Summer gets one of the best reputations out of all four seasons. The sunshine, the open schedules, the pools and parks, the time spent with friends and family and BBQ’s! How could you ever want it to end?

“I’m SO looking forward to the school year! It will help me stay on track better because… well, during the summertime my regular schedule is ruined. I have no consistency and I can’t seem to stay on track with my eating,” she confided.

This made sense. Even though she was a teacher and summer was meant to bring a reprieve to her otherwise busy schedule, it proved to be less helpful in the realm of her health. Sure, she could work out more since she didn’t have to be in classes all day and wasn’t feeling drained by the time she was off work. But, with her kids being out of classes too, she couldn’t seem to assimilate her regimented eating schedule into her laid back, carefree summer lifestyle. 

Even if you aren’t a teacher, you probably still find that the summertime tends to derail your otherwise regularly scheduled eating program. The coming of the school year brings with it the hope for more structure and stability to the family routine.

Here are the top three reasons why the school year is actually a blessing:

1. Bedtime and wake up time are consistent for five days out of the week. This means that you can start stacking your good habits with your normal behaviors. Going to bed can now run in tandem with packing your lunch the night before and waking up can be paired with eating a real breakfast every morning.

2. You will waste less groceries because you will be eating more at home. If you have ever noticed that you buy the same amount of food for your family over the summer that you do during the school year, you might also find that you’re throwing out more during the summer. Being at home all day doesn’t bring about the same cues to eat food that the school day does. Since you’re packing all of the lunches in advance now, there is a guarantee that the food isn’t going to go to waste.

   This last one is teacher-specific, but also good for the kids…

3. The school day will cause you to eat your food and drink your water throughout the day. Knowing that you only have 10 minutes until the next lesson starts or the kids come back from recess will prompt you to put in some work on that lunchbox of yours. Keeping your water bottle on your desk will remind you to stay resilient with your hydration. 

While many kids dread the coming of the school year, as a parent or teacher, it can bring a sense of relief knowing that you and your kids will find a rhythm that involves adequate food and water intake. What more could you want? Bring it on! 

With Love,
Anna
Head Nutritionist