Back-to-school time means busier schedules for already busy families. Especially when you add in sports practices and extracurricular activities. Here are some tips to help your family eat healthy all week long – even when things get hectic around the house!

• Plan your weekly menu ahead of time and make a grocery list accordingly.
  
  
• Try to include a component of one night’s meal into another day’s lunch or dinner.
  
  
• Do prep work on a weekend or day off.
  
  
• Chop up veggies and keep them in single-serving containers. This makes packing lunches easier.
  
  
• Be realistic about what you are willing to do for prep work vs. what you should buy already prepped.
  
  
• Try to include multiple parts of the food guide pyramid with each of your meals and snacks: protein, dairy, fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
  
  
• Try to buy in season - the taste and cost are better.
  
  
• Make a salad to enjoy all week long. Try fruit salad and vegetable salad.
  
  
• Shoot for three servings of fruit and three of vegetables every day. This means 42 servings every week. Keep this in mind when you’re at the grocery store.
  
  
• Enlist the help of a family member for the prep work or cooking if you won’t be home until later. The more kids are involved in the preparing of the food, the more likely they are to eat it.