Fueling for School: Balancing Nutrition And A New School Year
Written By: Tracy Pritchard (MS, CNS, LDN)
For most of us the new school year is right around the corner; or, depending on your location, you are already back to school. Instead of packing the pool bag with towels and snacks, it’s time to start thinking about schedules that may include school, sports, appointments and a variety of other commitments. Often times meal planning and preparation is reserved for dinnertime (which can be challenging itself!), but what about breakfast and lunch? And what about dinners when schedules are packed full of sports and other activities?
We know many kids say they “aren’t hungry” early in the mornings or claim they just “don’t have time” for breakfast. School mornings are often rushed leaving kids to grab a bowl of cold cereal if any food at all! A majority of cereals are full of added sugars and don’t provide the fuel and nutrition needed for a full day of learning and activities. Kids need energy and brain power to get through the day. Research has shown that kids who eat breakfast are more like to have better concentration, creativity, and school attendance than those who do not. After skipping breakfast or eating a breakfast that contains as much sugar as a dessert, it’s no wonder some kids feel sluggish or tired and have a hard time focusing. Once at school, students also need to navigate lunch and snacks to stay fueled for the school day.
Following are some nutritional tips to help your child do their best in school:
Simple – The new school year brings a lot of new things and unknowns. Food should be easy to eat and enjoy. If you like to make things from scratch try making a batch of your own muffins that you can freeze – this is an easy way to incorporate more fruits and vegetables and can be incorporated into a meal or snack. Examples include carrot, zucchini, banana, or pumpkin muffins. To keep the preparatory work from becoming monotonous, there are several shortcuts you will want to consider. These shortcuts may include options such as: frozen (protein) toaster waffles, boxed protein shakes or drinkable yogurts, precooked/peeled hardboiled eggs, and pre-cut fruit. Allocating just 5-10 minutes in the morning for a quick breakfast can set a student up for the rest of the day.
Variety – A balanced meal contains some protein, carbohydrates/fiber, and fat. Kids may enjoy a rotation of snacks in the form of fruits, vegetables, nuts/seeds, and different proteins (animal proteins, beans/legumes, cheese, or yogurt). Try a mix and match option for your kids. First, setup a lunchbox station in the pantry and one in the refrigerator or freezer for perishable items. Then have your kids choose one thing from each category to create their own lunchbox. The categories might look like this:
Fruit,
Veggie,
Protein (meats, cheese, nut butter, yogurt),
Grain (bread, pasta, rice, whole grain cracker)
In addition to the variety found in those categories, variety may also be found in sandwiches. Just the different choices of bread can provide enough variety to keep this option an enduring food choice. Try different rolls, pita bread, flat bread/wraps, bagels, whole grain English muffins, or corn tortillas. Next consider varying the fillings which may include nut butter (look for natural versions where the ingredients are nuts and salt or just nuts), cheese (try different types and combinations), tuna, egg, bean spreads such as hummus, or some grated carrot, lettuce, and avocado. When packing for the school day, consider foods that are still appealing after several hours of storage in a lunch box.
Meal Prep - You do not need to spend a lot of time each day making lunches, rather choose one day to prep for the week. Use this time to wash and chop vegetables, portion dips, batch cook some chicken or eggs, etc. Then have your kids choose one thing from each category to create their own lunchbox.
Leftovers – When planning dinners for the week, consider making extra so they can be used for lunches the next day. Too often kids skip lunch or consume ultra-processed foods that lack nutrients and call it “lunch”. If you bake chicken for dinner one day, you can use it to make a chicken wrap for lunch the next day.
Snacks – Packing nutritious snacks may help make busy schedules more manageable. Pick snacks that provide long-lasting energy over ultra-processed foods full of sugar and/or food colorings. Snacks may include whole fruits, string cheese, store- bought or homemade trail mix. Some students bring a snack for a designated time during the school day, while others may also need extra snacks if they go straight to afterschool sports or activities.
Feedback – When your kids come home ask them what worked well and what didn’t work well. Sometimes there is a taste/texture preference, other times kids may have trouble with packaging or consuming foods during the allotted time. For example, you may find that your child is more likely to eat an apple if it is sliced, but a whole apple always comes back untouched. Some foods may be too “messy” to deal with at school, while others foods are easy to pack. Prepare for some trial and error especially when trying new things.
Drinks – Be sure to pack a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day. Consider using a water bottle your child is excited to use during the day. Some kids prefer water bottles with straws, while other kids may be more concerned about a water bottle that fits well in their backpack and is easy for them to refill on their own.
Right when it seems like you have a handle on breakfast and lunch with all the tips provided, we also need to have a plan for dinners, too! Try to map out your meals for the week ahead. This requires looking at the activity schedule and being realistic about meals needed for the week. Some days may require “quick dinners” like chicken and rice or perhaps eating out. It may be easier to find a meal prep pattern and do some cooking over the weekend to relieve stress during the week. This would require time set aside to choose recipes, make a grocery list, pick a time to go shopping, and time to actually make and store the meals for the week. You can always use some time-saving hacks and choose recipes that save both time and energy in the kitchen by picking recipes with minimal ingredients, hands-off cooking methods (crockpot or sheet pan baking), and easy clean up.
Now’s the time to consider which of these things you can incorporate into your routine. Remember to get your family involved as much as possible in the planning and preparation.