It's that time of year again, back to school!
Kids, teens and university students are all starting to feel the excitement of getting to see their friends and teachers again! Picking out their favourite outfit to wear on the first day, preparing their summer adventure stories to tell their classmates and looking forward to getting back into a routine.
Many parents have been working with getting their kids to eat the foods they prepare all summer long and are starting to worry how they are going to keep it up once their children are back in school. Knowing that some parents are dealing with this struggle, I thought I'd share:
6 Back-To-School Nutrition Tips for Kids:
1. Limit containers - Bento boxes are gold! Having multiple different containers to open often results in untouched foods. Sticking to the rule of 3 (no more than 1 container each: 1st snack, lunch, 2nd snack) encourages easier access to eating the full snack/lunch in the time provided.
2. Packing a variety of colourful, nutrient dense foods you already know they like in one container makes the lunch or snack more appetizing. Being sure to add all the colours of the rainbow as often as possible not only encourages your child to eat, but also increase their fibre and antioxidant intake! The fibre and antioxidants found in colour foods, help keep food moving through the body and protect their brains from everyday wear and tear. Providing them with foods they already like ensures they'll actually eat them. Trying new foods is a great thing to do at home, giving them new foods to try at school risks them choosing to go without eating.
3. Ensure your child is getting enough protein and healthy fats (Mainly omega-3s) to support their growth, mood, attention, focus, energy, knowledge retention ability and immune system.
4. Cut everything into bite sized pieces. This is especially good for kids who like to chat with friends or do activities such as colour, during recess. Cutting foods into smaller sizes allows kids to chat away and still reach in their lunch container and grab a piece of food with little effort. Sometimes it's easier to provide them with convenient, grabbable foods, than it is to ask them to stay focused on eating in a stimulating environment. (You can absolutely work on this with them as well, just don't fully count on it)
5. Be sure your child is drinking lots of water! Dehydration leads to system overload, cloudy thinking, difficulty paying attention and mood changes. Send them with 1-2 water bottles to drink each day and explain to them the benefits of hydration. If they don't like drinking water, add fresh or frozen fruit in the bottle to give it a flavour they enjoy.
6. For kids that deal with sensory overload; Making sure they can open their lunch/snack containers on their own, with minimal effort, and including less containers (back to the rule of 3) are great tools for reducing sensory overload. If your child does not do well with bright or loud environments, consider sending them with sunglasses or earmuffs. If neccesary, don't be afraid to talk to their teacher/principal and see if they can provide your child with a less stimulating environment to eat in.
I hope these tips have been helpful! To learn more about how nutrition and lifestyle can positively influence you and/or your child's life, book a free discovery call with me today.
Wishing everyone a positive and enlightening back to school experience!
xo,
Renée