Nutritious diets help children improve their overall well being, maintain a healthy weight, and reduce their risk of illness later in life. Schools have a unique opportunity to promote good health by providing wholesome lunches. However, many parents would be surprised to see the myriad of soda and snack machines that offer salty potato chips, candy, and sugary caffeinated drinks to their children.
Unfortunately, the lunches served in too many schools are not much better than the snacks in the vending machines. Menus in some school lunch programs are too high in saturated fat and cholesterol and too low in fiber, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
As a reaction to the offerings at school, some parents have opted to pack their children's lunches. In preparing your child's lunch, it's best to talk things over with the person eating it. Get your child involved and talk about the importance of nutrition. Make a list of breads, condiments, fillings, and fruits your child will eat. Come up with alternatives to not-so-healthy choices. Don't forget to add treats. Give your child something to look forward to.
Most importantly, don't give up! Pediatricians say children will not accept a new food until it has been offered at least 10 times. Lastly, encourage your child to bring home leftovers. Maintain a dialogue without being critical. You'll get more information this way.
