Let’s be honest. By the end of summer, many parents are excited for back-to-school season. That is, until we remember the planning it takes to get back into a busy schedule. It can be tricky to balance new school and after-school activities while maintaining a “normal” household — especially around meal and snack times. I’ve found that being prepared and mapping out your family’s week really helps. Try these tips and tricks to encourage healthy behaviors and cut back on stress.

Develop Your Mealtime Blueprint

We all know the curveballs of mealtimes: picky eaters, time crunches and even the unrealistic expectations we put on ourselves as parents. Preparing ahead of time helps you manage through these challenges. For example, shop weekly (or use alternative services, such as grocery delivery or curbside pickup) and batch cook on the weekends. It takes patience to get a rhythm going with meal planning, but the time spent up front gives you more time to focus on other tasks — or even some “me” time.

Try this:

• Use a meal planning website or shared calendar for inspiration. A favorite of mine is this printable MyPlate Grocery Game Plan Worksheet.
• Create weeknight themes and stick to them. Some ideas include, Build-Your-Own Grain Bowl and Taco Tuesdays. Displaying meal themes on a calendar or chalk board cuts down on the inevitable “what’s for dinner?” chorus and makes shopping so much easier.
• Slash time during food preparation by aiming for five to six ingredients per meal (such as this deliciously simple Grilled Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad) or two to three per snack.

• Keep herbs and spices on hand to add some spark and liven up your meal.
• Shake things up with Steak Fajita Tacos featuring Stouffer’s® Fit Kitchen™. It’s simple — pair your protein and tortilla base with avocado, fresh spinach and a squeeze of lime. And serve with a glass of low-fat milk or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt to balance your plate.

Take Advantage of Nutritious, Easy Breakfast Options

Even on good days, mornings for parents often feel like herding cats, trying to get everyone dressed and out the door on time. Among the mismatched shoes and misplaced homework, it helps to have quick and easy options to add nutrition to your kids’ breakfast like Nestle® Nesquik® Super Breakfast, a new flavored milk beverage that’s convenient, nutritious and high in protein. Kids also like the delicious taste, which is important.

Research shows that 30% of children ages 4–8 and 50 percent of 9–13-year-olds do not meet their daily recommended protein intake*. With 12 grams of protein, vitamins and calcium from real milk, Nesquik Super Breakfast is a ready-to-drink complement for your kids’ breakfast — and might just become your champion of the morning.

Try this:

Pair Nesquik Super Breakfast with ½ cup of oatmeal and ½ cup of sliced strawberries, and your kids are ready for the day!

Set Up a Pack-Your-Own Lunch Station

You could pack all the lunches yourself … or you can let the kids enjoy a little DIY activity. Set up stations for older kids to assemble their own lunches and even help their younger siblings. The bonus: this system empowers kids to make their own choices and learn how to pack a nutritious lunch. To keep everything fresh and easy to pack, I like bento-style lunch boxes.

Try this:

• A basket or tray that holds everything needed to make sandwiches or their favorite cold pastas
• An assortment of cut veggies and washed fruits and dip pairings, like hummus
• A choice of nutrient-dense sides, such as string cheese, Greek yogurt or whole grain crackers

Keep Snacks Stocked Up

Snacks are easy to forget in meal planning, but they can provide another opportunity to sneak a little more nutrition in the day. To avoid grabbing a bag of chips or candy, prep a batch of afterschool snacks ahead of time. On Sundays, wash and cut up fruit and veggies and divide into on-the-go containers for easy snacks.

When you’re on deck to supply the munchies for your child’s class or team, or you’re planning for a holiday or birthday celebration, it’s not always easy to choose something that everyone can safely enjoy. Allergies are often a consideration.

Try this:

Allergen-Free Chocolate Brownies** are a treat for everyone and use the new, three-ingredient SIMPLY DELICIOUS SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE MORSELS BY NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE®, which are free from the eight major food allergens.

When you add recipes like this to your make-ahead plan, your shopping is more efficient, minimizing the time of searching labels and avoiding last-minute trips to the store. And, when you’re always ready to provide a delicious, allergy-free choice, you’re creating a more inclusive environment.

