Back to School: Cultivating Healthy Habits and a Healthy Relationship with Food
With school back in session, academics and extracurricular activities become top priority.
As a result, maintaining (or creating) healthy habits and a positive relationship with food may be near the bottom of a long list of priorities!
While it may not seem important for all, one of the most important relationships you have is your one with food.
If you have a negative relationship with food filled with guilt and shame, it can be hard to focus on anything else sometimes!
More importantly, if you're obsessed with eating as little as possible in the name of "health" (which is not what real health is, we'll discuss this more below), you have even less time and energy to focus on school, sports, extracurricular activities, and whatever else might be important to you.
I've been there before...
As someone who was that middle/high schooler who obsessed over my body image and used eating as little as possible as a way to control how I looked, I want to help you learn from the mistakes I made!
Below I'm sharing some back-to-school tips to help you (and your family) cultivate healthy habits and a healthier relationship with food without guilt.
Bring a Water Bottle With You
Staying hydrated is so important! Without enough water, you can feel sluggish and tired, making it hard to focus on learning or much else during the day.
It's important for your overall well-being too, here are some tips to make staying hydrated throughout the day a bit easier:
Bring a reusable water bottle to school with you that you can fill up in between classes and take with you into each class of the day, it does not have to be a fancy water bottle either
Use a straw as this tends to make it easier to drink more water at once
Add foods with high water content to your lunch/snacks such as melon, watermelon oranges, cucumbers, celery, lettuce, or bell peppers
Use water flavorings if you don't like the taste of water to start or add natural flavor from fruit or vegetables such as lemon, lime, cucumbers, watermelon, or any kind of berry
Don't Compare Your Plate to Others
I remember my time in the school cafeteria looking around at all of my friends' lunches and comparing them to my own. It made it hard to be present and I often felt guilty for what or how much I ate compared to them. Can you relate?
What I didn't realize at the time and what I'm hoping to help you realize now is that we all have such different needs and preferences when it comes to food!
Everyone's nutritional needs and preferences are unique so it's most important to focus on what works best for you than on anyone else's plate around you.
Side note: Healthy comparison is okay too. For example, if you notice things on your friend's plate that you want to try but don't feel guilty that you're not eating it or for eating something different, this is a healthy comparison!
Do your best not to skip meals
I know a lot of you probably wake up in the morning with little to no appetite and not much time to eat either. Breakfast is often the most skipped meal of the day because of this.
However, skipping meals, whether it be breakfast or any other meal throughout the day can lead to fatigue, poor concentration, low moods, and overeating later in the day.
If you struggle to eat breakfast or any other meal throughout the day, here are some tips to consider to help maintain normal energy levels and improve mood and focus
Pick something small to start with such as a piece of fruit, smoothie, granola bar, yogurt, piece of toast with peanut butter, or a bowl of cereal/oatmeal
Aim to eat within 1-2 hours of being awake and every 3-4 hours. Set a reminder or alarm starting out if you forget to eat within these time frames
Prepare ahead of time if necessary. Pre-make anything you can that would be easy to grab and go such as overnight oats, a PB&J sandwich, smoothies, trail mix, or homemade lunchables
Speaking of preparing ahead of time, meal planning is one of those ways you can prepare ahead of time and make it so much easier to eat meals/snacks more consistently throughout the week!
I talk about meal planning often with those I work with in my 1:1 coaching program. One thing I've learned is meal planning is not one size fits all. That's why I've created the ultimate Weekly Meal Planning Guide for anyone looking for tips, recipes, grocery shopping lists, and sample weekly meal plans to get you started finding what works best for you!
It's a great resource that can help you plan ahead and become more consistent with your eating habits, check it out here!
Add color with fruits and vegetables as much as you can
Fruits and vegetables are packed with important nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that are no doubt good for our overall health and well-being.
While I'll always stand by the fact that you don't have to include fruits and vegetables at every single meal or snack to be healthy, I'll also encourage you to add them as often as you can.
I know for some, this may not be easy. Maybe you like fruits but don't like vegetables or vice versa. Maybe you don't have the means to buy or store fruits and vegetables for long. Or maybe you live somewhere where your access to food is not great and you have to travel far to get any kind of food at all.
Whatever your reason may be, here are some of my best and simplest tips to help you improve your fruit and vegetable intake
Smoothies are an excellent way to pack a lot of nutrients into something you can drink and take with you! Add your favorite fruit, milk, or water, a vegetable like spinach if you'd like, and whatever other ingredients you'd like to make a smoothie you enjoy
Start with 1 a day. For some, feeling like you have to eat fruits and vegetables at every meal or snack is overwhelming. Be realistic and start with something like 1 per day and work your way up from there
Cut up vegetables like carrots, celery, bell peppers, or broccoli before the start of the week, and get your favorite dip. While you're making dinner each night, have vegetables and dip as an appetizer
Get frozen fruit and vegetables that will keep longer. They are flash-frozen keeping all their nutrients locked inside and ready for you to enjoy when you're ready
Have a side salad with dinner
The important thing when it comes to including more fruits and vegetables is finding what works for you and not comparing what you do to others around you.
Enjoy Food Without Guilt
The last, and most important, tip to cultivating a healthy relationship with food is to remember that guilt is not an ingredient!
Food is more than just "fuel" or nourishment.
Food provides memories--think of how you feel when you taste your grandma's Christmas cookies and the memories it brings back to you.
Food provides satisfaction--when you allow yourself to truly enjoy your food without guilt, you might find you feel more satisfied and feel less inclined to eat more later on as a result which can often happen when you do feel guilty for what you're eating.
Food connects you to other people--whenever there is a gathering or party, there is always food involved in some way. It's also a topic of discussion that can allow you to connect with other people around you.
With less guilt comes fewer thoughts about food and more time to truly enjoy life, here are some tips to keep guilt out of your relationship with food
Don't categorize foods as "good" vs. "bad", this tends to make you feel more guilty by eating something you consider to be "bad". Instead, try to keep a neutral mindset with all foods and focus more on what you prefer as well as how certain foods make you feel when you eat them
Practice eating mindfully to allow more awareness of your body's hunger cues and learn more about your eating habits. Sit down at a table while you eat, take a few deep breaths before you start, chew thoroughly, and observe without judgment
Don't compare your plate to others
If you need more tips on how to cultivate a healthy relationship with food, sign up to watch my free Food Freedom Training by clicking here.
In conclusion
As you embark on this school year, remember that developing healthy habits takes mindfulness, compassion, consistency, and dedication. By bringing a water bottle with you, not comparing your plate to others, not skipping meals, eating fruits and vegetables, and enjoying food without guilt, you're setting yourself up for success in maintaining a balanced and positive relationship with food.
Prioritize your well-being alongside your academics and extracurriculars, and you'll be on your way to a happy, healthy, and successful school year!
What did you think of this post? Leave a comment for me and let me know below!
Disclaimer: If you purchase products through links posted on this site, I may earn money through affiliate partners, however, all opinions on products are genuine.
