Back to school time is hectic. Changing schedules, packing lunches, and planning after school activities can throw us all for a loop, not to mention all of the time needed to finish homework. With all of these priorities, it’s ever more tempting to just stop and grab a sugary snack to make it through the afternoon, which can quickly throw your health goals off track. If you find yourself in a similarly sticky situation, here are some tricks to make sure you’re doing the best for your own bod and mind.

Meal prep

Preparing meals and snacks ahead of time can help alleviate the stress of wondering where you’re going to get your next bite, as well as having to cook when you’ve got work to do. If you make your food in the evening after you’ve finished the day’s tasks, you can just grab it and go when you head out the next morning. By cooking in bulk, you can even prepare an entire weeks worth of lunches in one go. It not only saves you time, but it helps you stay on track towards your wellness goals, while also saves you money. Here is a beginners guide to meal prep:
  1. Pick how you want to meal prep
    1. Do you prefer individually portioned meals? Frozen or ready-to-cook ingredients?
  2. Create a plan
    1. Make a menu and schedule of your meals. We recommend doing this ahead of time for the work week.
  3. Shop!
    1. Buy in bulk. You can buy basic ingredients in larger containers and quantities for a lower cost than their smaller packaged counterparts.
    2. Keep an eye on vegetables and fruits that are in-season and implement seasonal produce into your meal prepping menu when possible.
  4. Prepare and store your prepped foods
    1. Shop it, chop it, and pack it! Airtight containers and tupperware are the key to success if you are refrigerating or freezing your meals.
Enjoy the ease of having ready-to-go meals that are aligned with your health goals. Be sure to stay consistent and on top of your meal prep every week so that you don’t fall off!

Prioritizing family dinner

Between the sports practices, meetings, assignments and other activities, it can be difficult to find time to actually sit down and enjoy time with your family. Dinners are a great opportunity for family time every day, while also being a great way to ensure your family members are getting a healthy meal rich with nutrients and protein. Make family dinner a priority every week by keeping a family schedule and adding in “dinner” as an event each night. In addition, creating a menu or a list of meals your family enjoys, and then rotating responsibilities of who is shopping, cooking, and cleaning. This can also be a fun opportunity to sneak in some healthy substitutes. If it’s ‘Taco Tuesday’, try making cauliflower rice instead of regular rice. Healthy changes like these will not only benefit you, but also your family.

Healthy, on-the-go breakfast options

We all know how important breakfast is, especially for our children, but it’s also the easiest to skip. Luckily, products like our Kids Protein Organic Nutrition Shake, Organic Nutrition Shake and our Organic Protein Bar are easy grab-and-go options that are designed to fuel you and your family for whatever lies ahead.

Prioritizing your own activities

Amongst all the turbulence back to school time can bring, it is ever more important to remember to prioritize your own activities. Even though it is nice to accommodate other people and their schedules, in the end, making yourself and your self care a priority can keep everyone healthier and happier. Something as small as a five minute meditation session or early morning walk down the street can put you in a better mood for the entire day. Whatever it is find time to exercise or do something you love a few times a week. In order to make your own activities a priority, add them into a schedule just as you do with everything else going on in your family’s busy life. If you’re waiting for your child at a sports practice, leave the house early and take a walk or jog while you're waiting. Or try waking up just fifteen minutes earlier and flow out a quick yoga session in the living room before everyone else gets up. Don’t let the chaos of taking care of a family cause you to forget about taking care of yourself!