Back to School Nutrition: Tips From N.C. Cooperative Extension in Mecklenburg County

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Learn more and check out the video our FCS Agent did on Positively Charlotte! Watch the video here: Back to School Nutrition Tips

With the Back to School season underway, here are some great tips for making sure the whole family is eating well at school & work:

Planning & Prepping

  • Family Involvement: Involve the whole family in the planning and prepping process.
  • Tools & Inspiration: Use Pinterest, Instagram, and other social media, as well as meal planning apps to find new ideas and inspiration.
  • What’s In Your Pantry?: Keep go-to pantry staples and ingredients on hand for quick and easy meals, especially on busy nights. Plan some meals around what’s available.
  • Shopping: Build shopping list based on what’s in pantry, what needs to be restocked & the meals you choose to cook that week
  • Items with Multiple Uses: Some items can have dual uses that can be used throughout the week. Think lunch meat for lunchables, salads & sandwiches or yogurt for bowls, smoothies, dips, & salad dressings.
  • Leftovers: Make enough dinner so there are leftovers for the next day’s lunch. This helps save time.
  • Don’t skip meals: Pack enough for nourishment throughout the day. It’s hard to run off fumes until lunch. Enjoy a morning smoothie or yogurt bowl with toppings.

No-Heat Lunch Ideas

  • Homemade Lunchables/Mini Charcuterie Boards: This is a popular and fun idea. Include cheese, crackers, deli meat, fruit, nuts, spreads, etc.
  • Sandwiches/Wraps: Think seed butter with jelly, turkey & cheese, roasted veggie with hummus.
  • Cracker Combos: Crackers with cut-up veggies and dips like hummus or a yogurt-based dip.
  • Fruits: Include fruits, preferably whole fruits or those packed in juice not syrup.
  • Treats: Still enjoy your treats like your favorite bag of chips, cookies, or drink. Include one or two small treats that your child/children enjoy to make the lunch feel special.
  • Hydration: water, milk, or juice.

Food Safety Tips

  • Start with the basics: packing lunches in a clean, insulated lunch bag or cooler.
  • Temperature Control:
    • Hot Foods: Use a thermos to keep cooked items like dinner leftovers, soup, rice, or vegetables hot.
    • Cold Foods: Use freezer packs or ice in a freezer bag to keep cold items chilled.
    • Frozen Drinks: A creative tip is to freeze water bottles or juice boxes to serve as an ice pack that thaws by lunchtime.
    • Throw out any perishable food left over such as cooked meat, lunchmeat, cooked vegetables, cooked grains, cheese, milk, etc. at the end of the day as it may have been in the temperature danger zone for more than 4 hours
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