Katie Morford

Walk down the cereal aisle of any supermarket and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The options seem endless and it’s hard to know where to begin — especially since not all cereal is created equally. Some are about as healthy as a sugar cookie while others pack a nutritious punch. To help you navigate the many brands, we asked three nutrition experts to weigh in. Here they share their know-how on what to look for when buying breakfast cereal, along with five of their top favorites.

Being a mother, registered dietitian, and food writer, I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about how best to feed kids. With my own three daughters, I’ve managed certain aspects of feeding them successfully (they’re enthusiastic vegetable eaters) and others less gracefully (I may or may not sometimes trade lollipops for good behavior). Like all aspects of parenting, it took me a while to find my feet in the realm of feeding a family.

We all hear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but not everyone wakes up with a roaring appetite and a desire to sit at the table. And for families with kids in particular, there are often distinct “breakfast personalities” to work around. Here you’ll find a lineup of common breakfast table challenges with strategies for each, whether you’re a grown-up with no time to eat or have a child calling a mealtime strike. This is a tricky one.

Part of the chore of packing lunches is managing all those reusable containers. Just keeping those babies clean and organized is half the battle. And if you’re making lunches for more than one, all those lids, thermoses, and water bottles can dominate your dishwasher. Here’s a tip that will save your dishwasher for the dishes and keep a steady supply of waste-free containers at the ready:Set out a big bowl of hot soapy water and ask your kids, your spouse (or yourself!

Leftovers are the secret weapon of the lunch box. An extra slice of spinach lasagne at supper means you don’t have to lift a finger or spend a dime for lunch the next day.  You can take it one step further and actually plan for leftovers – making more at dinner than you need and tucking the extras into lunch containers before you’ve even cleaned up the dishes. Here are seven simple suppers that transition effortlessly into lunch.

Tackling a few lunch prep chores on a Sunday afternoon can really lighten your load on weekday mornings. Here are six simple “do ahead” tasks to make life during the school and work week run a little more smoothly. Hard boil eggs – Eggs are mega nourishing, indeed one of the best sources of protein out there. And when hard boiled, they’re fabulously portable and stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.