More than any other time of the year, the back to school months of August and September are a time of fresh starts and new beginnings for kids, complete with new clothes, school supplies and the treasured ‘gotta have’ lunchbox. But what’s more important than the decal on the box is what you put inside to carry your child through the day.
Lunchtime in almost every school is more than just for eating; it is a combination of socializing, observation, finding your place in the order of things and finally, eating your food. What a child carries in his bag can impact where he fits into this order.
Parents of older school age children are very aware of the pressures awaiting children in the school cafeteria but we don’t have to bow to poor eating choices to help our child fit in. It is the observant yet creative parent who wins the prize as coolest mum/dad in the end. So what’s a parent to do?
Let’s start with breakfast. Research has proven many times over that the child who eats a nourishing breakfast before school is a better learner because he is fueled for the day. (Would you drive to work on an empty petrol tank?) While prepackaged breakfast bars can be beneficial in a pinch, the act of sitting down to a balanced breakfast will always be the best way to start any day--the very act decreases stress. Breakfast food does not have to be hot—cereal with fruit/juice is a fine way to start. Look for whole grain cereals with limited sugar, at least 45% iron fortification and real fruit juices, not fruit drinks; vitamin C in the fruit or juice helps the body to absorb iron from the cereal and increase oxygen to the brain. If your child prefers dry cereal, offer a cup of milk (2% or less, please!) to provide calcium and protein.
Now, back to school lunches. Let’s begin with the understanding that many school lunch programs are under scrutiny these days as we look at trends in childhood obesity. This isn’t to say that the food alone is the cause, but rather a combination of factors such as shortened lunch periods, decreased physical activity and a tendency to rely on convenience foods which kids love but also have a high percentage of fat calories. In our overworked society, it becomes easier to budget for purchased school lunches than come up with a variety of lunchbox meals that our kids will actually eat! Additionally, many schools contract with outside companies to make non-nutritious snack foods and soft drinks available to students, with a percentage of the profits being returned to the school. Fortunately, some schools now restrict these purchases during the school day, limiting the child’s ability to opt for chips over vegetables.
Shorter lunch periods and long lunch lines limit what your kids have time to eat, so they often go right for the starch based, ‘filler foods’ and throw out the vegetables and fruit. These high fat/carbohydrate foods also make your child sleepy after lunch as the body uses energy for digestion, rapidly raising blood glucose levels and then allowing these levels to drop quickly, leaving kids unable to concentrate during afternoon classes.
Set limits but allow for flexibility. It’s okay to allow the occasional purchased school lunch, so get the school menu and let your child pick the meal he/she wants to buy once or twice in a month.
Involve your child in the school lunch process. Start by asking what he/she would like to eat for lunch. Understand that peer pressure can change those preferences in an instant, so don’t purchase large quantities of anything until a routine has been established. Your daughter may love egg salad sandwiches, but if the little girl across the table says they smell funny, you may never get a request for egg salad again.
Find out what time your child is scheduled to eat lunch. Some schools start serving as early as 10:30 AM in order to accommodate large student bodies or small cafeterias. If school starts at 9:00 AM, Little Bobby may not be hungry for lunch at 11:00. If the scheduled lunch is very early or late, ask the classroom teacher if a healthy snack might be allowed dur