Back-to-School Nutrition: How to Fuel Kids’ Bodies and Brains for Learning
- Laura Duffy, MS
- Aug 3
- 4 min read
As kids head back to school, many parents are thinking about school supplies, routines, and sleep schedules. But there’s another crucial piece that often gets overlooked: how to fuel our kids’ bodies and brains so they can focus, learn, and feel their best. The answer? It comes down to nutrients and balance.
Let’s break down why this matters so much—and how to make it simple in everyday meals and snacks.
Why Nutrients Matter: Building Blocks for Mood, Energy, and Focus
Neurotransmitters—those chemical messengers that influence everything from mood and sleep to focus and learning—are made from amino acids in protein with the help of vitamins and minerals. When kids don’t get enough of these nutrients, neurotransmitters can get out of balance and brain function suffers. What does that look like? Sadness, irritability, low energy, and trouble focusing—all things that make it harder for kids to learn and thrive in the classroom and feel their best at home.
Protein-rich foods, colorful vegetables, nutrient-dense carbohydrates, and healthy fats give kids the building blocks they need for adequate neurotransmitters and optimal brain function.
Why Balance Matters: Keeping Blood Sugar Steady
We’ve all seen what happens when kids ride the blood sugar rollercoaster—bouncing off the walls one moment and crashing into a meltdown the next. This happens when blood sugar swings from extreme highs (like after eating candy or sugary treats) to extreme lows when they’re hungry, which can lead to:
Irritability (a.k.a. "hanger")
Emotional ups and downs
Trouble focusing
Fatigue
Balanced meals and snacks prevent these spikes and crashes. Carbohydrates, especially sugar and white flour, are digested quickly and spike blood glucose while protein, healthy fat, and fiber slow the digestion and release of glucose into the blood stream. This makes it essential to pair carbohydrates with protein, healthy fat, and fiber. Meals and snacks balanced in this way keep blood sugar steady, focus sharp, and moods more even—exactly what kids need to feel and function their best at school.
What Does “Balanced” Actually Look Like?
Here’s the good news: the same balance that supports blood sugar also provides the nutrients kids need for healthy neurotransmitter production. And it doesn’t require counting, measuring, or weighing food.
The Rule of Thirds
I use a simple strategy called the Rule of Thirds. Imagine dividing your child’s plate into three equal sections:
Protein – meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, tofu
Vegetables – colorful veggies like tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, & leafy greens
Carbohydrates – beans, lentils, fruit, potatoes, whole grains, and food made from flour
Healthy fat should also be included in each meal and snack and can come from nuts, seeds, oils, avocados, or animals (i.e. omega-3 fat in salmon)
This visual approach makes it simple to help ensure kids get the right mix of nutrients—without the overwhelm.
The Abundance of Carbohydrates (and designating treats as treats)
Carbohydrates are everywhere in the American food supply—from fruit and potatoes to cereal, bread, chips, cookies, candy, and soda. While whole-food carbs (like beans, lentils, fruit, whole grains, and starchy veggies) provide important nutrients and fiber, carbs from sweets and processed food (like fruit snacks, flavored milk, soda, donuts and pastries) often crowd out whole food carbohydrates, protein and vegetables—and send blood sugar on a rollercoaster ride while providing a shortage of important nutrients.
Does this mean kids should never have sweets? No. Sweets are ubiquitous in our food supply and can be enjoyed occasionally, especially during holidays, birthdays, and celebrations. But they should be recognized for what they are: treats—not general nourishment.
Meals and snacks, on the other hand, are prime opportunities to nourish kids with what their bodies and brains truly need: protein, healthy fats, fiber, and a rainbow of micronutrients.
Preparing for Success: The Right Tools Make It Easier
Setting your child up with balanced meals isn’t just about what goes in the lunchbox—it’s also about the lunchbox itself! The right tools can make packing nutritious meals easier, more organized, and even fun for kids to eat.
Bento-style lunch trays make it simple to include protein, veggies, and whole-food carbs in the right proportions. Plus, the divided sections visually reinforce the Rule of Thirds for both you and your child.
Insulated lunch bags and boxes help keep food fresh and safe until lunchtime, even on busy school days.
Small containers and silicone cups are perfect for dips, sauces, or small add-ins like nuts or fruit.
Reusable water bottles encourage hydration throughout the day—often overlooked but key for focus and energy.
Having these tools on hand can turn lunch packing from a daily stressor into a streamlined routine—and help kids feel excited to open their lunches each day.
Making It Work in Real Life
Keeping these tips in mind can make it easier to ensure your child's meals and balanced and nutritious:
Build meals around protein, vegetables, whole-food carbs and healthy fat using the Rule of Thirds
Aim for balanced snacks—a mini version of a meal, like apple slices with peanut butter, cheese with berries, or carrots with hummus
Reserve sugary foods for occasional treats, not daily fuel
If you have a picky eater that struggles to eat nutritious foods, check out these ten tips for working with picky eaters!
Balanced Meal and Snack Inspiration
Here are some ideas to get you started packing balanced lunches and snacks for your kids.
Packed lunch ideas:
Chicken nuggets with veggies and a mandarin orange
Turkey and cheese sandwich with cherry tomatoes and blackberries
Greek chicken wrap made with hummus, feta, and romaine paired with cucumber slices and an apple
Taquitos (i.e. beef) with guacamole, carrots and blueberries
Mini tacos (beef or chicken) with guacamole, cherry tomatoes and an apple
String cheese with carrots and celery sticks, hummus, raspberries
String cheese, tortilla chips, salsa, blueberries
Quesadilla with black beans, salsa, mandarin orange
Snack ideas:
Jerky stick with blueberries
String cheese with mandarin orange
Dried chickpeas (Biena and Saffron Road brand)
Trail mix
Protein bar (i.e. TruBar) with carrots
Apple and peanut butter/Sunbutter
Comments