Stay Consistent

Building new habits requires patience and persistence. Just like you tell your kids on the first day of school — you can do it — just try out some of these tips and tricks to find what works for you and your family. Allow yourself to adapt and adjust to new routines and continue to check back here for more mealtime strategies from Nestlé.

More from Carol:

*Miller, G, Demmer E. Protein is the building block critical for childhood health. Dairy Foods, March 2016.

**When preparing meals using allergen-free ingredients, please read ingredient labels carefully.

Americans are more attentive than ever about food and nutrition, questioning where and how their food is made and its impact on health. While many of us are trying to eat healthfully, we’re faced with the difficult task of navigating an environment that consistently promotes food quantity over food quality. The size of food portions and calorie contents have steadily increased in the U.S. over the past 50 years, and with that, we’ve also seen an alarming rise in the obesity rate. Could the two be connected?

They most certainly could. In fact, a 2014 report from the McKinsey Global Institute stated that reducing portions of packaged foods and fast food offerings could be the single most impactful way to combat today’s obesity epidemic. So, how can Americans cut through the confusion around portions and keep calorie intake in-check? As a registered dietitian nutritionist at Nestlé USA, here are my tips for identifying and enjoying proper portions of your favorite fare.

Smart-size your dishes and utensils.

An overwhelming amount of research has shown the size of our plates, bowls and utensils play a major role in the amount of food we consume. The larger your plate the more you serve yourself and, given our tendency to clear our plates, the more you eat.

Take a look at the size of the dishes and utensils in your kitchen. Perhaps you can put those over-sized, 14-inch diameter plates away and use your salad or dessert plates in their place. If your bowls and cups are extra-large, consider picking up some smaller options next time you’re at the store or shopping online.

When in doubt, measure it out!

When served a large portion, people tend to underestimate the amount of food and calories on their plate. Research shows that even trained nutrition professionals can have a hard time estimating the number of calories and fat in a meal. One solution: don’t be afraid to get out your measuring cups to see how much you’re actually serving up at mealtime. You can also measure the amount of food or beverage that your bowls and glasses hold in advance, for reference.

Easy solutions for meals eaten away from home.

Today, a single restaurant meal can easily bust your calorie budget for the day. When I go into restaurants or order take out, I often wrap up half of my meal for later, or I’ll share it with a family member or friend- This is also saves money! I also check to see if a smaller, ‘lunch size’ or half portion is offered on the menu.

One additional tip to remember when eating out — many restaurants have nutrition information available online or calories right on their menu. Use this to guide your meal choice and consider how a restaurant meal fits into your daily calorie needs!

Serving size ≠ recommended portion size.

Many consumers look at the Nutrition Facts label before placing an item in their grocery cart. But did you know that the serving size listed on the label is not a recommended portion? The serving size is the amount of a particular food typically consumed at a meal and is based on national dietary intake surveys. So it’s not the amount you should eat, it’s the average amount people do eat — which may be more or less than the best portion option.

Use the information on the Nutrition Facts panel — serving size, calories and nutrients — to determine the ideal portion for you or another family member.

Utilize Nestlé Portion Guidance™ tools on pack.

Since 97% of U.S. households purchase our products, we’re in a unique position to support healthy eating habits — including consumption of proper portions. The Nestlé Portion Guidance™ initiative aims to help make reasonable portions the easy choice for you and your family. Here’s a snapshot of what we’re doing:

• We offer individually packaged products, making it simple on your end to enjoy a proper portion. A few individually packaged foods to look for next time you’re at the supermarket include Lean Cuisine, Lil’ Drums, Fun Size Butterfinger Bars, 8-ounce Nesquik Chocolate Milk and single serve portions of Coffee-mate Creamers.
• We’re using pack forms and pack concepts to encourage reasonable portions. For example, we now offer several candy products like Sweetarts in re-sealable packages and savory foods such as Hot Pockets in individually wrapped packages so you can enjoy one portion and save additional portions for later. We’re also scoring our Nestlé Crunch Bar to help you gauge the right amount to break off at snack time. We are even exploring the addition of portion prompts and visuals on our multi-serve packaging (products like Stouffer’s Lasagna) to assist you in providing a reasonable portion for an adult or for a child.

