Back to school already? It feels like we just talked about adjusting to the shifts that come along with summer vacation. The kids have been home 24/7. There have been vacations, road trips, amusement parks, pool time and lots of family and friend time. Despite a fun but chaotic schedule, I met my personal goal of presenting you a podcast every Friday. This is a big “win” in my book because it was important to me, it took time and energy to accomplish and I didn’t let you, my listeners, down. I hope you are celebrating the “wins” in your lives, whether big or small.

Ready or not, the kids (and teachers) will soon be heading back to school. That means thinking about school lunches. Here are a few tips to help.

1. Seek out new lunch visuals for ideas you may not have thought of recently.

2. Get the right containers that encourage variety and ease of packing.

3. Don’t get caught up in what others are doing… eyes on your own paper, worry about your own kids’ lunch and not what everyone is packing around him/her.

4. It is ok if you don’t pack a lunch every day. Letting your kids buy occasionally has benefits such as teaching decision making and offering foods for them to try that they may not get at home.

Back to school also means planning meals around sports and after school activities. These meals do not have to look perfect or be perfectly balanced… give yourself some grace and permission to say “good enough”. Anything you prepare out of your own kitchen is going to be much healthier than something you would grab on the run.

Some helpful tips for meal planning.

1. We all enjoy different food choices, textures & visuals! So, invite the family in on meal planning by asking what everyone would like to have or construct a list of likes and dislikes.

2. Find a new place to write down the family favorites.

3. Start with 5-10 family favorites. You can always build from there.

4. Considered themed dinner nights to pull in a better focus for meal planning

I am blessed to have been able to focus my time on my family and friends this summer and I thank you for staying with me. I look forward to renewed communication and accountability this fall.

Journal questions

1. Have you ever invited your family into the meal planning process? If so, how did that go?

2. What are your biggest frustrations with feeding yourself or your family? Pull out your barriers around meal prep and lunch packing… where do you still need help?

3. Have you celebrated any “wins” lately? If not, what are you waiting for?