If you’re a parent or caregiver to children, it’s nearly time to stock up on snacks, purchase new lunchboxes and plan out quick dinners. But this school year, instead of preparing on your own, get your kids involved in the process. Studies show people (kids included) learn the most when they have hands-on experience, as opposed to just reading or listening. Here are five ways to get your kids ready — and healthy — for the year ahead:
[See: 13 Ways to Get Your Kids Health-Ready for Back to School.]
1. Purchase lunchboxes.
It all begins with a sturdy lunchbox. In the past, I’ve purchased monogrammed lunchboxes for my kids at Pottery Barn Kids (which lasted several years), but this year, I decided to check out Kmart with my daughter, where we found one for less than $15. My daughter liked it because its size and shape would fit into her backpack. Bento boxes or lunch trays with compartments are also a fabulous buy. Bentology sells all sorts of back-to-school lunch goodies, including bento boxes, lunchboxes and thermoses, while Easy Lunch Boxes sells BPA-free compartmental trays. For water bottles, I’ve found that S’well bottles keep water very cold for long periods of time.
2. Stock up.
The market is booming with healthy snacks and lunchbox-friendly sides. Head to your local warehouse store, supermarket or Target (which has a fabulous selection of healthy foods) with your child and pick some smaller samples to try. Use the Fooducate app, which rates packaged foods from A to F to help you determine if it’s a healthy choice. (I aim to purchase foods that have received an A or a B grade.) After your child taste tests your choices at home and you’ve agreed on a few healthy options, rotate between them.
[See: 11 Fantastic Fall Snacks.]
3. Clean out.
Before you bring home tons of new foods, clean out the old to make room for the new. Have your child help you clean out your refrigerator, freezer and pantry. Toss products that are well past their “use by” date. This is a fabulous teaching moment for kids. See if they can find and read the date on the package and tell if it’s time to toss it. It’s also a good method to determine if any pests got into some packaged goods. Teach your kids to remember this basic rule of thumb: “When in doubt, toss it out.”
4. Choose kid-friendly packable lunches.
Don’t fall into the same old sandwich rut. I absolutely love peanut butter and jelly, but it can get boring if you pack it every single day. To get ideas for new, creative, healthy, kid-friendly recipes, check out the websites with your child. Select lunches that are easy for you to make — and that your child will enjoy.
— Mom’s Kitchen Handbook: Katie Morford is a registered dietitian who focuses on feeding kids fresh foods in a French fry world. Her website has an entire section on kid-friendly lunches. Morford is also the author of “The Best Lunch Box Ever: Ideas and Recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love.”
— Meal Makeover Moms: These lovely ladies, Liz Weiss and Janice Newell Bissex, are registered dietitians who create healthy meals that appeal to kids. Their website is filled with cooking videos, podcasts and recipes that you and your kiddos can review together.
— Real Mom Nutrition: Registered dietitian Sally Kuzemchak has a ton of recipes, podcasts and even recommendations for lunch packing gear.
5. Select freezer-friendly dinners.
It may seem impossible to cook a healthy meal when you’re busy working, driving to after school activities and helping with homework. One of the best ways to prevent the dreaded drive-thru or ordering a last-minute pizza is advanced planning. Choose recipes that freeze well (such as chili, lasagna, meatballs and stew) and store them in serving sizes appropriate for your family. Here are a few of my favorite healthy cookbooks to help you get started:
— Ellie Krieger’s “You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy Do-Ahead Meals”
— Sally Kuzemchak’s “Cooking Light Dinnertime Survival Guide: Feed Your Family. Save Your Sanity.”
— The Meal Makeover Moms’ “No Whine With Dinner: 150 Healthy, Kid-Tested Recipes from The Meal Makeover Moms”
And don’t forget about breakfast! Study after study shows that when kids eat breakfast, they do better in school. You can make muffins or egg wraps that can be frozen and quickly thawed on busy mornings. If you choose to cook a quick and easy breakfast (I do it every morning for my kids), having the recipe and ingredients on hand makes things a cinch. You can find delicious recipes in Katie Morford’s latest cookbook, “Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings,” which will be released on August 16.
[See: 10 Healthy Meals You Can Make in 10 Minutes or Less.]
6. Start Cooking
Before school even begins, get cooking with your kids in the kitchen. It’s all about getting everyone motivated to start the year off on the right foot. Run through breakfast recipes for busy mornings, or start cooking and freezing batches of healthy favorites. This is also a fabulous time to show kids how to measure, mix and cook ingredients, and how to read recipes. Plus, it’s always a good time to bond with your children before the school year starts to become too hectic.
Editor’s note: The author is not affiliated with any brands mentioned.
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5 Ways to Prepare for a Healthy School Year With Your Kids originally appeared on usnews.com
