It’s back-to-school time again and many families have prepared their children with new supplies, backpacks, and school clothing to ensure a successful new academic year.
But one of the most important tools to share with your kids is healthier eating. After all, the links between nutrition and school performance are clear. If the kids don’t receive the quality fuel they need, their ability to concentrate falls short in today’s competitive school environment.
The problem that often stands in the way of home cooking is planning, or rather, the lack of it. Organizing for the school year goes beyond slapping a planner on the wall or updating your Google calendar. Many parents are too busy trying to get through their work day to even think about dinner until they are on their way home. Once they get to the grocery store, they are too rushed to make smart decisions. Sound familiar?
Here are eight ways to help bring those better eating intentions to reality:
1. Get your kids’ feedback. It will make your life easier for the entire school year. Sit down with your children and have them make a list of their 10 favorite lunches and dinners. By rotating those menus throughout the school year, you can provide ample variety while simplifying the weekly shopping.
2. Identify the meals your family will need each week. These include breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus snacks. In addition to planning, involve the kiddos in shopping and cooking as much as possible.
3. Avoid purchasing food at the last minute. You may end up just buying whatever is available instead of stopping to think of what foods are nourishing.
4. Keep your kitchen stocked with healthy staples. Start by making lists of essential ingredients you can use for most meals and work from there. Once you have established an inventory of your standard items, you can organize a spreadsheet that helps you keep track as they get used up and need replenishing.
5. Teach the kids to keep track of supplies. Encourage the children to note when you’re getting “low” on a particular item, not just when you’re “out” of it.
6. Maintain the ingredients for three dinners you can serve for those days. Everyone has days that are too stressful or busy to get to the store. For example, spaghetti with jarred red sauce and grated cheese could be one. Risotto made with Arborio rice, a package of frozen asparagus, and grated cheese could be another. A third could be quesadillas made with tortillas, shredded cheese, and jarred salsa. Round out these meals with carrot or celery sticks, a simple tossed green salad, or frozen veggies. Serve canned fruit for dessert in an attractive bowl.
7. Network with the parents in the neighborhood. Find out what they are feeding their kids. You may grab some great ideas for your child’s breakfast, lunchbox, or dinner.
8. Consider a meal delivery program for a few weeks. They can remove some of the barriers to healthier eating such as time, planning, and lack of culinary skills.
The beginning of school signals parents to get back on the nutrition track. By creating nourishing “lesson plans,” your offspring will be prepared for academic success! Who knows, maybe you, too, will benefit by improved performance at work?
Christine Palumbo is a Naperville-registered dietitian nutritionist who is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Follow her on Twitter @PalumboRD, Facebook at Christine Palumbo Nutrition, or Chris
