I give my kids dinner as soon as they get off the bus

• Olivia Napoli founded Livwell Nutrition and Wellness, a family health coaching company.
• She feeds her two children dinner as soon as they get home from school.
• She says this way she can eat healthier foods before snacking.

This essay is based on a conversation with health and nutrition expert Olivia Napoli. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up on a farm in Massachusettseat fresh produce. I have always been interested in food and nutrition, but went into marketing after graduating from college. However, I always wanted to return to food, so I took online courses and graduated in 2016.

During the pandemic, I was eight months pregnant with my second child and had a one-year-old at home. I was cook for himand I thought, “What if I just added some nuts to the pasta sauce I make?” It would have helped add omega-3 fatty acids and made it more nutritious, fresh, and delicious. This idea inspired me to create a line of pasta sauces.

I am a busy business ownerbut I make time every day to feed my kids as soon as they walk in the door at 4:30 p.m. Here’s why.

By eating early, I can provide my children with more nutrients

If my Children come home from school and get off the bus, they are hungry because they have burned all the calories from breakfast and lunch.

Before us started dinner earlymy kids grabbed snacks like granola bars and chips, all of which are empty calories. If you eat a lot of empty calories, you’ll be full when dinner comes around.

Once I noticed how hungry when they got home I started feeding them around 4:30pm (I start cooking at 4pm). They were also more willing to eat what was in front of them, allowing me to serve them more nutritious foods.

It also helps with behavior, digestion and sleep

After eating a large meal at 4:30 p.m., they are in a better mood and can concentrate. The vitamins and nutrients I give them in their meals are used for cognitive and physical functions in their homework and sports exercises.

They are usually not hungry even after dinner. We start bedtime around 7:30 p.m., which means they have gone about three hours without food before bed. This allows your body to switch to sleep and recovery mode. I have found that this helps reduce waking up at night.

If we move our dinner time to before sports practice, we can spend more time together. We eat together early and then have the rest of the night to do homework, talk to each other, play or go to sports.

I keep dinner simple

To transition you to an earlier mealtime, I recommend parents keep it simple and keep trying. I know not all working parents can be home when their kids get off the school bus, but I’m trying to set myself up for success to continue to do so. For me that means food delivery.

You can also meal prep to take the stress out of cooking every night. I like to recommend that my clients prepare meals twice a week, for example on Sundays and Wednesdays. Then you have food ready for a few days. Don’t overthink meals and keep them simple. Choose a protein, a complex carbohydrate like sweet potato or brown rice, and a vegetable.

I would try to introduce one to two new foods per week at dinner and add flavor to them. Dinner doesn’t have to be just steamed plain broccoli. I also think it’s important for them to see how to eat what they eat. It can be exciting to try new foods if you classify them correctly. Just keep trying.