The back to school season means many things, including making sure your child has healthy lunches packed for every school day. Experts stress that children, especially younger children, need plenty of fiber (up to 20 grams) in their diet every day, and one way to help ensure it is by adding certain foods to meals and snacks.
Here are some of those foods, which can easily be included in your child's school lunch.

Apples
The skin and the flesh of an apple are two different kinds of fiber and are a great addition to a school lunch. Just be sure to leave the skin on — that's where much of fiber is contained.

Raspberries
You won't find many better fiber-filled fruits than raspberries. Just one cup has eight grams of fiber.

Pears
Like apples and baked potatoes, much of the fiber in pears - and just one medium pear has a quarter of the fiber kids need each day - is in the skin, but the flesh is likewise tasty and healthy.

Popcorn
Children obviously love popcorn and it's a healthy, low-cost snack that can easily be included in school lunches. Three cups popped have about 3.5 grams of fiber.

Oranges
Children love the sweetness of oranges and one orange contains two to three grams of fiber. Choose the fruit and not the juice, however, since orange juice has practically no fiber at all.

Raisins
Raisins are sweet but have no added sugar. Moreover, they're a good source of fiber and also contain iron.

Nut butter
​Look for brands of nut butter that contain only nuts and salt while avoiding those that have extra sugar and oils. Nuts are a great source of fiber, protein and healthy fats.

The Downtown Athletic Club of Amarillo focuses on fitness, personal training, as well as nutrition and overall wellness. The DAC's personal trainers are available seven days a week.

If you're looking to wake up in the morning without an injection of caffeine, you won't have to go too far out of your way. Pick up a few new habits and exercises that will help improve your sleep routine and brighten up your mornings.

Study Your Sleep Cycle

One of the best ways to ensure feeling good in the morning is to study your own sleep cycles. If you aren't getting a solid night's sleep on a consistent basis, you won't feel refreshed when you wake up. Those who can't progress through the six personal sleep stages that culminate in deep sleep with rapid eye movement (REM) fail to feel refreshed in the morning. If you enter into a deep sleep stage but are awoken, you'll feel aggravated because of the sleep's depth and the subsequent interruption.

Most people experience REM between 4 and 6 a.m. Give yourself some time to emerge from these deep sleeps before you try to start your day. Each sleep cycle takes around an hour and a half, so you'll need at least 7.5 hours of sleep at a minimum. If possible, rise with the sun each morning. If you stick to a schedule, your body will feel more rested and relaxed.

Stop The Snooze

For some people, the struggle is in the actual process of waking up from sleep. Be sure to set your alarm for the last possible time at which you wouldn't be tempted to turn it off and then go right back to sleep. Stop using the snooze button altogether. Trying to use the snooze button to catch some extra sleep is an invitation to restlessness. Avoid the temptation and wake up when your alarm first sounds. You'll just feel worse if you try to sleep through a couple of snooze periods.

Get Physical

Once you are up, sit upright in bed and swing your legs over to the floor. Take a few deep breaths and really try to wake up. This is your adjustment period. Once you are out of bed, you should proceed with your morning exercise routine. Physical activity will get your mind and body moving. You'll feel fully rested and ready to go.

If you've been looking for a quick, fun and effective way to exercise, sign up at the Downtown Athletic Club. You don't even need to be a member to get in on our classes. Our morning yoga classes are the perfect way to transition into your typical day. Check out our Flow Yoga group bright and early at 5:30 a.m. It'll get your blood pumping and clear your mind, helping you make the transition into the work or school day that much easier.

Everyone wants their family to be healthy, but what does that mean, and how is it done? If the idea of radically changing your own lifestyle is intimidating, then changing that of your spouse and children may seem impossible. It isn't though, and there is no need to do anything radical all at once, unless there is an immediate health issue.

How do I get my family to eat better?

If you are the one who is buying the groceries and preparing the meals, you have a bit of an edge here! However, there is no surer way to have a household mutiny on your hands than to announce that you will no longer be buying everyone's favorite cereals and snacks in favor of "healthy alternatives." So what do you do?

The first step is to add more of what you do want your family to eat, and make it easy. Healthy snacks like fruit, veggies and nuts are more likely to be consumed if they are convenient. During evening meals, prepare lean meats that are high in protein. Avoid using unhealthy oils and excessive salt. Opt for extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil. Prepare vegetables and avoid processed side dishes in favor of healthier choices.

Slowly begin replacing meals and snacks that are high in carbohydrates, sugar, salt and over-processing with fresh foods that are high in vitamins and protein. Foods that are high in protein will also keep you full longer, resulting in less snacking. 

The trick is to not come at it from a place of "taking away." Simply begin by adding the healthy stuff first, and then gradually subtracting the foods that are not nutritious. Your kids and partner will be more receptive rather than you just eliminating all the food they like at once.

I want my family to exercise, but how do I get them to?

Again, you want to avoid the panic that is often experienced when a dramatic "lifestyle change" is mentioned. Most people dislike abrupt change, so take a more gentle approach. One of the best and easiest ways to introduce exercise to your family is through walks. What makes walking great is that it is low-impact and perfect for just about all ages and levels of fitness. The human body is made to walk. 

Make things fun by getting involved with sports. Head down to the park as a family and play basketball, or tennis. Go hiking or find a climbing wall. Trampolines are a fun way to get exercise, have fun and blow off steam. Martial arts are also a great way to get in shape. Try to incorporate physical activity every day. It's okay to go slow, in fact it's better. The important thing is to develop the habit. A daily 10 minute walk with the dog is a fine start. After everyone becomes comfortable with that, add time to it, and introduce other activities.

Moms and Dads can hit the gym together for time away from the kids. Introduce a little friendly competition to the mix. If the kids are reluctant to participate in fitness activities, find ways to make it fun. Create fitness goals, and find creative ways to reward them.

It's great to educate family members about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, but don't necessarily expect anyone, especially the kids, to be swayed by facts or statistics. It is more important to portray fitness as a way to have fun. 

The staff at Amarillo’s Downtown Athletic Club can help your family get on track. Whether you are interested in group fitness classes for you and your partner or classes just for kids, our Amarillo personal trainers can help.