My Top 5 Back To School Nutrition Tips
Soon students will be going back to school and the summer break will be all but a blur. Staying healthy during the school semester is a critical part of your academic success.
So here are my top 5 nutrition tips for going back to school:
- 1. Plan ahead: the start of the school is a busy time of the year that marks the beginning of a new routine. Begin by identifying some nutritious food preferences from which you can create easy to prepare meals.
- 2. Make friends with fruits & Veggies: All choices are great. By fresh fruits that are in season or for convenience, you may wish to keep some canned, frozen and fresh fruits on hand. When buying canned fruit such as peaches or pears, be sure to buy the sort that is canned in its own juice. Pack vegetables such as carrots, sliced peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers into a zip lock bag for convenience.
3. Make Health Bones: Between the ages of 16 to 16 we mineralize our skeletal structure so make sure you get a good dose of calcium rich foods each day. The recommended levels are 1800 mg to 2000 mg depending on your height. The most readily available source of calcium from food is daily so try choosing skim, or 1% as well as yogurt, and low fat cheeses such as cottage cheese.
4. Bring on the Fiber: Choose foods that increase your insoluble fiber intake. Think of foods that start with the letter “P” such as pineapple, papaya, pears, plums and you will be sure to be getting a good dose of fiber. Also consider eating whole grain breads, low fat granola and fiber rich cereals. Your daily recommended intake of fiber needs to be between 20 to 30 grams per day.
5. Pack in the Perfect Protein: Include a protein for breakfast, lunch and dinner and for snacks to make sure you are getting enough. Remember that you can get protein not only from animal sources (lean chicken, fish and meat), but also from legumes (lentils, black beans, chick peas) and nuts (peanuts, almonds, cashews).
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