A Healthy Back to School Season (For Everyone!)

The leaves in the northeast are subtly changing color, and the morning air has a familiar crispness signaling the sunset of summer is near. While parents of school aged children hit the stores with back to school lists in hand, the grocery aisles are another busy place at this time of year. Students and employees alike tend to pack their lunch more than ever, a sign of both rising food costs as well as increased emphasis on health and wellness.


The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers several tips to help working parents plan ahead for the school year, and their own busy work schedules:


  • Try new foods! Shopping and packing new healthy foods to try adds a bit of novelty to the ‘packed lunch’ concept, including kids in the process as well. 

  • Make it a family project. Discussing what new foods everyone wants to try as a family can help increase the likelihood the habit of packing lunch will stick

  • Get your coworkers on board. Sharing new recipes and creative lunch ideas at the office can help foster camaraderie while also encouraging healthy choices.


Research shows that people make healthier food choices when they plan ahead and bring their own food to work and school. This also correlates with increased job productivity, better engagement in the classroom, and improved mental health.




Communicationshealthcare, insurance, health, wellness, employee, employer, employee coverage, working, benefits, family, health plans, employment, Care, Health, doctors, care, healthplans, mental health, weightloss, weight, drugs, medications, health risk, coverage, benefit, drugstore, pharmacy, IRS, transparency, new york, Preventive, FSA, Out of pocket, budget, governor hochul, gov, law, covid19, covid, disability, healthy, work from home, home, PhD, Back to school, Healthy, Food, kids, shopping, children, parents