With back to school in full swing, so is getting back into our routines. Fall is a common time to reset and make goals which likely includes nutrition. Whether you are looking for sound advice on making your kids lunches or looking to improve the nutrient density of your own meals, here are some ways to help get you and your family on the right path.

1. Start the day off right

I am a big fan of breakfast. This doesn’t mean you have to wake up and eat right away but for many the morning rush leaves you skipping a morning meal and depending on how your day goes you may end up working through your lunch and your first bite of food since your morning coffee is at 2pm! No wonder you are crashing on the way home from work.Many parents can see the importance of breakfast for our kids but fail to plan to fuel themselves. Some ideas to make breakfast a little easier:

– make a big batch of waffles on the weekend andput the extras in the fridge so on busy morning I can pop them in the toasterto reheat and serve with fruit and nut butter

– yogurt bowls can be quick and easy – Greekyogurt + berries + nuts/seeds, no stovetop required!

– make a dozen egg cups while you make dinner thenight before for an easy grab and go breakfast

– keep things simple with a high fibre cereal (at least 3-4g per serving) low sugar (8g or less) cereal served with dairy milk or higher protein plant based milk (e.g. soy)

– for those who like a savoury breakfast, there is no rule saying you can’t have last night’s leftovers!

2.  Embrace all food groups

When thinking about packing your kid’s lunch or your own, aim to involve all the food groups: veggies, fruit, whole grains, meat/meat alternatives, dairy/dairy alternatives. I know many of my patients like packing bento-style lunches for their kids, so here are some ideas to get a checkmark for each food group:

Fruits: apple/pear slices, clementine sections, berries, sliced kiwi, apple sauce

Veggies: baby carrots, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, edamame (buy frozen and pre-shelled and will defrost by lunch)

Whole grains: whole graincrackers/pita, while wheat wrap pinwheel sandwiches, rice cakes, whole graincereal, whole grain english muffin

Meat and alternatives: hummus/bean dips, low sodium deli turkey, seed butter (if allowed), leftover chicken from the night before, store bought falafel,

Dairy and alternatives: cheese sticks, coconut yogurt, cream cheese

TIP for young school age kids: my aunt, who is a grade 1 teacher, recently shared with me that the kids in her class often have a hard time understanding what part of their lunch bag is snack vs. lunch. Establishing a system, such as numbering containers or using certain colours for snack vs. lunch, might help!

3.  Keep healthy snacks at the ready

Don’t get caught at work or home without an option. This can help decrease fast food runs. Some ideas include:

– Keep nuts/seeds in your desk at work

– Bring a protein powder to leave at work so youcan mix in a shaker bottle on days you might need the extra protein

– Keep whole fruit (apple, banana) handy

–  Find a protein/granola bar that you and yourkids enjoy. Look for bars that have at least 3-4g of fibre and less than 15grams of sugar.

4.  Can you make your life easier?

I find most of my patients have really high expectations when it comes to feeding our families. While we might want to make all our food from scratch and never buy pre-packaged items, that is rarely feasible given family schedules. Take inventory and think: how can I make this easier?

Would grocery delivery help?

– What pre-made options could help you? Rotisseriechicken? Pre-chopped veggies? Boxed granola?

– Would pre-chopping all veggies one day a week help?

– Would batch cooking twice per week and using the leftovers help make lunches easier?

-Can you get your kids involved?

If your kids aren’t already actively involved in some aspect of cooking/food prep in your home, think about how they can be part of the process. Maybe you can bring them to the grocery store and get them to pick out a new veggie or fruit you haven’t had in a while. Can your child be in charge of making the salad at dinner time? What parts of their lunch can be their responsibility (even starting with being responsible for their water bottle each morning). While up front this may take a bit of work, in the long run this will increase their confidence in the kitchen, may help with picky eating and will make your life easier!

I hope you find something above that will help make the transition back to school and back to our routines a little easier!

Good luck with back to school/work! –

Dr. Brittany