I serve my kids dinner at 4:30 p.m. It guarantees we have family time and they sleep better.

Olivia Napoli feeds her kids dinner after they get off the school bus.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with health and food expert Olivia Napoli. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up on a farm in Massachusetts, eating fresh produce. I had always been interested in food and nutrition, but I went into marketing after graduating from college. I always wanted to get back to food, though, so I took online classes, graduating in 2016.

During the pandemic, I was eight months pregnant with my second child and had a 1-year-old at home. I was cooking for him, and I thought, “What if I just add a few nuts to the pasta sauce I’m making?” It would’ve helped add omega-3s and make it more nutrient-rich, fresh, and delicious. That idea inspired me to create a pasta sauce line.

I’m a busy business owner, but I take time every day to feed my kids at 4:30 p.m. as soon as they walk in the door. Here’s why.

Eating early allows me to get more nutrients into my kids

When my kids get home from school and get off the bus, they’re ravenous because they have burned all their calories from breakfast and lunch.

Before we started early dinners, my kids would go get snacks like granola bars and chips, which are all empty calories. If you snack on a bunch of empty calories, you will be full by the time dinner rolls around.

Once I noticed how hangry they were when they got home, I began feeding them around 4:30 p.m. (I start cooking at 4 p.m.). They were more willing to eat what was in front of them, too, so I could serve them more nutrient-rich foods.

It also helps with behavior, digestion, and sleep

After they eat a big meal at 4:30 p.m., they are in better moods and can focus. The vitamins and nutrients I provide for them in their meals are used for cognitive and physical functions for their homework and sports practices.

They usually are not hungry after dinner, either. We start bedtime around 7:30 p.m. or so, meaning they will have gone about three hours without food before bed. So, their bodies can transition to sleep and restoration mode. I have found that this contributes to fewer wakeups throughout the night.

Changing our dinner time to before sports practice helps us spend more quality time together. We eat together early and then have the rest of the night to do homework, talk to each other, play or go to sports practice.

I keep dinner simple

To transition you to an earlier meal time, I suggest parents keep it simple and keep trying. I know not all working parents can be home when their kids get off the school bus, but I try to set myself up for success to follow through with it. For me, that means grocery delivery.

You can meal prep to take the pressure off cooking each night, too. I like to tell my clients to meal prep twice a week, such as Sundays and Wednesdays. Then you have a couple of days’ worth of food ready. Don’t overthink meals, and keep them simple. Pick a protein, a complex carb like sweet potato or brown rice, and a vegetable.

I would try introducing one to two new foods a week at dinner and add flavor. Dinner doesn’t have to be just steamed plain broccoli. I also think that it’s important that they see you eating what they are eating. It can be exciting to try new foods if you frame them correctly. Just keep trying.