School is back in full swing. Administrators and teachers are back to work and parents are trying to figure out the new routine with school drop offs or bus routes. Activities are picking back up like extra curricular activities, sports, meetings and homework. Maybe you’re also back in school or have had a significant schedule change with summer coming to an end… How’s it going??
New routines can be tough to get back into. Where do we find time for being active, cooking more at home and making sure the whole family has access to healthy foods even through the busiest seasons? The busy seasons are usually the times where health gets put on the back burning and we simply don’t have to the time to make it a priority.
I hope these tips will help you hold on to the reigns of your health through the constant pressure you may feel to keep everything running smoothly.
Back to school tips:
Make breakfast a priority - Let’s start with the more important meal of the day. Whether you get food on the table for the kiddos and end up skipping breakfast yourself or everyone goes hungry - it doesn’t have to be that way!
Some of my favorite quick and easy go-to breakfasts:
- Oikos or Ratio high protein yogurts (add some granola, fruit, nut butter or chia seeds to add some variety!) These yogurts pack 25 grams of protein and are an excellent start to your day!
- Jimmy dean egg scramble bowls
- Overnight oats
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Protein bar or protein shake, smoothie (see recipes here!)
Frozen vegetables/frozen foods - make your life easier by going with frozen produce instead of fresh. There is less pressure of when you have to cook these foods to avoid wasting them! You won’t be so afraid to buy them without a firm plan of when and what you’re going to cook. Frozen vegetables still maintain their nutritional value and typically don’t have any additives like salt or sugar (check carefully if they have added sauces or flavors - you may want to just add this when cooking!)
Be a little more cautious with canned fruits and vegetables due to added salt or sugar. Read your labels!
Grocery delivery/curbside - The beauty of living in 2021 is curbside and delivery groceries! Take advantage of this convenience. If you’ve ever paid a delivery fee and tip for DoorDash or UberEats, you can make the same sacrifice to have your groceries delivered AND make much healthier choices for the most part. Not only is this healthier, but I tend to save money when ordering curbside - no impulse buying! TIP: Many grocery stores are now offering FREE curbside orders!
Cook in bulk - when you do finally get the chance to spend 30-60 minutes to make dinner, take advantage of it! Buy twice the ingredients, it won’t even take twice to time to throw together. Toss one of the dishes in the freezer (either before cooking or after). You’ll think yourself a little later down the road when you’re just stretched too thin to cook dinner and remember that you can pull that meal out of the freezer and put a healthy, homemade meal on the table for your family!
Keep healthy snacks on hand - avoid the after school Sonic run by bringing along healthy snacks in the car (for you and the kids!) This will help to hold everyone over until dinner.
Some great options would be:
Trail mix or nuts
Protein/granola bars
String cheese and fruit
Meat and cheese roll ups
Frozen grapes
Pretzels/vegetables and hummus
Fit exercise in where you can - if you’re back to a desk job or can’t find time for your normal gym session between sports, homework and other activities in the evenings, fit activity in where you can. Maybe that is walking around the baseball field during practice instead of sitting in the stands or finding a way to incorporate standing into your work day (like a standing desk!)
Eat more protein - what you eat really matters in terms of hunger and cravings. Many people are eating more carbs than protein and fiber (especially when it comes to fast food, take out or convenience foods). These meals can leave you feeling uncomfortably full, but then hungry again in no time. Instead, try to focus on high protein, high fiber (whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts/seeds, etc) foods. These foods will leave you feeling more full and satisfied and hold you over longer between meals and decrease cravings.
The overarching theme for starting the school year healthy is planning ahead! This doesn’t require hours of prep, but simply making a few grocery orders to have the right things on hand and a well thought out weekly schedule to make sure all of your priorities are in place.
I’m here for you and I believe in you!
Comments