Time does fly! I am so proud of our oldest, Jared, who headed to NYU for his freshman year of college a few days ago. He boarded at The Governor’s Academy for four years so he’s familiar with how to shop to stock a dorm room fridge and freezer, as well as pantry items.
He’s also quite comfortable with navigating a dining hall. Jared spent the summer in Manhattan for an internship and while he did live in a dorm, he did not have access to a dining hall. He bought foods to cook and ate a generous amount of pizza and Asian anything (his favorites).
Was I worried about his nutrition? Not at all. Jared knows how to grocery shop and usually buys a few kinds of fruits, protein bars, juice, milk, cereal, and a few other snacks. He makes a point of having fruit 1-2 times per day and at least 2 vegetables with dinner including a green salad.
At home we try to model positive eating habits for our four children. There are many ways we try to model this, including leaving fruit out for anytime access and having alternate choices for dinner meals. We also feel this includes staying positive about our bodies, body image, and having few to no discussions about weight or the scale.
All of our kids have some kind of fruit for breakfast and I prepare at least 1-2 vegetables for our dinner meals. This is one of the reasons I don’t worry about their nutrition outside of the house.
They have a great foundation for making their best decisions and I am confident they balance these across the board. Our kids are also quite active (as are we as their parents) in different ways. My step-son, Matthew, has been playing club and varsity soccer for years. My step-daughter, Milly, is a competitive gymnast and diver. Matthew, Milly, and Eve (our daughter) all ski a ton in the winter. Eve is still in the beginning stages, but will likely up her game this year.
We need and strive for dinner meals that are fuel, fun, and relaxed as a family as many weeknights as we can to keep communication open and to continue to foster positive nourishment.
In the past I have featured many other dietitians ‘back to school recipes during the month of August, and this year is no different!
Kelly Shallal, a dietitian and personal trainer, shares more kid friendly recipes here.
Patricia Bannan created a list of 30 lunchbox specific ideas here from tons of amazing dietitians.
Last year’s August newsletter included even more recipes (think no-nut snacks and tons of school lunch ideas) you can find here.
In 2016, I talked more about my own nutrition and movement as well as our family’s, you can read more here.
2015’s newsletter August e-newsletter was full of the latest books on nutrition by dietitians and some awesome website resources.
For the early fall weeks, I will be relying on what’s left of any summer CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) we can find locally as well as using our grill and Instant Pot. I’ll be sharing recipes and ideas for transitioning from summer to fall produce and foods in upcoming social posts.
Follow me on on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more daily tips and inspiration.
May we all find and enjoy those first few solitary minutes when kiddos return to school.
