Back-to-school nutrition and hydration tips to keep your kiddos nourished and healthy.
It’s that time of year again, folks. As we head into back-to-school season, here are some nutrition and hydration tips to help support your kids as everyone gets back into the swing of things.
1. Focus on Breakfast
We know that breakfast can be a challenge some days, between getting your kids out of bed on time and in any state to focus on eating. But as much as you can, before heading out the door, offer them a solid breakfast to kickstart their morning, like:
- Strawberry Breakfast Cookies
- Veggie Loaded Oatmeal
- Green Waffles
- Beet Blender Pancakes
- Leftover Rice Breakfast Bowls
Find more ideas in our post 10 Healthy Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas for Kids.
2. Go for Variety with Lunch
We each have a handful of lunch combos that tend to be served, but we try to switch it up as much as we can with a new item here and there. The main thing we aim for is to include a variety of nutrients to provide our kids with an afternoon pick-me-up.
This is also why we like to use a bento box or similar lunch container with compartments. We often have our kids help choose items to fill each section so they also feel like they have a say in their food choices.
Need help with lunch ideas? Grab our Plant-Based Juniors’ Nut-Free Lunch Box Book.
3. Plenty of Snack Options
If your child’s school doesn’t provide snacks, or you’re not a fan of the options, we’ve got you. Every week, we try to toss a variety of shelf-stable snacks into their backpack for snack time. If we remember, we’ll also throw in some sliced apples or baby carrots or similar the day-of for more healthy options.
Check out 10 Healthy Packaged Snacks for Plant-Based Kids or 15 Healthy Preschool Snacks for ideas!
4. Get them a Reusable Water Bottle
One of the best ways to encourage your kiddo to drink water throughout the day is to give them the responsibility of keeping track of their own water bottle and filling it as needed. This might include a routine of filling it at night and storing it in the fridge for the morning.
If you don’t have a water bottle for them, this can be a fun way to get them excited about back-to-school season. We’ve found some great inexpensive stainless steel ones at Target, the grocery story, or Amazon.
Wondering how much water kids need each day? See this post.
5. Limit Sugary Drinks
Between school lunch options and class celebrations, there’s no shortage of sugary drinks even at school. As much as you can, try to minimize sending drinks like sports drinks, soda, and juice.
We generally have our kids stick to water at school or sometimes toss in one individual-sized fortified soy milk in their lunch box.
6. Have After-School Noshes Ready
We don’t know about you but once 3pm rolls around the snack monsters come out to play. It can help to have healthy snacks ready for them to prevent low blood sugar and the consequential crabbiness that can happen!
Perhaps something waiting in the car if you pick them up from school or something on the table if they ride the bus home. Try to pair a little healthy fat with fiber, like banana slices with peanut butter or a handful of trail mix and bell peppers with hummus.
Grab more ideas in our post 5 After School Snack Ideas for Plant-Based Kids.
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Chime In: What other back-to-school tips do you have? Share them in the comments!
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