Back to School Tips from Pasta Fits
Back to school can be a challenging time for families as they transition out of summer mode to prepare for a new school year. But with a little planning and a positive mindset, you can make this transition stress-free and ensure your child has a successful school year! Follow the tips below to build a framework for a healthy, happy and constructive school year.
- Set a proper sleep schedule
Although your child may be used to staying up late on summer nights, getting back into a normal sleep schedule isn’t as difficult as it sounds! Start transitioning your child into a normal sleep schedule by making small, incremental changes. By allowing your youngster to gradually fall back into a normal sleep schedule, they are more prone to adopt and stick with it for the entire school year. Sleep is essential for your child’s optimal brain function and children who get a proper’s night sleep do better in school than those who don’t, according to the University of Minnesota.
- Prepare healthy lunches
According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents over the past 30 years. Improper portion sizes, lack of nutritional lunch options, or food and snack “trading” in the cafeteria could all be culprits! How do you get around this? Make your child something nutritious yourself! Try putting together a lunchbox that includes whole grains such as pasta and combine this with a protein and yummy veggies. Our Chicken and Vegetable Pasta Salad is a great meal to make for dinner, and you can even include the leftovers in your child’s lunch box!
- TIP: Let your kiddo help you pick what goes into their lunchbox, and they’ll be more excited to eat it!
- Establish a time for homework
With all of the extracurricular activities your child may be involved in, it can become stressful trying to make homework fit into your child’s daily schedule. To eliminate stress, try to designate a specific time for your child to sit down to complete his/her homework. By having a normal regiment, your child will know he/she is expected to have their work done at a specific hour.
For more school lunch ideas visit our recipe section. More information and tips on how pasta fits into a healthy diet can be found here.