(NC) We all want our children to be happy and to reach their full potential. There are many factors that can influence a child’s growth and development, and one of the most important is nutrition. How well children eat can impact how well they do at school. Without enough nutritious food, children can fall behind. Unfortunately, many children in Canada don’t have reliable access to the food they need. Over 30 per cent of youth under 18 live in a household that’s experiencing food insecurity, according to data from Statistics Canada.

There are groups working to make safe, nutritious food more accessible for children, including President’s Choice Children’s Charity, which supports over one million kids per year at more than 2,000 schools across Canada. Its school food program also focuses on teaching children how to grow and cook food, helping them build skills they can use for life.

Small choices can make a big difference for a child. One habit that can support child nutrition is having breakfast consistently. Having nourishing food available in the morning, made from simple ingredients, can help your child start each day the right way. Looking for an easy-to-prep option that your kids will love? Try putting these muffins into your meal plan:

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Makes: 18 muffins

Ingredients

• 6 medium-sized apples (see tip below)
• 2 tsp (10 ml) ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup (175 ml) vegetable or canola oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups (295 ml) sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder
• 1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) whole wheat flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C) and spray muffin tins with cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. Peel, core and slice the apples. Place them in a large bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon.
3. In another bowl, mix together the oil, eggs and sugar. Add the baking powder and both flours, stirring gently, until combined. Don’t overwork the batter once you’ve added the flour.
4. Pour batter over the apples, stirring gently until they’re coated. Portion the mixture into prepared muffin tins.
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. The muffins are ready when a toothpick inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean.

Tip: You can experiment with different apples for these muffins, but consider firmer varieties like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp—they’ll hold their shape when baked rather than becoming mush.

When kids can consistently get the food they need, it can change everything. Currently, hunger is a barrier to education and a brighter future for children in communities across Canada, including yours. By working together, we can help more kids access nutritious food. Learn more about the fight against childhood food insecurity at pcchildrenscharity.ca.