Back to School, Back to Healthy Habits
Back-to-school week is here!
For students and teachers, that means getting back into a much more structured routine. Earlier mornings, long days in the classroom, homework, grading, sports, practices, meetings and trying to fit everything else into the few hours you have left.
It also means spending a LOT more time sitting.
When schedules get busy, nutrition and exercise are usually two of the first things to get pushed aside. Breakfast gets skipped. Lunch becomes whatever is available. Teachers survive on coffee. Students grab something from a vending machine. By the time everyone gets home, they’re exhausted and starving.
But this is actually one of the times when taking care of your nutrition matters the most!
Food Isn't Just About Your Weight
We tend to associate healthy eating with losing weight, building muscle or improving our health. But what you eat also affects how you function throughout the day.
Your brain needs energy and nutrients too.
A balanced diet that provides enough protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and fluids helps support:
• Concentration and attention• Memory and learning• More consistent energy throughout the day• Mood• Physical performance• Recovery from exercise• Overall health and immune function
For a student trying to concentrate through several classes or a teacher trying to stay sharp and patient through an entire school day, that matters.
Going hours without eating and then relying on highly processed snacks and caffeine to get through the afternoon probably isn't going to leave you feeling your best.
The goal should be more consistent fuel throughout the day.
🍳Start With Breakfast
You don't need to cook a huge breakfast every morning. You just need something realistic enough that you'll actually eat it.
Try to include a source of protein along with carbohydrates for energy.
Easy breakfast ideas:
• Eggs or egg whites with oatmeal and fruit• Plain nonfat Greek yogurt with berries and granola• Protein shake with a banana and oatmeal• Whole-grain toast with eggs and fruit• Cottage cheese with fruit • Overnight oats made with Greek yogurt, protein powder and berries• Breakfast wrap with eggs, and vegetables
Running late?
An RTD ( ready to drink) protein shake and a piece of fruit is still better than deciding you'll just wait until lunch.
My go-to is plain non-fat Greek Yogurt with diced peaches and frozen berries. I prepare this large portioned parfait in a Tupperware at night so it's easy to grab in the morning and eat on the go! It holds me over until lunch.
Pack a Lunch You'll Actually Eat
Healthy doesn't have to mean chicken, broccoli and rice every single day.
Build your lunch around a good protein source, add a quality carbohydrate, include some fruits or vegetables and add a healthy fat when appropriate.
Easy school lunch ideas:
• Grilled chicken, rice and vegetables• Turkey sandwich or wrap with fruit• Chicken wrap with lettuce, tomato and avocado• Lean beef with potatoes and vegetables• Greek yogurt, fruit and a turkey sandwich• Chicken or tuna pasta salad with vegetables• Leftovers from last night's dinner• Burrito bowl with chicken, rice, beans, salsa and vegetables
If you're buying lunch at school, use the same basic idea. Look for a protein source first, then build the rest of the meal around it.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
Keep Better Snacks Around
One of the easiest ways to make a poor food decision is to wait until you're absolutely starving.
Students should have snacks available for after school or before practice, and teachers can benefit from keeping a few options in their desk, classroom or break room.
Easy snack ideas:
• Greek yogurt• Cottage cheese and fruit• Apples or bananas• Berries• String cheese• Beef or turkey jerky• Protein shakes• Protein bars• Hard-boiled eggs• Hummus with carrots or peppers• Apple with peanut or almond butter• Lean Coldcut Turkey roll ups and mustard• Air-popped popcorn• Rice cakes with a cottage cheese or greek yogurt spread• Quest Chips
You don't need every snack to be "perfect." You just want some better options available BEFORE hunger makes the decision for you.
Eat for Your Brain Too
Certain foods are especially useful to include regularly because they provide nutrients associated with normal brain function and overall health.
Try working more of these into your week:
• Fish for omega-3 fatty acids• Eggs for protein and nutrients including choline (Egg whites for protein without the fat) • Berries for antioxidants and other plant nutrients
• Leafy green vegetables for folate and other vitamins and minerals• Whole grains, oats, potatoes, rice and fruit for carbohydrates that provide your body and brain with energy• Lean meats, poultry, dairy, eggs and other protein-rich foods to support muscle, recovery and satiety• Colorful fruits and vegetables for a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
There isn't one magical "brain food."
The bigger benefit comes from consistently eating a varied, nutrient-dense diet.
Don't Forget About Water
It's surprisingly easy to make it through most of a school day barely drinking anything.
Bring a water bottle.
Keep it on your desk if you're allowed to. Refill it throughout the day.
Even mild dehydration can leave you feeling tired, sluggish or less focused.
Coffee and energy drinks might be part of your routine, but caffeine shouldn't be your replacement for sleep, food and water.
You're Sitting Most of the Day. Find Ways to Move.
School creates a very sedentary schedule for both students and teachers.
You might feel mentally exhausted at the end of the day while your body has actually done very little physical activity.
That's an important distinction.
Being tired from a long day doesn't necessarily mean your body needs to lie on the couch for the rest of the night.
If possible, try to intentionally build movement into your day.
A few ways to make it happen:
• Get a workout in before school• Lift weights after school• Take a walk when you get home• Join a school sport or recreational activity• Take a 10-minute walk during a free period or lunch break• Walk while making phone calls• Take the stairs when possible• Get up and move between long periods of sitting• Go for a family walk after dinner• Schedule workouts into your week instead of waiting until you "find time"
And don't underestimate shorter workouts.
If you only have 30 minutes, use the 30 minutes.
You don't have to spend two hours in the gym for exercise to count.
Make Your Environment Work for You
Willpower gets a lot easier when you've already done some of the thinking ahead of time.
Before the school week starts:
• Pick 2–3 breakfasts you can rotate• Pack breakfast and lunches the night before when possible• Keep grab-and-go snacks available• Wash and portion fruit ahead of time• Keep protein shakes or bars available for emergencies• Bring a refillable water bottle• Decide which days you're exercising BEFORE the week gets busy• Keep easy dinner options at home for nights when everyone gets home late
You don't need an Instagram-worthy meal prep with 25 containers lined up on the counter.
You just need to make tomorrow a little easier.
Don't Aim for a Perfect School Year
There are going to be pizza days.
There will be birthday cupcakes in the classroom.
There will be mornings when you oversleep, afternoons when practice runs late and nights when ordering dinner is the only realistic option.
None of that ruins anything.
Healthy eating is about what you're doing consistently, not what happens at one meal.
The beginning of the school year is a great opportunity to establish some new routines. Eat breakfast. Pack some food. Drink your water. Get up and move. Exercise when you can. Get enough sleep. And give your body and brain the fuel they need to handle everything you're asking them to do.
For students, those habits can support learning, sports, energy and development.
For teachers, they can make it a whole lot easier to get through a long school day without feeling completely drained by the time the final bell rings.
Start the school year taking care of yourself too.
Have a healthy and successful school year! 💪
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