• We offer on-pack guidance through our Thoughtful Portion™ box within our Nutritional Compass® which is shown above and found on most of our products. The Thoughtful Portion™ box can be found on two-thirds of our foods and beverages. This tool provides a suggested portion and accompanying information that you won’t find within the Nutrition Facts label.

These are just a few simple steps you can take to choose more thoughtful portions and build awareness of the amount you’re eating at mealtime. Continue to keep your eye out for portion tools and tips from us as well!

References:

1. Hiza HAB, Bente L, Fungwe T. Nutrient content of the US food supply, 2005. Home Economics Research Report №58. Washington DC: US Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, 2008.

2. Ford ES, Dietz WH. Trends in energy intake among adults in the United States: findings from NHANES. Am J Clin Nutr. 2013;97:848–853.

3. Dobbs R, Sawers C, Thompson F, et al. Overcoming obesity: an initial economic analysis. McKinsey Global Institute, Nov 2014. http://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/how-the-world-could-better-fight-obesity

4. Hollands G, Shemilt I, Marteau T, et al. Package or tableware size for changing selection and consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015;9. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011045.pub2.

5. Backstrand JR, Wootan MG, Young LR, et al. Fat chance: a survey of dietitians’ knowledge of the calories and fat in restaurant meals. Washington, DC: Center for Science in the Public Interest, Jan 1997.

We know consumer’s wants and needs change quickly. In particular, the movement for more plant based options in the marketplace continues to grow rapidly with almost 7 out of 10 people surveyed reporting they are trying to consume more plant-based foods and 1 in 5 reported improved opinions around the healthfulness of plant protein. So why the interest in plant-based diets?

Plant-based nutrition, or a diet based on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes (beans), nuts and seeds, isn’t particularly new and is often associated with vegetarian eating patterns. Vegans have adopted plant-based diets for many years as an alternative to consuming animal or animal-derived products. But the recent shift goes beyond vegan and vegetarian groups — people who have never considered cutting out meat and dairy are choosing to reduce their intake and replace with plant-based options for a variety of reasons. For some it is due to health concerns and medical recommendations to decrease meat and increase their intake of vegetables, whole grains and plant-based protein like beans; for some it’s about reducing the environmental impact of their diet; and for others it is based on an interest in animal welfare.

The benefits of a plant-based diet include; low in saturated fat and high in fiber and phytochemicals, a nutrient profile that lends itself to strong health benefits including reduced risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.

When following a plant-based diet it is important to make sure meals are well planned to ensure nutrient needs are met. Potential nutrition gaps for those following a meal plan that does not contain animal products include protein, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B-12. For example, when milk is eliminated we lose a good source of protein, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin B-12 along with riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium, AND niacin. When selecting a plant-based dairy alternative to replace milk it is important to know how much protein, calcium and other nutrients you are getting to make sure your intake of these important nutrients is met. If the dairy alternative does not provide the same nutrition as a glass of milk, you will need to get these nutrients from other foods.

At a food company like Nestlé, we strive to be in tune with consumer needs and to help address new food preferences. That’s why our brand Coffee-mate Natural Bliss, a dairy based creamer recently debuted plant based creamers with almond milk and coconut milk. New studies show that 90% of people who use non-dairy milk substitutes like soy, almond, and coconut milk do so out of a preference rather than to manage lactose intolerance or sensitivity (Lightspeed GMI/Mintel, January 2016), and these new creamers are made with all-natural, simple ingredients to help coffee enthusiasts start their day.

Lean Cuisine, Marketplace has introduced culinary-inspired offerings that include plant based options like Spicy Mexican Beans and Rice, Cheese and Bean Enchilada Verde, Mushroom and Spring Peas Risotto and Butternut Squash Ravioli. These offer pre-portioned solutions that make eating mindfully much easier.

Nestlé’s goal is to provide options for everyone, and nutritionists like me work to make sure that you have options and are informed as you adapt your diet in a sustainable and nutritious way. So if you’re interested in adding more plant-based foods to your diet, make sure to keep an eye on any potential nutrient gaps- then, go ahead and enjoy all the delicious plant-based options out there!