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Back to School Nutrition Tips

September 12, 2024

As we start another school year, it's a perfect opportunity to set up your kitchen with healthy food options readily available for your student.

Just as it is important to put the right fuel in the gas tank in your car so it runs correctly, fueling your body with good nutrition has been show to help kids do better in school, focus, and have more energy. Starting the day off with a healthy breakfast, and continuing to energize the body with smart food choices all day will set your student up for optimal learning and success.

BREAKFAST: Start the day off right with breakfast. Enjoying 2-3 food groups is a great way to ensure a well-rounded start to the day. Including foods higher in protein and/or fiber will help keep bellies full until the next meal or snack.

  • Fruit and yogurt parfait
  • English muffin egg sandwich with ham and low-fat cheese
  • Whole grain cereal with low-fat or fat-free milk
  • Oatmeal topped with fruits, nuts, and cinnamon
  • Smoothie with fresh/frozen fruit, yogurt and milk
  • Leftover veggie pizza/English muffin pizzas
  • Peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat bread

SNACKS: Snacks keep us going during the day. Some students will eat their lunch early while others are eating later. A snack can help us refuel to think more clearly and continue to feel energized throughout the day. Think...

  • Apples with peanut butter
  • Yogurt and granola
  • Low-fat cheese and whole grain crackers
  • Hummus with whole grain pitas or pretzels
  • Celery with low-fat cream cheese and cranberry-raisins
  • Peanut butter on whole grain graham crackers
  • Low-fat popcorn and grapes
  • Nuts and dried fruit

HYDRATE: Drinking water throughout the day is important to stay hydrated. It can help keep you alert and focused. Water is the perfect drink for staying hydrated during the school day.


LUNCHES: Enlist your child's help in packing lunches. Take them to the grocery store and talk about the food groups, colors of all the fruits and veggies, and have them help find foods with whole grains (higher fiber content). Have them pick out a fruit or veggie to try for the week.

  • Food groups - lean proteins, low-fat/fat-free dairy, grains, fruits, veggies
  • Colors of fruits/veggies - red, yellow/orange, green, blue/purple, tan/white
  • Keep things simple: use leftovers when possible
  • Prep foods (cut up, wash, pre-portion, etc) on the weekend to help make the weekly packing easier


SPACE: Have a dedicated area in your fridge, freezer, an/or pantry with healthy options that are readily available for your child to grab.

  • Fridge: clementines, low-fat or Greek yogurt, apples, cut up melons or strawberries, hummus, low-fat cheese sticks, cucumber/carrot/celery sticks, low-fat ranch dressing
  • Pantry: pre-packaged pretzels, pre-portioned peanut butter, canned fruit in its own juices, individualized trail mix packages, bananas, whole grain cereal, whole grain crackers, low fat popcorn, dried fruit, low sodium soups, salsa, applesauce
  • Freezer: squeezable yogurt tubes (frozen yogurt!), frozen fruit to eat or to include in smoothies, whole grain waffles
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Thanksgiving Guide for Picky Eaters Feeling a bit tense about how your picky eater is going to feel this Thanksgiving? Have no fear - our dietitian, Emily, has some excellent advice on how navigate the holidays with a picky eater. 
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Halloween Themed Food & Snacks Halloween brings out the kid in all of us! While dressing up your child or adding decorations to your house, don’t forget to have fun with food too. Here is a list of super cute ways (and easy!) ways to bring the spooky holiday to your plate! 
October 21, 2024
Everyone has moments when they do not speak smoothly. It is developmentally normal for children to experience disfluency, or difficulty speaking, during the first few years of speech and language development. Stuttering, on the other hand, is a speech disorder that is characterized by disruptions in the flow of speech that are often accompanied by behaviors or frustration, or negative associations with speaking or embarrassment. People who stutter may experience repetitions (repeat parts of a word), prolongations (stretch a sound out for a long time), or blocks (struggle to get a word out). These are known as disfluencies . But, stuttering is more than disfluency. Stuttering may also include tension, anxiety or negative feelings about talking. While there is no "cure" for stuttering, there are plenty of treatment options available to help individuals who stutter. A speech language pathologist can utilize several strategies to help reduce the frequency and to cope with stuttering. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), stuttering usually begins in early childhood, with onset typically beginning between the ages of 2 and 5. However, data shows that up to 80% of children who stutter will not stutter in adulthood. Because stuttering is often a more complex issue than disfluency, it is vital to seek evaluation from an experienced SLP. Research demonstrates that early intervention programs can make a huge difference in whether stuttering carries over into adulthood. When performing an evaluation for stuttering, the SLP will look at: Types of disfluencies The number of disfluencies How your child reacts when they stutter (do they get upset) Does your child try to “fix” their speech (do they start a sentence of or stop talking) An important difference between stuttering and disfluency is that stuttering is often accompanied by negative emotions around speaking and communication. An SLP will look for signs of discomfort or tension when your child is speaking. They will also take into consideration your child’s age and how stuttering affects their daily life. Especially with young children, it is critical to evaluate the differences between stuttering and developmental disfluencies. In preschool-age children, for example, stuttering is often accompanied by various behaviors , including facial tension, eye blinking, frustration or reduced verbal output. If your child struggles with stuttering and you are unsure whether you should seek treatment, here are some guidelines for when to reach out to a speech/language therapist: The stuttering persists longer than six months and occurs frequently during the day The child shows tension, a facial grimace, or struggle behavior during speech The child avoids talking situations or expresses concerns about speech The child avoids saying certain words or sounds The family has a concern about their child’s speech The child has shown signs of frustration or embarrassment during or after a stutter event Treatment methods for stuttering can include promoting confident communication, practicing mindfulness, modifying speech and facilitating desensitization for stuttering. An important part of treatment may also include self-advocacy, and promoting acceptance of stuttering so that children can reduce the negative feelings that accompany instances of stuttering. Examples of treatment techniques include: Breathing exercises Stretching exercises Fluency-shaping techniques Slow speech production Overall, disfluency should be considered normal as everyone does it occasionally. Oftentimes, it is simply a part of development for children. Working with an SLP can help with both disfluency and stuttering, however, they cannot “cure” stuttering, but rather assist a child with strategies for reduction and acceptance of it. If you are looking for treatment for stuttering, please reach out to our office today to learn more about how PMC’s speech therapists can help you.
October 9, 2024
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It wouldn't be fall without pumpkins! In addition to being a classic autumn decor on your front porch; pumpkin is also delicious and so healthy for you. Whether you eat it as a fruit or a vegetable, it is a wonderful addition to your diet.
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