PACK A PUNCH
Send kids to school with a healthy lunch
As kiddos head back to school, it’s time to get back to a routine.
Most children will attend school for about six hours a day and consume as much as half of their daily calorie intake while at school. This means it is especially important for parents to help foster healthy eating habits early on by providing nourishing lunches, and educating children about healthy eating habits.
Nutrition and academic achievement go hand in hand when it comes to students. Healthy students are shown to be better learners. Those that participate in the School Breakfast Program have higher academic grades, standardized test scores, fewer absences and improved memory, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
So, if your child participates in the School Breakfast Program or in the lunch program at their school, take some time to sit down with them and look at the menu. Help them choose the meals that they
should eat and want to eat. Making these choices together ensures they are getting a rounded meal that includes a protein, vegetable, fruit and grain. Encourage your child to choose either unflavored milk or water as their drink. Save juices and sodas for special occasions.
If you pack your child’s lunch, let them be a part of the planning process. Children are more likely to eat foods that they have helped to prepare. Break down each lunch according to category: protein, grain, fruit, vegetable and, if needed, a snack. Have them pick foods they like for each category to help build their lunch. You can even have them help bag foods ahead of time like grapes, carrots, celery or other sides so they can grab them quickly during the week while packing up their lunch.
Don’t let lunch get boring! Kids just like adults tend to eat with their eyes first. So maybe use a fun lunch box with different compartments to keep foods from touching or getting smashed.
You can make little fruit or vegetable kabobs. Or cut sandwiches into interesting shapes. For ease/convenience, you can use pre-packaged dips like hummus, peanut butter or non-fat ranch to add flavor to veggies. If a sandwich every day gets boring, try making a wrap, packing a chilled pasta salad or creating cracker sandwiches.
Always use an icepack to keep cold foods chilled and a thermos to keep hot foods hot. Consider investing in a lunch box that your child likes and wants to bring to school.
Last but not least, remember that as parents you help facilitate what is put in front of them for meals, but the child determines how much he or she eats. Don’t feel inclined to make your child finish all of their food. Kids have an innate ability to listen to hunger and satiety cues much better than adults. Below are some lunch box ideas for your kiddo.