Your child is sitting in the classroom and their stomach is starting to rumble. Finally, it’s time for lunch — woo-hoo! After all that time “doing jobs”, he/she deserves a chance to head to the lunch room and sit down, relax, and enjoy the company of their friends over a lunchtime meal.
But wait a minute — what exactly are they eating?
More than at other meals, kids have a lot of control over what they eat for lunch at school. A kid can choose to eat the vegetables or throw them out. While the staff works with your child at lunch time to ensure they focus on eating nutritious items in their lunch before any treats, they cannot force a child to eat something they don’t want or like to eat.
When choosing what to to pack for lunch, making a healthy choices that your child will like/eat is really important. Here’s why: Eating a variety of healthy foods gives your child energy to do stuff, helps them to grow the way they should, and can even keep them from getting sick.
Think of your child’s school lunch as the fuel you put in their tank. If you choose the wrong kind of fuel, he/she might run out of energy before the day is over.
So what is the right kind of fuel? What does a healthy lunch look like? There are many right answers to these questions.
10 Steps to a Great Lunch
Following are some guidelines for packing a good lunch for your child:
- Choose fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are like hitting the jackpot when it comes to nutrition. They make the lunch plate more colorful and they’re packed with vitamins and fiber. It’s a good idea to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, so try to fit in one or two at lunch. A serving isn’t a lot. A serving of carrots is ½ cup or about 6 baby carrots. A fruit serving could be one small orange.
- Know the facts about fat. Kids need some fat in their diets to stay healthy — it also helps keep them feeling full — but you don’t want them to eat too much of it. Fat is found in butter, oils, cheese, nuts, and meats. Some higher-fat lunch foods include french fries, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, and chicken nuggets. Don’t worry if they like these foods! No food is bad, but you may want to pack them less often and in smaller portions. Foods that are lower in fat are usually baked or grilled. Some of the best low-fat foods are fruits, vegetables, and skim and low-fat milk.
- Let whole grains reign. “Grains” include breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. But as we learn more about good nutrition, it’s clear that whole grains are better than refined grains. What’s the difference? Brown rice is a whole grain, but white rice is not. Likewise, whole-wheat bread contains whole grains, whereas regular white bread does not.
- Slurp sensibly. It’s not just about what they eat — drinks count, too! Milk has been a favorite lunchtime drink for a long time. If your child doesn’t like milk, choose water. Avoid juice drinks and sodas.
- Balance your lunch. When people talk about balanced meals, they mean meals that include a mix of food groups: some grains, some fruits, some vegetables, some meat or protein foods, and some dairy foods such as milk and cheese. Try to do this with your child’s lunch. If they don’t have a variety of foods on their plate, it’s probably not balanced.
- Steer clear of packaged snacks. It’s OK to have these foods once in a while, but they shouldn’t be on your child’s lunch menu.
- Mix it up. Do they eat the same lunch every day? If that lunch is a hot dog, it’s time to change their routine. Keep their taste buds from getting bored and try something new. Eating lots of different kinds of food gives their body a variety of nutrients.
- Quit the clean plate club. Because lunch can be a busy time, your child might not stop to think about whether they’re getting full. They should learn to listen to what their body is telling them…if your child feels full, let them know it’s OK to stop eating.
- Reinforce good manners! Lunch rooms sometimes look like feeding time at the zoo. Remind your child to use their best table manners:
- Chew with their mouth closed.
- Don’t talk and eat at the same time.
- Use their utensils.
- Use their napkin.
- Be polite.
- And don’t make fun of what someone else is eating.
- Keep it simple! Your child should be able to easily open and access as much of their own lunch as possible. Avoid packing items that require preparation or reheating and come in packaging that is difficult for them to open. The staff will be there to assist if needed, but they need time to assist ALL children and have their lunch, too.
At Brookside, we’ll be doing our best to ensure your child is eating a healthy lunch. But remember, what you pack in your child’s lunch and lessons you teach at home regarding what they eat as well as their table manners are the foundation for success in the lunch room.
Susan Curley, Owner/Directress