Fueling up for a day at the theme park

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Have you ever noticed that theme parks seem to be breeding grounds for toddler tantrums? Even one that claims to be the happiest place on Earth is not immune to this phenomenon. Perhaps it's the hot weather, or the over stimulation, or maybe simply being off schedule is enough to send most small children into a meltdown. 

It's no secret that most parks cost a pretty penny, so naturally we want our kids to have the very best time possible. 

We're theme park veterans ourselves and one big way we combat the theme park blues is by making sure our little guy fills up on a filling and nutritious breakfast before we even leave the hotel. A hungry belly is NOT a happy belly. 

Recently we discovered Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Granola at the Walmart down the street from our hotel and loved both versions - Blueberry Pecan and Cinnamon Apple Walnut. With a special blend of seven super grains and seeds, fruit and nuts, it's packed with fiber, ALA Omega-3 and whole grains.  I knew it would be the perfect nutritional boost our little guy needed to make it through a morning at the park, and I knew just how to get him to eat it. 

Jacob loves ice cream so I put together a yogurt parfait disguised as an ice cream sundae just in case he wouldn't eat the granola on his own. Turns out, the "crunchies" were his favorite part! These Parfait Sundaes are super easy and fast to put together - perfect for when you are trying to make it to an early morning park opening! 

Here's how you make it! 

Ice Cream Sundae Yogurt Parfaits

1 5-6 oz. yogurt 

1 can of whipped cream

Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Granola 

Fresh Berries

1. Slice your berries. You'll want some minced pretty small for garnish, and some cut thicker for your layers. 

2. In a bowl or glass, spread a layer of yogurt to cover the bottom of your dish

3. On top of the yogurt sprinkle a layer of fresh fruit

4. Next Add a thin layer of whipped cream to completely cover the fruit

5. Sprinkle a hearty layer of Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Granola on top of the whipped cream

6. Continue layering ingredients until you have filled your dish

7. To finish, add a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Granola and diced fruit on top as "sprinkles" and top with a cherry if you like!

For our parfaits we used blueberry Greek yogurt, a mixture of blueberries and strawberries, and Quaker® Real MedleysSuperGrains Blueberry Pecan granola. We don't favor cherries, so we left those off the top! Later in the week we also tried a second version with vanilla yogurt, apple, and Quaker® Real Medleys SuperGrains Cinnamon Apple Walnut granola.

Our little guy loved these and happily ate a second serving, and he wasn't the only one! Our whole family snacked on these all week for breakfast as well as for a cool, refreshing snack after a long, hot day at the parks. 

I'm happy to report that we only had one theme park meltdown and it was the result of waking up from a nap in a new place, NOT the result of a hungry belly. 

What's your best tip for combating theme park meltdowns?