Back to School Kitchen Tips

Did you know the design and layout of your kitchen has a drastic effect on the foods your family members choose for their plates? These back to school kitchen tips will help start the semester off healthy. The CDC found that environments that encourage good food choices among schoolgoers reduce obesity while improving nutritional intake. Just as retailers pack candy into their aisles to encourage you to spend on snacks, parents can pack healthy foods into easy-to-reach spaces to encourage the opposite behavior.

Shoulder-Height Snacks

Pantry shelves that your children can easily reach are prime spaces for nuts, dried fruit, and other healthy snacks. Increase your storage visibility with clear containers, and offer bite-sized packaging to encourage lazy eaters. Use the same strategy to pack prepared vegetables at shoulder height in your fridge. Encourage toddlers to try new foods by packing a range of healthy snacks into an ice cube tray.

The Mealtime Rush

Few parents have time to toil over a hot stove on weekday mornings, so use a rice cooker to prepare oatmeal with nuts. To smooth out your dinnertime routine, make sure your pantry and freezer are stocked with grains, canned foods, and frozen vegetables.

Cheating with Fruit, Veggies, and Dairy

Trick your kids into eating better by drying berries in the oven or freezing yogurt drops on a cooking tray. When packing lunches, cut fruit tends to be more popular than whole fruit, and raw veggies appeal more than cooked ones.

Bento Boxes

Take a slice of inspiration from Japan by preparing Bento Boxes for school lunches. They’re fun to eat and encourage kids to enjoy a wider range of foods. Use cupcake liners to separate different snacks and dips. Include tasty roast vegetables, which can be enjoyed chilled.

Communal Shopping Lists

Kids are more likely to snack healthily if they can request the foods they enjoy, so keep a white board on the fridge as a communal shopping list.

Give your kitchen a facelift to brighten your back-to-school days with Better than New Kitchens.