By Rachel Smith, ARNP, Weight Management at The Group Obstetrics & Gynecology Specialists
Back-to-school time is near! For many, this means back to routines and hectic schedules where healthy eating loses its priority. What if I told you this year could be different? Here are some simple tips for you and your family to start eating healthier this school year.
Breakfast seems like a meal that comes in the form of a bar or shake for many parents these days. With getting the children nourished and ready for school, it leaves little time for mom and dad to make a healthy breakfast. Overnight oats using old-fashioned oats, unsweetened almond milk, plain Greek yogurt, chia seeds, maybe a little peanut butter, and your favorite fruit are a great make-ahead breakfast to save time and get lots of fiber in before starting the day. Eggs cooked in a muffin tin, “egg muffins,” are another great option full of protein and healthy fats you can prepare ahead of time for a breakfast made easy. Add turkey sausage, well-cooked bacon, veggies, and your favorite cheese to them prior to baking to change up the flavors. Getting veggies in before noon is an awesome accomplishment!
Packing school lunches can get monotonous. It becomes routine and simple to pack pre-packaged items for the kiddos day after day. Rather than Lunchables and fruit snacks, perhaps try some high-protein, fiber-filled ideas! Step one is to use 100-percent whole grain bread when making sandwiches. Cold cut meats make for a high-protein filler, and even more points to putting veggies and avocado on a favorite. It truly is all about eating a rainbow of foods! Try swapping chips and cookies for fruits and vegetables. Apple slices with natural peanut butter, carrot sticks and hummus, and cottage cheese with cherry tomatoes are all great ideas. Protein should be a main component of lunch as well. Greek yogurt, meat, cottage cheese, lentils, fish, whatever floats your boat! Protein keeps us full and our muscles growing, it is a must for a youngster’s lunchbox. An ounce or two of nuts are a great snack option packed full of nourishment. Remember to check classroom guidelines to make sure nuts are approved before sending them due to the potential severity of allergic reactions if the classroom includes any students with allergies. When children are fueled with healthy wholesome foods, they tend to not experience the “afternoon slump,” often a result of high-sugar intake, making for improved attention spans for learning.
Let’s make lunchtime a success for ourselves this year as well! We deserve to eat well to get us through our crazy work days. My first tip for adults is to be sure to have a vegetable. Whether you make a big salad using dark greens or have a container of cucumbers to dip in guacamole, veggies are important to ensure we’re receiving vitamins, minerals, and a healthy source of fiber. Another main inclusion is protein. Whether it is in the form of chicken, lunch meat, lentils, or dairy, be sure you have satiating protein as a key part of your lunch. Protein keeps us fullest longest and keeps our muscles recovered and maintained to be strong and in great health.
Dinnertime can be insane when everyone has a different meeting, sports game, or event to attend. Meal prepping can be your best friend in this instance. Try on Sundays to make a large amount of meat in the crock pot that can be used in various ways throughout the week in many different recipes. Typically it is the longest to cook, so having a bunch already prepared takes a lot of the hassle out of dinner time! Don’t be afraid to try some new things this school year as well. Noodles made from veggies, taco salads in place of tacos, and cauliflower-crust pizza are all ways to increase the veggie consumption in your home while still being a part of familiar meals kids love.
If you think having this kind of support might be beneficial to you on your journey to health, come by our office on Wednesday evening at 6:30pm for a free weight management program orientation. You can check out our website at Obgyngroup.com.