BUFFALO, N.Y. — We hope you're not hungry while reading this. If so, sorry, your stomach is about to rumble more. Kathy Sautter from Tops Friendly Markets joined Spectrum News 1 anchor/reporter Breanna Fuss in the kitchen Monday morning to get your family ready for school. 

What You Need To Know

  • Bentgo boxes are a great way to portion control meals, they're also visually appealing  
  • September is Family Meals Month
  • Tops in Education is a program to help fund school trips, uniforms and help teachers with supplies 

Kids can be picky. Sautter suggests Bentgo boxes. They help with portion control, and keep food from touching. If you don't want to invest in that, she says use a container and seperate food with cupcake linders. More inspiration can be found here.

September is Family Meals Month. This program stresses the positive effects and reasons why you should have at least one meal with your family. It’s something that Tops has been a partner of for several years now and with everyone chasing from school to dance practice and hockey, people are eating on the run. 

This is a great program with ideas on how to make the most of time around the dinner table and what that time means for you and for your children in the long run. Sautter says families who eat more meals together tend to eat heathlier. Also famiy meals improve:

• Connectedness

• Communication

• Expressiveness and problem solving 

• Grades and self-esteem

• Children are less likely to show symptoms of violence, depression and suicide. They're also less likely to use or abuse drugs or run away, and engage in risky behavior.

• Adults and children who eat at home more regularly are less likely to suffer from obesity.

Tops in Education is a great way for schools to easily earn much needed funds for their field trips, band uniforms, you name it! Over the past 12 years Tops has helped schools raise $1.9 million. Here's how it works: 

  • Purchase select brands, and scan your Bonus Plus card. 
  • Up to 5% of your purchase goes back to your designated school(s). 
  • From Sept. 1 to May 31, 2025, you can select up to three K-12 schools registered.  If you don’t see your school listed, Sautter says talk to your PTA, school principal, teacher and have them log online to register.
  • October and January are double the points