Nutritious School Lunches: Keeping Kids Healthy
Whether it is the middle of a school year or the beginning
, you may be thinking about what your child is eating during school lunch. Kids can be fussy about what they eat.
Traditional lunches of hamburgers, French fries, pizza, macaroni and cheese, and chicken tenders are what kids choose when away from home. Restaurant menus for kids almost always have these items as their main choices.
As parents, it is our duty to make sure our children eat properly. What we prepare in our home kitchens for dinner may be a lot healthier than what they are served elsewhere.
Doctors and dieticians are urging parents to pay attention to our childrens' diets in order to eliminate future obesity.
School lunches should contain ingredients to provide energy through the school day and during after-school activities.
If your child is eating in the school lunchroom, you should visit there at noon to see what is being served. Get involved to make sure the school is providing nutritious meals and that vending machines and unhealthy choices are eliminated.
If you pack your child a lunch, minimize the processed meats that contain fat. Use lean turkey and chicken with whole wheat bread, pita, wraps, tortillas, or flatbread. Hummus is a great spread and contains protein. Hummus also comes in flavors that will enhance any sandwich.
One tip is that if you use frozen bread with your spreads, the bread will not break apart, and will easily thaw out by the time your child gets to school.
But, bread is not always necessary. Children love finger food. Diced chicken and turkey make great lunches, paired with crackers and carrot sticks for dipping into a small container of hummus.
Cold pasta, such as macaroni salad with fat-free or low-fat mayo and diced tomatoes can become a favorite.
In winter months, let your child take a wide-mouth thermos with home-made soups and stews. Forgo the store bought cans of ravioli and cookie-cutter cartoon pasta which are plumped with calories.
Also, eliminate the cookies, cake, pastries, and candy as fillers and or dessert from your child's brown bag or lunch box. Substitute, instead, with fruit.
Again, because children like finger food, cut up an apple, sprinkle it with lemon juice to prevent browning, and tuck the wedges into a small plastic bag.
Nuts make great snacks, as do dried fruit. Fruit goes well with both chicken and turkey.
Think about visiting a Chinese Restaurant. Their menus often contain orange slices, pineapple, cashews, etc. These are ingredients that enhance a meal and can offer your child more variety and flavor.
Discuss nutrition with your child. Make a special trip to the grocery store together and let them know the choices they have.
Not only should the parent get involved with a child's school lunch, but kids need to be aware, too.
by: Gail Gupton
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