COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — As students head back to school, the back to school to-do list grows for parents across the nation. With the hustle and bustle of back to school shopping, local doctors are warning against adding processed food items to the shopping cart.

According to No Kid Hungry, “students who eat school breakfast have been shown to achieve 17.5 percent higher scores on standardized math tests and attend 1 1/2 more days of school per year.” Some of the breakfast items dietitians recommend include oatmeal and plain Greek yogurt with fruit.

While it may be challenging for parents to introduce healthier options to their children, doctors suggest continuing to offer fruits and vegetables to your children.

“Studies show it takes 10 times of a kid trying a food to actually deem as they like it,” said Dr. Morgan Scheu, a clinical pediatric and NICU dietitian at Piedmont Columbus Regional. “Even if your kid has told you four times they hate broccoli, keep trying. Get six more times in and they might like it on the tenth time and just provide it so you don’t need to battle it out. Just provide it and put it on a plate with other things that they like.”

Dr. Scheu also encourages bringing your children to the grocery store – allowing them to pick healthy options they are interested in.

“Have them [children] kind of lead the way, make it a fun trip, have them pick out a fruit or vegetable that the family has never tried before,” said Dr. Scheu. “They get to go through the texture, taste, the smell of it, and just make it a fun opportunity for them. Involve them in the cooking, the grocery shopping, even packing their own lunches.”