QC nutrition expert Jeni Tackett and daughter Lily make dinner for the family.

By Nutritionist Blogger Jeni Tackett, RD, LD

Back-to-school time means life is getting busier for families with sports practice, marching band, church events and more. 

You may have all the intentions of eating healthy this school year, but then you come home after a long day of work to find your refrigerator and pantry void of food, with hungry kids waiting for dinner. 

What do you do? Pack the kids up and head to the nearest fast food restaurant?

Resist the urge!

Your choices make a difference: Adult and childhood obesity is a continuing problem in the United States with 17% of children ages 12-17 obese (that’s 12.7 million children).

Healthy eating requires planning. 

Try to avoid the fast-food scenario by planning ahead for busy evenings during the week. Try these 4 ideas:

1. Weekend chef:  Although weekends can be busy also, we often have more time then to prepare meals for the week. Get your kids to help!

Try setting Sunday evenings aside for this purpose. 

By preparing meals such as pasta dishes, soups, and enchiladas, you can put something healthy in the fridge to heat up during the week when you are strapped for time.

Kids are more likely to eat something they have helped to make, so invite them to help. (And who says you have to do it all?)

2. Hy-Vee can help. Hy-Vee offers weekly healthy menus, recipes and ingredient lists prepared for you:  https://www.hy-vee.com/meal-solutions/weekly-menus/weekly-menu.aspx

3. Crockpot meals:  Start a crock pot meal in the morning on nights you have school events or games.  The tempting smell of a simmering, delicious and healthy crock pot meal is a treat to come home to!

4. Prepared meals:  To make healthy eating easier for families, you may want to order meals to prepare at home from fresh ingredients with recipes included.  Hello Fresh is an example of a company that does the ground work for your healthy meals.

Parents can make an impact on their child’s health and reduce the risk of their children becoming overweight or obese by planning ahead for roadblocks to healthy eating. 

You are in the driver’s seat for your children’s eating habits.  Take the time now to plan ahead for busy evenings!

Meet Jeni Tackett, Let’s Move Quad Cities Nutrition Blogger. Jeni is a registered and licensed dietitian for Rock Valley Health. Jeni counsels her clients on weight loss and nutrition. You can read Jeni’s bio and other blog posts by clicking here.