It’s that time again. Parents are busy planning for school and purchasing supplies needed to give their children the best chance of success for the new year.
In all the preparation, one thing that often gets overlooked is planning for healthy meals.
Think of food as your child’s fuel. If there is not enough fuel or the wrong kind of fuel, your child could run out of energy before the school day if over.
Numerous studies have linked school success and adequate nutrition. The conclusion is that poor nutrition and lack of physical activity lead to lower academic achievement. Skipping any meal can affect your child’s energy level and school performance.
Revving up the day starts with a healthy breakfast, but this doesn’t have to require a lot of preparation time.
If your child tires of cereal and milk, try a package of instant grits with cheese added; add some fruit and you have a balanced breakfast. Or, get creative and put foods together that your child enjoys such as graham crackers, string cheese and an apple or yogurt with nuts and dried fruit added. Each of these examples includes foods from three of the five Food Pyramid groups, which is a good “rule of thumb” when planning meals.
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Planning school lunches with your child can be another way to promote healthy choices. And as with any meal or snack, there are always options. To “buy school lunch” or “pack a lunch” is the first decision. Both can be healthy or unhealthy depending on the choices you and your child make.
Even though public schools in this area follow the guidelines of the National School Lunch Program, there are concerns some of the foods offered are too rich in saturated fat and too low in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. However, research shows students who eat school meals are more likely to consume milk, meats, grains and vegetables compared to students who don’t.
If buying school lunch is the choice, look over the cafeteria menu with your child. Talk to your child about items that are healthier, knowing that it is OK for your child to choose a favorite lunch food occasionally, even if it is higher in fat. Encourage fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains.
Packing a lunch also takes planning in order to ensure some healthy choices. Old favorites like peanut butter and jelly are fine, but talk to your child about some new ideas.
The following are a few suggestions:
• Turkey/tortilla rollup, pretzels, grapes, milk
• Whole wheat pita pocket stuffed with tuna or egg salad, mandarin orange slices, cookie and milk
• Ham and cheese on an English muffin, carrot-raisin salad, gingersnap cookies, milk
• Salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, diced ham or turkey and light dressing, 4 oz. yogurt, multi-grain crackers, applesauce, boxed juice
(Remember to keep foods safe. Use an insulated lunch box that includes an ice pack to keep cold foods cold or a thermos to keep hot foods hot.)
Above all, keep in mind that home is the primary place where a child’s eating habits are developed.
The foods that parents and primary caregivers make available and choose to eat will have a great deal of influence on the child’s food choices and eating habits.
If you are interested in nutrition counseling or want to enroll your child in the next Healthy Kids program, call The LifeStyle Center at 538-8100.
Colleen Russell, RD, LDN, works in the LifeStyle Center at Alamance Regional Medical Center. HealthWise is a monthly column written by the staff of ARMC.
