Sammi Haber Brondo On The 5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel in School

An Interview With Jake Frankel

Start the Day with a Balanced, Nutrient-Rich Breakfast: A breakfast that includes a mix of proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains helps maintain energy levels and concentration throughout the day. A product like Carnation Breakfast Essentials Nutritional Drinks is something even my parents used when I was a kid, especially on busy mornings when we needed to get out the door.

School is really not easy these days. Many students have been out of school for a long time because of the pandemic, and the continued disruptions and anxieties are still breaking the flow of normal learning. What can parents do to help their children thrive and excel in school, particularly during these challenging and anxiety-provoking times?

To address this, we started a new series called ‘5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School.” In this interview series, we are talking to teachers, principals, education experts, and successful parents to learn from their insights and experience.

As a part of this interview series, I had the pleasure to interview Registered Dietician and Intuitive Eating Expert, Sammi Haber Brondo.

Sammi Haber Brondo is a New York-based Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and published author of The Essential Vegetable Cookbook. She has a passion for helping people find peace and joy with food and their bodies, without following rigid diets or rules. As a mother of two young children, Sammi understands the challenges of balancing nutrition, family, and work, and she strives to make nutrition simple and realistic for her clients and readers. She also loves to share her delicious and easy recipes, as well as her tips for raising intuitive eaters, on her blog and Instagram, @VeggiesandChocolate. Sammi has been featured in various media outlets, such as Women’s Health, Shape, Self, Health, Today’s Dietitian, and more.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us a bit about your “backstory”?

Growing up, I was constantly confused about food — I tried diet after diet. It wasn’t until I finally saw a dietitian for myself in college that I realized how simple nutrition can and should be. I understood that we have to eat every single day — it should be a source of joy, not stress. As a dietitian, this became my mission. I want to help others create a healthy relationship with food so that it can feel easy and enjoyable.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Becoming a mom completely transformed the way I view food and our bodies. While I was always aligned with intuitive eating principles, becoming a mom really solidified those. Having kids has shown me how important the way that we talk about food is — I don’t want my kids to try countless diets like I did. It also gave me a newfound appreciation for my body that I bring into many of my client sessions. Bodies change — whether for pregnancy or just the privilege of getting older — and that’s a good thing.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“It’s not worth wasting 95% of your life to weight 5% less.” I’m not sure where I even read this, but I love the idea behind it. It’s so not worth constantly obsessing over food in order to weigh a few pounds less. Enjoyment is important, and it’s not enjoyable to always feel stressed about food. This is a concept I use with clients and even in my own life.

You are a successful leader. Which three-character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1. Empathy. I understand the struggle to maintain a healthy relationship with food because I’ve been there. I know how hard it is to ignore diet culture when it’s everywhere. I like to share snippets of my own past struggles with food on social media or with clients to help relate to them and make them feel less alone.
2. Drive. I always wanted to have my own nutrition business, but it took a lot to get here! I worked full-time in a hospital, at nights in another private practice, and on the weekends on my own business in order to eventually work for myself full-time. It took a lot of hard work and drive to create the business I have today.
3. Passion. I’ve also always wanted a career where I could help people. I strongly believe in intuitive eating principles and how important they are to teach to those who struggle with food. Knowing that I’m helping others to feel less stress and more enjoyment around food is so fulfilling to me.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I’m excited about my recent partnership with Carnation Breakfast Essentials® for the Essential Wish List program ahead of the school year — the program helped teachers by providing essential school supplies from their online wish lists. I’m passionate about this program because it ensures that more children have access to nutritious breakfasts and the resources they need to succeed academically.

For the benefit of our readers, can you tell us a bit about why you are an authority on how to help children succeed in school?

As a registered dietitian, certified intuitive eating counselor, and mom of two kids, I understand the importance that nutrition plays in children’s mental and physical development and the importance of a nutritious breakfast.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. Can you help articulate the main challenges that students face today that make it difficult to succeed in school?

A new survey commissioned by Carnation Breakfast Essentials found that 96% of teachers believe eating breakfast is necessary for having a successful school day, yet teachers believe only half of their students are starting their day with a nutritious breakfast. This is a major challenge that students face today, and teachers report that skipping breakfast can have negative impacts on their learning and well-being. The most common ways teachers have reported that their students have been affected by skipping breakfast include being unable to focus (70%), experiencing mood changes (64%), and being tired or falling asleep in class (63%). Additionally, more than half of the teachers say their students have voiced that they are hungry (53%). These findings show that access to a nutritious breakfast is a crucial factor in setting up students to thrive in school.

Can you suggest a few reforms that you think schools should make to help students to thrive and excel?

If schools can help provide nutritious breakfasts and/or lunches to kids, it would help so much. Many students don’t have time for breakfast in the morning. Many families don’t have the means to provide a daily nutritious breakfast and lunch. School should be a safe space where every child has the same opportunities, and that starts with being properly nourished.

Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “5 Things Parents Can Do To Help Their Children Thrive and Excel In School?” Please share a story or example for each.

1. Start the Day with a Balanced, Nutrient-Rich Breakfast: A breakfast that includes a mix of proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains helps maintain energy levels and concentration throughout the day. A product like Carnation Breakfast Essentials Nutritional Drinks is something even my parents used when I was a kid, especially on busy mornings when we needed to get out the door.
2. Pack a balanced lunch. If you pack lunch, aim to pack one that’s nutritious and that’s also something your child will like. Different colors make a lunch look more visually appealing, which makes your child more likely to eat it.
3. Create a routine. Try to create a morning routine that’s consistent every day. School mornings can be chaotic and rushed, and having a routine helps everyone know what to expect. Consistency also makes the day feel so much easier for kids.
4. Practice basic skills at home. I read somewhere that we often overlook this when first sending our kids to school, and it’s so true. Make sure your kids are comfortable with basic things, like opening their lunchbox, washing their hands, asking to go to the restroom, etc., especially before starting kindergarten. Academic skills are important, but it’s also important that they feel confident enough to do basic everyday things without a parent there.
5. Have snacks ready once the school day is over. No matter when your child gets home from what school or what they ate that day, chances are, they will want an after-school snack. Have something ready that’s filling — with protein and fiber — when they get home. Some of my favorite easy snacks include string cheese and fruit or hummus and crackers.

As you know, teachers play such a huge role in shaping young lives. What would you suggest needs to be done to attract top talent to the education field?

Teachers work so hard — they need to be fairly recognized and compensated for their hard work. Taking care of two kids is hard enough, I can’t imagine being a teacher responsible for many! Proper recognition and pay are so important to attract top talent to the education field.

We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them :-)

I would love to share a meal with Michelle Obama. I’ve been to a few of her speaking events and find her so relatable and inspiring. I think we share similar views on nutrition and kids too. I love how she focuses on showing kids that they can do anything.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Check out my blog, www.sammibrondo.com, or on social media @veggiesandchocolate.

Thank you so much for these insights! This was so inspiring!