HEALTHY KIDS · AUGUST 2018
CHOOSE A DINNER TIME
Because everyone has such busy schedules
these days, family dinners often fall by
the wayside. But it’s never been more
important to sit down and have some
quality time with your family. So choose
a time that works best with your family’s
schedule, when everyone can sit down
together. It may require a little finagling
and creative scheduling, but even if you
end up eating a little earlier or later than
you’d like, it will be worth it when you’re all
together.
GET YOURSELF SOME HELP
How to Kick Off a
Healthy School Year
for Your Family
B
elieve it or
not, the
summer
is almost
over. That
means it’s time to trade
in the beach towels for
backpacks, and the lazy
pool days for packed
sports schedules. But,
just because your routine
is about to ramp up, it
doesn’t mean your family’s
health has to pay the price.
Yes, the kids will be busier
and your schedule as the
designated family chauffeur
is going to fill up fast. But,
with a little planning and
organization, your family
can still eat healthy and
clean amidst all the chaos.
By Jenn Baxter
PLAN AHEAD
First, make sure you set aside some time to
plan your meals ahead of time. Sunday is a great day
to do this since it sets you up for the week. Sit down
with your favorite recipes—whether they’re from
Pinterest, magazines or your grandma—and write
out a list of all the ingredients you’ll need. To make
things even easier and more efficient, group your list
items into categories that match the departments in
the grocery store—dairy, meats, produce, beverages,
etc. Make sure you also set the coming week’s recipes
aside somewhere where they’ll be easily accessible.
This could be on a cookbook stand on your kitchen
counter, tacked to a pegboard on the wall, or even
pinned to a separate board on Pinterest.
PREP AHEAD
Once you’ve picked out your healthy and
clean meals for the week and done your
grocery shopping, get some of your prep
work out of the way ahead of time. Chop up vegetables
and fruits, cook up dry ingredients like quinoa or rice,
and marinate meats and seafood in preparation for the
week’s meals. Then, store the ingredients in the fridge
until you need them. If you’re feeling extra ambitious,
you can even cook some of your meals ahead of time,
so all you have to do is reheat them during the week.
12 HEALTHY MAGAZINE
If you’re overwhelmed by the thought of
planning healthy meals for your family
five (or seven) days a week, get yourself
some help by using a meal planning or
meal delivery service. Companies like Hello
Fresh, Plated, and Blue Apron will send
you everything you need to make easy and
deliciously healthy meals for your family.
Just go online and pick out your recipes,
and a box with all the pre-measured
ingredients will come straight to your
doorstep.
PACK HEALTHY LUNCHES
Keeping your kids’ lunches healthy may be
the most challenging part of your back-
to-school routine since not everyone is as
excited about kale as you are. But there
are still ways to keep their lunches healthy.
Make sure to pack them with plenty of
protein with foods like organic turkey
breast, non-GMO cheese sticks, nuts like
almonds and cashews, or protein bars. Add
in some healthy sweets like strawberries,
blueberries, or apples. And, of course,
encourage them to choose water over
soda by offering options like flavored
water, sparkling water, or water enhancer
packs that they can carry with them.
And at the end of the day, if you do have
to order pizza one night or swing through
the Chick-Fil-A drive through, remember,
it’s not the end of the world.
Make sure you extend yourself the same
patience that you would to a family
member or a close friend. And don’t stress
yourself out if some nights it’s all about
convenience. Just try to stick to healthier
options like organic, gluten-free, and
sugar-free, and give yourself the grace to
start again tomorrow!