You all know I’m obsessed with wellness and nutrition, but I’m also a mom and a school based OT, and, quite frankly, pretty worried about what I see served in schools and it’s impact on physical and mental wellness for our kiddos.

It’s absolutely not uncommon for me to see my students eating fries, pop tarts, rice crispy treats and a bag of chips for lunch. I guess it’s at least good that our schools don’t have soft drinks available anymore??! Yikes!

Like I said, I’m a mom. I get it too. I don’t want my five year old to be the only kid bringing lunch in from home, so I let him eat what they serve at school. On school days, we just make sure to serve a wholesome breakfast (like oatmeal and berries) and try to stick to plant based dinners those days. He knows to politely decline the juice they offer him and ask for water instead. To me, it feels like a decent compromise between what I’d really love for him to avoid eating and being realistic at the same time.

Anyway, I stumbled upon this article in a group I’m in and thought I’d share, in case any other parents find themselves in a similar position.

We can’t change everything overnight, but here are some easy foods to start integrating on school days and the reasons why they’re so beneficial:

Power Foods Kids will Actually Eat to Improve Attention and Memory in the Classroom

Hope you all find some easy takeaways from these tips. Please share how you integrate healthy habits at home!!

To your health!!

~Jess