At Horizon Organic we know how important it is to give your family a healthy, organic diet, but we also know how overwhelming it can sometimes seem. Here are some tips or ideas on how to make the process of Raising Organic Kids a little easier.

Look inside your family's refrigerator and pantry. Be sure to look beyond the nutritional panel to the ingredient list. Do the labels include many ingredients you've never heard of? Steer clear of added chemicals by adding organic foods to your grocery lists.

See Dr. Alan Greene's Organic Prescription.

Going too long without eating can make you feel tired and cranky. Healthy organic snacks that include protein and carbohydrates, like organic cheese sticks or apples, will help keep your energy levels high throughout the day, and they're easy grab-and-go snacks kids will love!

1. Low-fat Horizon Organic cottage cheese (1/2 cup) and a pear
2. A Horizon Organic yogurt smoothie (12 ounces)
3. Half of a peanut butter and banana sandwich (1 tablespoon peanut butter)
4. A Horizon Organic hard-boiled egg and an organic apple
5. Baked sweet potato (1/2 potato) with low-fat Horizon Organic cottage cheese (1/2 cup)
6. A Horizon Organic cheese stick (1 stick)
7. Reduced-fat Horizon Organic cheese (1 1/2 ounces) and whole-grain crackers (5)
8. Low-fat Horizon Organic yogurt (1 cup) and fresh organic strawberries (1 cup)

Eating habits are formed during childhood, so it's important to consider what's in your kids' lunchboxes, and to make preparation fun by involving your kids. Provide them with several organic choices and let them choose what they eat for lunch. One of the easiest ways to increase school-lunch nutrition is to pack some of your kids' favorite foods while opting for organic alternatives where you can.

Products that have not been certified cannot be labeled "organic." You should look for the USDA seal on products to determine if the products are organic.

Once you have taken the step to add organic foods to your refrigerator and pantry, use organic in your everyday recipes to show your family that organic foods taste good! One idea: Add some blended butternut squash to organic macaroni and cheese — it provides your family with a vegetable and adds fun, natural coloring to the meal. This is also a great way to get your kids excited about healthy eating and teach them about the environment at the same time. Try these great kid-friendly recipes you can make together!

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If you lead by example and feed yourself nutritious organic foods, your kids will develop similar healthy eating patterns. Teach your kids valuable lessons in nutrition and good eating habits that they'll carry with them throughout their lives.