Note: As of this writing, Hurricane Irma was making its way toward Florida. We hope all who may be impacted will be safe.

No matter where you live, I’m sure school is back in session. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty happy about it! I’ve been so busy getting my kids ready to go to school that I hadn’t had time to write about it here.

If you purchased a lot of school supplies and food/snacks, as well as apparel and items for your child’s dorm room, I hope you were able to scan what you bought. If you forgot, it’s not too late to do so!

Back-to-school shopping is big business. According to wallethub.com:

    • $688 is the average child’s back-to-school expenses
    • $970 is the average college student’s back-to-school expenses

How much do you typically spend? Let me know!

Right now, my big concern is making sure the kids have healthy lunches and snacks. According to The Nielsen Company, when it comes to fruits and vegetables, in the five weeks (in 2016) around back-to-school time apples were the top-selling produce item with $243.5 million in sales. Strawberries and fresh cut fruit weren’t far behind, with sales of $202.8 million and $204.9 million, respectively.

But it’s mangoes that drove the most sales growth in the back-to-school season. From 2015 to 2016, mango sales in the five weeks around back-to-school grew more than 73%, topping sales of $22.5 million.



In case you’re wondering, sales of other snack items, which may not be so healthy – but who’s judging! – also increase during the five-week back-to-school period.

In particular, these items sell more right before school starts compared with an average week, according to Nielsen:

  • Brownies
  • Cookie snacks & variety packs
  • Cracker snacks & variety packs
  • Pop up toaster pastries
  • Sports drinks

So, if you have kids, what do you give them for lunch or a snack? Tell me all about it!

I hope you all have a nice weekend. For those impacted by Hurricane Harvey, or potentially by Hurricane Irma, stay safe.