It’s that time of year again…summer drawing to a close; school supply stores and clothing stores kicking up their ads a notch; and kids, parents, and teachers starting to get ready for that first day of school, mumbling, “How’d summer vacation go by so fast?”

Well, you can thank ‘good ole time’ for that. But, don’t get flustered. Here are a few tips to help get you and your family in gear.

First thing to tackle – school lunches.

Food is an important part of good health, energy, endurance, and alertness (all needed for a good school experience). By now, we should all know the common ‘bad’ things to eat, but as a reminder, here are some foods to avoid:

1. White bread
2. Foods with a lot of preservatives
3. Foods with trans fat
4. Foods with High Fructose Corn Syrup
5. Foods with a lot of sugar
6. Processed foods (including cold cuts)

You might be thinking – But, these are the tasty and fast foods to eat and prepare.

Well, not really. There are many healthy substitutes for lunch and snacks that are fast to prepare and actually taste great.

For lunch try:

1. Real turkey sandwich (wheat or whole-grain breads for all sandwiches)
2. Organic Peanut butter (low sugar) with All Fruit spread sandwich
3. Cheese sandwich or cheese on whole-grain crackers (try a goat cheese)
4. Hummus on whole grain crackers

TIP: Look for cold cuts that do not contain preservatives or nitrates.

For snacks and drinks:

1. Baby carrot sticks (most kids love this as a snack)
2. Baked chips
3. Homemade cookies with healthy ingredients (you can make a large batch and freeze what you don’t immediately use, then take them as needed for a quick and easy snack)
4. 100% Juices
5. Water

Along with healthy eating, try to think eco-friendly. One easy “green” thing to do is purchase an eco-canteen for your child. Use this instead of buying water and juices in plastic containers. It’s healthier for your child and better for the environment.