Back to School! How to Fuel the Body and Brain for Success

No more picnics at the pool or summer camp adventures – it’s time for students to hit the books!  Waking up early to the catch the bus, staying after classes for extracurricular activities, going out with friends and getting homework done – kids today have full-time schedules.  And the best way to keep them going is to fuel their bodies and brains with a healthy lunch!

Kids who eat a complete, nutritious lunch are better able to pay attention in class and participate in sports and clubs.  They are less likely to be sedentary or overeat later in the day, reducing the risk of weight problems.  Best of all, including your kids in the lunch preparation process encourages them to develop healthy independent eating habits and teaches them to make good food choices!

So how can you turn packing a lunchbox into a positive experience?  

Take a look at these guidelines to get you started:

1)  Create a lunch that includes the following components: one protein, one whole grain, at least one fruit or vegetable, one dairy, and an optional sweet or small snack.  This will give you a complete meal that includes all essential food groups.

2)  Pick food choices your kid enjoys!  Start a list for each food group listed above and brainstorm different options with your child.  What will they eat and how do they prefer it prepared?  

Here are some examples:

Protein

Sliced deli meat

Tuna

Peanut butter

Hummus

Egg salad

Mixed nuts

Whole Grain

Whole wheat bread

Whole wheat crackers

Whole wheat tortillas

Whole wheat pita

Whole wheat english muffins

Instant oatmeal

Fruit

Apples

Bananas

Grapes

Watermelon

Strawberries

Dried Fruit

Vegetable

Carrots

Tomato slices

Broccoli

Pepper slices

Celery sticks

Small mixed salad

Dairy

Low-fat cheese slices

Low-fat yogurt

Low-fat or skim milk

Sweet/Snack

Low-fat pudding cup

Two cookies

Small piece of chocolate

Pretzels or baked chips

Protein or breakfast bar

3)  Plan ahead!  Write out lunches before you go to the grocery store so you remember to add those items to your shopping list.  Also, consider how long your kids will be at school each day.  On days when they have extracurricular activities, pack a bigger snack or second lunch to keep them going.  Because many high schools start around 7 AM and break for lunch around 11 AM, kids need to eat again shortly after classes finish to have enough energy for sports, clubs, and other activities. 

4)  Encourage creativity!  Let your kids create their own menu from the healthy lists you brainstormed earlier.  This will promote their involvement and independence while still providing some structure to satisfy nutritional requirements.  Also, kids are more likely to eat something they have packed for themselves versus something you prepared for them. 

5)  Remember fluids!  Hydration is critical to healthy brain and body functioning.  Milk and juice are good, but include water too.  This is especially important for student athletes to prevent dehydration, muscle cramps, and heat illness.

Need more positive nutrition strategies?  Talk to Kelly McGrath Dalton, our registered dietician, about setting up an appointment or joining our new Health Awareness and Behavior Integration Training program.  Our HABIT program teaches participants to exchange dieting for living, turning the focus from overeating and negative self-talk to self-acceptance.  You will learn how to eat well for increased energy and focus as well as weight management. 

Check out our September newsletter on Facebook for more successful back to school strategies!