A healthy breakfast is important for everyone, not just children heading back to school. If you choose wisely, it can add plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals to your kids' diet while keeping them full well into the morning. Choose real fruit juice along with a bowl of whole grain cereal with at least 2 grams of fiber per serving and as little added sugar as possible. If your children insist, it's better to add a small amount of sugar at the table than to purchase already-sweetened cereal. Or, offer whole grain toast with peanut butter, fruit and milk. Eggs offer protein and lasting energy; you can serve them hard-boiled or scrambled and wrapped in a tortilla with salsa and cheese for a breakfast burrito on the go.
Getting children to eat their lunch at school can be a challenge because they often don't have a lot of time or because other students bring junk food that may tempt your child. Instead of sandwiches all the time, choose other types of bread, such as pitas or tortillas, and fill with your child's favorite combinations, such as cold meats, cheese, tuna, egg salad and veggies. Or, offer deli meat and cheese slices cut into fancy shapes along with veggie chunks, veggie dip and whole grain crackers. Round out the meal with fruit, milk and, once in a while, a treat such as a granola bar or cookie.
Dinners have to be quick and easy once your children are back in school. If you can, cook on the weekend, and make double batches of everything. Cooked chicken can be reserved for sandwiches, ground beef can keep for a couple of days for a quick taco dinner and rice and pasta can be precooked and refrigerated. Make double of entire dishes such as lasagna, and freeze them for nights when you don't feel like cooking at all.
Snacks for kids in school should be portable and nutritious, but they also have to be tasty and fun or kids won't eat them. Send cut up fruit with a small container of yogurt dip or even a little chocolate or caramel sauce once in a while. Homemade whole grain muffins or rolled up pancakes also are appealing. For after-school treats, mini cheese pizzas on whole wheat English muffins will help kids last until dinner. Offer mini skewers with a variety of veggies and cubes of meat and cheese along with dip.