Back to Healthy Foods

It’s September and Back to School season. Between the books, school supplies, outfits, and event scheduling, healthy eating is often the last thing people focus on. However, it’s important to stay focused on health, especially as work/school days get longer, activities more vigorous, and time becomes more limited. A healthier diet for children may lead to less stress for parents.

Healthy eating can be very simple if you have the right tips. The Huffington Post published a few Healthy Back to School Tips which we’ll discuss.

1. Start the day off right – Eating breakfast as a family is not only great bonding experience, but also a time where you can prepare a nutrient-filled breakfast that last children until lunch. I know many adults who skip breakfast. Growing children may do better with a nutritious morning meal.
2. Nix the added sugar – Avoid soda and other sugary drinks (i.e. iced tea, fruit punch) as well as sugary foods/condiments like cookies, ketchup, and sugar sweetened cereals to improve your children’s overall diet and avoid sugar rushes.
3. Swap juice for whole fruit – Fruits are rich in fiber with high water content, and can help avoid added calories found in many juice pints.
4. Pack a healthy snack – Always pack at least one fruit and vegetable. Some great options include apples, pears, bananas, yogurt, hummus, baby carrots, and nuts.
5. Keep portions healthy – It’s important to serve healthy portion sizes to your children. Proper portion sizing prevents nutrient imbalance, overeating and even mood swings.
6. Skip the white food – White bread, rice, and pasta are notoriously low in fiber, high in processed carbohydrates and lead to overeating. There are plenty of healthy non-processed alternatives such as white beans, cauliflower, along with most green vegetables that grow above ground such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and asparagus
7. Get moving – Integrating exercise and sports is always a great way to keep your children healthy. Since it’s the beginning of school year, there are always an abundance of activities children can partake in, so make sure they’re active.

These are just a few simple tips to keep your children’s diet in check and healthy especially during frenzied times like the beginning of the school year. We know that a Happy wife means a Happy Life. Well, healthy children make happy parents! If you are searching for more health tips, your R-Health doctors are always available, ready to help answer any questions you may have.