Whether you have young athletes, summer day campers or kids who love to play outside, it's important to make sure they stay hydrated and fueled during the summer. You don't need an extensive and complicated meal plan to ensure they get all the nutrients and fluids they need to play all day. All you need is a secret ingredient: Milk.
Milk is the original super drink and a smart choice to meet active kids' nutritional needs. Every sip offers calcium for strong bones, B vitamins for energy and high-quality protein, carbohydrates and fluids for muscle repair and rehydration.
Garelick Farms — a New England provider of fresh dairy sourced from farmer-owned, locally rooted and family-focused farms — wants to help parents keep their kids fed and hydrated this summer. Check out four of the company's favorite kid-approved drinks and snacks that your children will look forward to having before and after sports and other activities this summer.
Strawberries and Cream Smoothie
Smoothies are delicious, refreshing and a great way to meet daily protein goals. This simple strawberries and cream smoothie is a great way to help your child start the day hydrated, satiated and ensure that they're getting a boost of dairy, whole-grain carbs and fruit.
Total time: 7 minutes; Serves 2
Ingredients
1 cup Garelick Farms milk (Garelick Farms White Milk or Garelick Farms Lactose Free Milk)
1/3 cup Greek yogurt
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons cashew butter*
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Blend all ingredients together, pour into glasses and top with additional oats and strawberries.
Pro tip: Prep five freezer bags with oats, strawberries and chia seeds on Sundays, so you can dump the "dry" contents into the blender and add the "wet" ingredients last. It will make mornings much easier.
*Contains nuts
Ice pops are a quintessential summer treat. This dairy twist on the summer staple is a great way for your kids to beat the heat. Made with simple ingredients including whole milk, strawberries, sugar, vanilla extract and a dash of salt, these frozen milkshake pops are perfect for keeping your kids hydrated and fueled with much-needed nutrients after a soccer match or a day at the beach.
To make sure you have plenty of pops for a hot summer day, make them the night before so they can freeze overnight and be ready to serve at any time of day.
Pro tip: Use different ice pop molds in fun shapes.
Making overnight oats is easier than you may think. As the name implies, you'll make them in advance — you can even prep them a few days beforehand — for a simple, filling breakfast or a refreshing midday snack full of fiber and protein.
Pro tip: Don't be afraid to customize with toppings like fresh or dried fruit, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, cinnamon, chocolate, coconut flakes and granola.
Milk
Milk is an excellent, affordable postexercise recovery beverage for young athletes. The next time you're at the store, pick up a gallon of Garelick Farms whole, reduced-fat or lactose-free milk to drink in the morning, afternoon or evening. Each serving offers 8 grams of high-quality protein (as much as 1 1/2 eggs) and is a good source of calcium (as much as 10 cups of raw spinach) by the glass and potassium (as much as one small banana).
Not only is Garelick Farms milk good for your kids, but it also does good for children in your community. When you buy a gallon of Garelick Farms milk for your family, you're also donating a carton of nourishing milk to local children in need through Garelick Farms' Giving Cow program. In the past several years, thanks to patrons like you, Garelick Farms has donated approximately 1.4 million Giving Cow shelf-stable milk units to local food banks in New England.
Pro tip: Don't forget to check out Garelick Farms' single-serve bottles for easy nutrition and hydration on the go.
This summer, keep your kids fueled no matter what sports or games they play under the sun. To find additional recipes and learn more about the power of milk, visit GarelickFarms.com.
