Back To School Tips For Busy Families

At Mollie Stone’s we understand that the start of the school year affects the entire family, whether it’s getting quick and healthy breakfasts, keeping up energy during the afternoon in after-school activities, or just getting dinner on the table for the whole family. Our goal is to help find ways to make all of the fall family challenges more convenient and healthy.

Starting the Day Right with a Nutritious Breakfast

Good breakfasts are important to start the day, especially for our kids who are getting up earlier and learning in the classroom. A good breakfast can provide important nutrients, help concentration and increase energy. At Mollie Stone’s we have a wide variety of nutritious options for your family.

In the cereal department, we have all the popular Kellogg’s and General Mills cereals, including the hard-to-find flavors like Honey Bunches of Oats Cinnamon & Oats. For those who are looking for organic, sugar-free or gluten-free cereals, we also offer a variety of choices from Health Valley, Kashi and more.

When time is short or someone has missed their wake-up call, there’s always time for breakfast with on-the-go choices:

• Bars, such as Clif and Luna, are great boosters for a quick meal and excellent sources of energy and protein. Did you know that Luna bars were created specifically for women with essential nutrients? The Luna protein bar comes in 3 delicious flavors and provides 12 grams of protein. Clif makes excellent granola snack bars with carbs and protein to help kids keep up their much needed energy. For a real boost, Clif also makes a bar with as much as 20 grams of protein.

• Fresh bagels are delivered to our bakeries early every morning. Adding cream cheese or sliced cheese adds protein, and they can be wrapped in foil for a meal in the car if necessary. Don’t forget a box of Horizon chocolate milk or a juice box to wash it down.

Want more protein in the morning, but don’t have time to make an omelet?

• Use a cup of regular or organic orange juice, mix in several tablespoons of vanilla flavored protein powder and let sit for 5 minutes. Dissolving the powder is the key - kids will love it!

Making Lunch Fun & Nutritious

It’s hard to please picky eaters, so get creative! When my children were young, they didn’t like eating sandwiches and would bring all the nutritious foods back home in their lunches. Only the cookies and drink would be gone. We had the idea to make their foods fun and saw a remarkable difference in their interest in their food!

Make lunch the night before and cut the sandwich or fruit (apple is the easiest) into the shape of an animal or your child’s initials. It works great and it’s fun to eat. Mollie Stone’s has tools in our housewares department to help out, including a sandwich cutter than shapes the sandwich into a whale or octopus.

Here are some ways to make lunch preparation easier:

• Earthbound carrots with ranch dip or apple slices in individual packaging
• Boxed drinks, including juices, dairy and non-dairy drinks
• Need an alternative to PB&J? We have other nut butters, too (almond, sunflower seed). Almond butter even has some extra protein!
• If your child doesn’t like sandwiches, preparing lunch can be difficult. We have a complete selection of Glad small plastic reusable containers. They’re great for some pasta salad (made with your child’s favorite ingredients) or a hamburger patty.

Fast, healthy lunch recipe ideas:

• Take a large flour tortilla and add a favorite meat with ingredients such as lettuce, rice and cheese. Then roll it up and pack it in the lunch. It’s easy to eat (and easy to make).
• If your child likes chicken, you can pick up a fresh roasted whole Rocky Jr. Free Range Chicken from our deli, refrigerate it and use it for lunches and wraps throughout the week. 

Planning Smart After-School Snacks

• Have snacks ready in the fridge or on the counter when your kids get home.
• Use fun names for things - try ants on a log or fairy berries (strawberries dipped in yogurt).

Keeping Kids Healthy & Happy

We have all types of kids’ vitamins in fun shapes, sizes and flavors that children will love. We know each kid is unique, so we offer gluten-free choices in addition to pills, gummies and more.

Don’t forget the water

Schools and communities are urging people to eliminate the use of disposable plastic water bottles and encouraging the use of reusable containers. At Mollie Stone’s we believe in and support this effort, and offer a wide variety of choices with bottles from Lifefactory, Sigg, Camelback and others.

Dinner in a Hurry

We know that you’re busy and that your evening is filled with sports event, homework help, or simply getting some relaxation and family time. Mollie Stone’s wants to assist our customers in getting the best food, the best choices and the fastest service. Our website allows you to create a shopping list that’s on the computer and available on your mobile device. We also have recipes for every occasion and menu.

And, check out the food in our deli. We have great options for picking up dinner on the way home, whether it’s Mollie’s Foods To Go, a rotisserie chicken, salads or fresh sushi.

• Back to School