stems off. It won’t make a huge difference in texture but I find that if kids pull some stems off they feel a bit more in control of what they are eating. 

Have your child crack the eggs into a separate bowl so they can pull out any egg shell that may be in them. 

Fill your blender with spinach, then pour in the eggs and 1/4 cup of milk.

Blend for 20-30 seconds or until all the ingredients are well mixed. 

Melt some butter in a frying pan then pour your egg/spinach mixture into the pan. Cook until the eggs are scrambled. 

Serve inside a flour tortilla topped with a bit of cheese (we used feta but you can use any cheese your kids like). Add a side of bright berries to get some extra lutein. 

Many kids would normally refuse to eat eggs with spinach in them but I tell my kids that I’m just using the spinach to turn the eggs green. They don’t have to see or chew any big pieces of spinach and since spinach shrinks so much kids have no idea how much is actually in these. 

The result is a lutein packed lunch that kids love and you can feel good about serving. 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Abbott.