It’s September and the kids are back at school. Here are a few ideas to help your kids make healthy eating choices when you’re not around.

1. Send kids to school with a healthy snack that they like: They’ll be less likely to succumb to the lure of high-priced and high-fat snacks when they’re looking forward to their own treats.

2. Limit the junk food fund: Don’t give Johnny unlimited funds to buy food every day. Teach children that certain foods are a special treat and an exception, not an everyday indulgence.

3. Pack a lunch: Better yet, if your kids are older, they can make their own lunch from your healthy food at home. Get them to buy into the whole make-your-own-healthy-lunch by letting them make their own choices.

4. Start the day with a good breakfast: They’ll be less prone to bingeing on empty calories during the day.

5. Set a good example at home: This way, your kids will know what healthy food choices look like. Skipping your own breakfast and hitting the fast food joints every day makes it harder to sell a healthy eating message to the tykes.

Helping your kids make good choices for themselves will pay off in the future and make family life easier.

Happy school days,

Christine