July 30, 2026, 5:02 a.m. ET
- Planning school meals ahead of time can reduce stress and ensure nutritious options are available.
- Prepare quick, healthy breakfasts like overnight oats, baked egg bites, or pre-made smoothie packs.
- When grocery shopping, choose items low in added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat.
While summer is still in full swing, signs of the new school year are already here. Back-to-school commercials are filling the airwaves, and stores are stocked with backpacks, classroom supplies and clothing as parents begin checking items off their shopping lists.
In Leon County, classes begin on Wednesday, Aug. 12.
One of the biggest back-to-school challenges for parents often starts in the kitchen. How do you keep your youth fueled with meals and snacks that are affordable, nutritious and quick to prepare?
Jessica Alfonso-Rodriguez is a registered dietitian and family and consumer sciences agent for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). In her role at UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, she helps families simplify mealtime preparation by sharing practical nutrition strategies, time-saving meal tips and healthy food hacks tailored to busy school mornings, packed lunches and after-school snacks.
Join Alfonso-Rodriguez for a free virtual webinar, Back-to-School Meals and Snacks: Nutritious and Affordable Strategies for Busy Families, on Aug. 6 from noon to 1:30 p.m. Learn practical tips for meal planning, grocery shopping and food preparation that can save time, reduce stress and support healthy eating. Zoom link and information will be emailed after registering at ifas.ufl.edu.
“As we gear up for the new school year, we have the opportunity to begin developing a structure that works best for us, ensuring we give our children and ourselves the energy and nutrients we need to power through each day,” she said.
Here are her top six tips for parents.
Why should families start planning school meals now?
A: Planning school meals and snacks can feel overwhelming when there’s no system in place. Creating a simple, sustainable plan now can make the back-to-school transition less stressful and help ensure nutritious meals and snacks are always within reach.
What are some quick and healthy breakfast ideas for busy mornings?
A: For an on-the-go, balanced breakfast, consider baking breakfast bars or muffins in advance, incorporating nutrient-dense ingredients like oats, dried fruit, seeds and nuts, or seed/nut butters. To incorporate veggies, bake colorful egg bites for the week or prepare individual smoothie freezer packs, ready to blend with milk or a fortified alternative.For a quick night-before prep, you can lean on options like overnight oats or chia seed puddings with your children’s favorite fruits, which they can help you prepare.
What should parents look for when shopping and packing school lunches?
A: Look for ingredients low in added sugar, sodium and saturated fat and check the nutrition facts label to compare products. Choose those items that are high in fiber, calcium, vitamin D, potassium and iron to provide nutrient-dense lunches. You want to find items that pair well with other foods, such as hummus, salsa, guacamole or Greek yogurt dip, which can make easy, delicious sides for vegetables, whole-grain crackers, pretzels and pita bread. For help understanding food labels, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Nutrition Facts Label website at fda.gov.
Healthy fruits, vegetables and proteins are expensive. What are some budget-friendly strategies you employ?
A: To stretch your food budget, you can lean on frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. They offer the same nutritional benefits as fresh produce and often cost less, but be sure to choose varieties without added sugars, sodium and heavy syrups.
Buying in-season produce is also a great strategy to enjoy fruits and vegetables at their peak while getting a good price. Protein foods can often be purchased in bulk for a better price, or you can build more affordable protein into meals and snacks such as beans, lentils, nut and seed butters, edamame, tofu and eggs.
What are some healthy after-school snack ideas?
A: A good rule of thumb is to include two food groups for a balanced snack, such as combining a protein and a quality carbohydrate for energy and to help you feel full between meals. Examples include string cheese and whole-grain crackers, apples and seed butter, a pre-made smoothie in an insulated container, and Greek yogurt with your children’s favorite fruit. A balanced snack will keep them fueled to power through the afternoon.
Q: What are some meal-prep hacks families can use during the school year?
A: Creating and maintaining a binder of meal ideas and go-to recipes, organized by categories, food groups, themes or family favorites, can go a long way toward reducing the guesswork of what to shop for and make for the upcoming week.
You can have a section in the binder for kid-friendly lunches and build a list of affordable meals or snacks to have as an easy, flexible guide for quick meals. Need some inspiration? Check out this website from the American Academy of Pediatrics for English and Spanish options to get you started at healthychildren.org.
