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Finding a Back-to-School Routine That Works

August 28, 2016 by Matt Robinson 11 Comments

It’s that time again when I’m trying to get the kids back into the school routine. That means finding balance so we can live a healthier, happier life. Part of this routine is going back to more structure, earlier bedtime and better-for-you eating habits like these afterschool snack trays.

After School Snacks 2016 - Real Food by Dad

Surprisingly, everything fell back into placce quickly, but food is always the most challenging of them all. Not because Cole is a picky eater, but he’s a lazy eater. That means, if it’s too much work or he has to wait too long he’ll skip eating.

But here are some tips that I’ve learned over the years:

-Always have a snack tray ready when they get home. This helps them refuel and reset their energy level to gear up for homework.

-Have your kids select their snacks. This way you can help them develop better-for-you selections of foods. Don’t say no to the occassional treat, just teach them how to moderate the intake of it.

-Have your kids help you assemble their snack tray. If your kids are like mine, they like partition trays. I think it has less to do with food touching and more to do with a feeling of having choices. At least as it’s explained by my 9-year-old.

-Set up a routine and stick to it. Ours is: (1) Get home and unload and unpack lunchboxes. (2) Have snacktime. (3) Rest for 20 minutes. (4) Then homework time before sports or playtime.

Horizon Snacks - Real Food by Dad

As you can see, Cole likes a good mix of stuff, from things like: Horizon’s Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, finger-size cut fruit, granola, yogurt, trail mix, and a variety of sandwiches. Lucky for me, he will naturally reach for foods like this over processed food choices, so I can’t take full credit. What I can take credit for is helping him build on that to develop better eating habits.

After School Snacks 2016 via Real Food by Dad

Food, like everything else, is a structured routine in our home. I only wish I had learned that earlier so I could have spent less time being a short order cook to hungry, cranky kids. This leaves us more time to work on living a healthier lifestyle.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.