Nutrition plays a critical role in the learning and development of children.
Back-to-school season, which is now in full swing throughout much of Southern California, is the ideal time to reconsider eating habits to improve child nutrition. Start the new school year off right with a plan for healthy eating.
It’s important to remember that child nutrition is tightly connected to family nutrition. While school and peers may also influence children’s eating habits and nutrition, the home eating environment is probably the most impactful. This means that when attempting to improve the nutrition and eating habits of children, parents, teachers and caregivers should consider the home food environment.
Evidence suggests that children gain a disproportionate amount of weight during summer break compared to the school year. Families struggle to balance year-round work schedules with kids’ summer break schedules and eating habits can suffer. Increased screen time, disrupted schedules and decreased physical activity are some of the factors that can lead to unwanted weight gain.
If you’ve noticed that unhealthy eating habits have crept in over the summer, now is the ideal time to get back on track. To take action, assess habits that need to start and stop. For example, good habits to start may include eating breakfast regularly, packing lunch, grocery shopping with a list and eating family dinner on weeknights. Bad habits to stop might include eating in front of the television, purchasing too many ultra-processed snacks and skipping breakfast.
Here are top tips for parents and caregivers ready to take steps to improve kids’ nutrition and eating habits for the new school year:
LeeAnn Weintraub, MPH, RD is a registered dietitian, providing nutrition counseling and consulting to individuals, families and organizations. She can be reached by email at RD@halfacup.com.