Back to School Tips for a Healthy School Year

Lauren’s first day of Kindergarten, in 2007. Sweet memories!

Sadly, the summer is coming to an end and it’s time to prepare for a new school year. With less free time, you might find that you are ditching your healthy habits, which is why it is all the more important to be prepared so you can ensure your kids will be getting proper nutrition during their long schooldays.

Although your mind might not be ready to give up your free summer schedule, here are some tips for how you could prepare you and your kids for the new school year.

Send your kids brown bag lunches. Many kids like to buy school lunch, so talk to them before school begins and discuss the health benefits of bringing lunch from home. There are many fun and colorful lunch boxes that you can buy. Take your kids shopping and let them pick out their favorite one (or even two, so they can switch off). Packing lunch for your kids will save you money and allow you to be in control of what your children eat for lunch each day.

Communicate with your family members. In the week before school starts, find out what your family’s food preferences are, what kind of sandwiches they like and what their favorite snacks are. This will make lunch preparation a lot easier. Make a lunch calendar and post it on the fridge so you will have plenty of time to shop and prepare.

Let your kids be a part of the food decision process. This begins at the food store. Take your children food shopping with you and let them pick out what foods they want for lunch that week at school. Pick out 3 different fruits from the produce section and let your child decide which one he or she wants on what day that week. When children feel that they are involved in the decision and are not forced, they will be much happier to eat healthy foods.

Get your kids in the routine of eating a healthy breakfast every morning before school. Encouraging breakfast at a young age will get your young kids in the habit of eating a nutritious morning meal, a healthy habit they should engage in as they get older too. Be careful of the sugary cereals and find a happy medium. Purchase cereal that meets these three criteria: whole grain, < 6 grams of sugar per serving and > 3 grams of fiber per serving. Teach your kids to read the labels too!

Pre-prepare your kids the week before school starts by having them eat lunch at the same time they would at school. Meal times at school are either a lot earlier or a lot later than they typically are at home during the summer, so it’s a good idea to get their stomachs ready for the change in lunch time. And, pack nutritious snacks so they can fuel throughout the day.

Set an appropriate bed time. Sleep is so important when it comes to cognition and you want your kids to perform to the best of their abilities while at school. Adequate sleep also promotes healthier eating patterns, increased energy and decreased irritability, all of which are beneficial to you and your children!

Compromise if your child really wants school lunch. Make sure you have the school calendar visible in your house and you know the lunch menu each week. Know what foods are being served and if there are healthy options for your child. If your child really wants to buy lunch on a particular day, that’s okay. Balance is key. Just make sure you provide nourishing snacks that you can toss into their backpack.

Following these tips will help prepare you for the busy school schedule and ensure that your children will have adequate nutrition to be the best students they can be!

Your turn to take action: Please share in the comments below how you will get your children off to a healthy start this school year.