Back to school tips for healthy meals

As students return to school across Manitoba, it can be difficult for parents and caregivers to get back into the routine of planning healthy breakfasts and lunches.

When you feed your children, you’re offering nourishment, and also love, security, comfort, and memories. That’s a lot! Especially when figuring out what to put into a lunchbox every day seems like a relentless — and often thankless — task.

Doctors and dietitians agree on how important eating healthy meals is to students’ health, learning and development. The good news is that it’s doable, and you don’t have to do it all yourself.

I find it helpful to come up with a list divided into three categories: grains, vegetables/​fruits, and proteins. I come up with ideas with my kids input and put the list on my fridge. This helps with decision fatigue in the morning and when making my shopping list.

1. Have everyone in your household make a list of their favourite foods that are easy for breakfast and others that can be packed for lunch.
2. Use this list as your foundation for a weekly grocery list and meal plan. When you have the foods you need on hand, it makes meal prep easier.
   Check out all the planning tools and kid-friendly recipes at Cookspiration, a fabulous resource from the Dietitians of Canada!
3. Aim for a variety of foods from Canada’s Food Guide: one vegetable or fruit, one whole grain food and one protein food at each meal.
4. Keep it simple. Think fruit and yogurt made with frozen berries and topped with granola. Rice and beans, hummus, pita bread and vegetables, or pasta salad are easy and don’t need to be heated at lunchtime. Canada’s Food Guide Kitchen has a number of low-fuss, healthy recipes to try.
5. Ask your child’s school if they offer a free meal or snack program, and find out how to get involved. These programs are generally open to all students at the school, which helps to create a welcoming, inclusive environment.

The Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba has a team of Registered Dietitians who work to support meal and snack programs in schools. The Council’s goal is to help school children learn, grow, and succeed by supporting school meal and snack programs. Funds raised stay in Manitoba, reaching children across all regions of the province.

Trusted resources to learn more:

• Healthy Eating for Teens (Canada’s Food Guide)

• Free Recipes from the Canada Food Guide Kitchen

• Cookspiration (Dietitians of Canada)

• Top Tips for Making Balanced Lunches for the New School Year (Unlock Food from Dietitians of Canada)

• Grocery Shopping (Unlock Food from Dietitians of Canada)

• Nutrition Topics A‑Z (Winnipeg Regional Health Authority)

• Nutrition Newsletter (Southern Health-Santé Sud)

• Including Variety in Lunches (Nüton — Nutrition Education in Manitoba)

• Plan, Shop and Prepare (HealthLink BC)