Plan & Prepare: Healthy Eating Plan for the New School Year

Healthy Eating Plan

The new school year is here and this means your children will be on a new schedule. Getting into a new routine of things can sometimes help kids also get on a regularly scheduled eating plan.

We want our children to eat three, balanced meals a day. This is definitely easier said than done. As a parent, you must have some healthy, quick items on hand for your children. Plus, you also want to make sure you are leading by example. Planning and preparing snacks and meals ahead of time will help you and your family. This doesn’t mean you have to plan and prepare for the whole week, but at least plan and prepare for the following day. This can be as simple as making sure your child has what they need for a balanced healthy breakfast and packing snacks and lunches for the next school day.

When children come home from school they usually want an afternoon snack. An afternoon snack is encouraged, especially if it has been more than four hours since they have eaten lunch. The problem, however, is that the afternoon snack is not usually a “snack.” Most of the time the “snack” is equivalent to the amount of calories they would consume in one meal!

Having items such as chips, cookies, pastries, frozen pizzas, ice cream, ramen noodles and burritos for snacks and meals, are not what your children need. These may be quick and easy food items, but they aren’t healthy when your child eats them on a daily basis.

Many parents tell me, “My children are not overweight so I don’t have to worry about them eating certain foods.” WRONG. If your child is at a healthy weight, this doesn’t mean they are healthy. Plus, metabolism and genetics play a big part in how your children will grow and develop. If your child has a tendency of skipping meals and is not physical active throughout the day, this can aid in weight gain over time and overeating with the following meal/snack. Plus, if the family history consists of diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, then your children have a higher risk of developing these chronic health conditions later in life.

When trying to choose healthier items for your child, think “outside of the box” and let your children get involved. Allow them to plan and prepare their meals in order to gain responsibility and for them to also learn how to “balance out” their meals.

An interactive website such as www.zisboombah.com, can help your children see if their meals are balanced and healthy. The website also gives them ideas on activities, dining out and recipes.

A regular eating schedule such as consuming your first meal within an hour of waking, and keeping meals four to five hours apart, can help with metabolism and weight management.  Remember to have healthy foods available for your children to pick for their breakfasts, school lunches, and after school snacks. Together, you can instill healthy eating habits for a lifetime.

Christina Bartlett RD, LD is a Registered Dietitian and the owner of Everything In Moderation. Dedicated to providing nutrition information that is tailored to the individual.

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• Focus on Color
• Do You Struggle With Planning Healthy Meals for Your Family?
• Easy School Lunch Ideas for Busy Parents
• 6 Lunch Box Hacks; Save Time And Effort
• Healthy Ideas for Better School Lunches
• Is Packing Your Child’s Lunch a Healthier Option?
• 10 Quick & Easy After School Snacks
• Wellness: Breakfast for Champions

This post originally appeared on our September/October 2011 Magazine