Monday, July 28, 2008

Children’s Medical Center offers parents tips for healthy school lunches

By Staff of Children's Medical Center

Registered and licensed dietitians Ronda Sisak and Angela Lemond of Children's Medical Center have sound advice for parents trying to promote healthy eating habits.

Sandwiches remain a tasty entree, but you do not have to make the same sandwiches every time. To change them up consider:

1. Vary your whole grain breads rotating pita pockets, flatbreads, tortillas and regular bread. All these come in the whole grain variety.

2. Use lean meats for quality protein. Turkey, ham, chicken or roast beef all are lean. Or, consider packed tuna or chicken or the good ‘ole stand-by of peanut butter and 100% fruit jelly.

3. Maximize the veggies, especially dark green lettuce like romaine, wild greens or spinach leaves, onions, and ripe tomatoes.

4. Rotate condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, different types of mustards to really change the taste.

5. Try cutting the sandwich in fun shapes to increase interest.

Are sandwiches the only option for an entree? Absolutely not! Although children do not usually have access to microwaves to heat food up, consider sending last night’s leftovers or any other hot items. See how in the food safety section.

Food Safety Tips

Always wash your hands in warm, soapy water before handling any food.

When using a paper bag, make sure you use a new/clean bag with each lunch.

When packing fresh fruits or vegetables make sure they are thoroughly washed before packing them for your child.

Use a thermos to keep drinks cold until lunchtime. Also use a thermos to keep soups or other hot liquids hot. Do not pack soups with a cream or milk base.

Make your scrumptious sides nutritious

Take this opportunity to give your kids snacks packed with fiber and as many vitamins & minerals you can.

1. Choose whole wheat/whole grain. When picking out your crackers, pretzels, or granola bars get more bang for your buck. Choose high fiber (>2grams on food label) choices and limit the added sugar.

2. Watch out for high calorie snacks. Be mindful of crackers that may contain high calories and high fat content. Try the low fat variety of your child’s favorite cracker or granola bar.

3. Variety is the key. Calorie level is important, but good nutrition is equally essential. Some low calorie foods offer very little vitamins so try to choose foods with moderate calories and quality. For instance, a slice of whole grain bread is higher calorie than white bread but it has many more vitamins and fiber. Bottom line: read food labels and ingredients when possible. Consider all these things when making food choices.

Make vibrant veggies available

Use this opportunity to get some fun finger veggies into your child’s day.

1. Try fun new ways to present veggies. Explore different vegetables by presenting them if a fun new way. Examples: ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins), different colored vegetable strips with a dipping sauce.

2. Add vegetables to the entrée. Adding cut up veggies to tuna or chicken salad can add a new flavor and add a little crunch.

3. Make sure vegetables are user-friendly. Put veggies in an easy open container. This will increase the likelihood of your child eating them.

4. Expect to see them again. As a parent you can provide your child with healthy choices but you cannot make them eat them. Do not lose hope. Continue to provide veggies in your child’s lunch with the hope that one day, they will not come back home.

When it comes to dessert, size does matter.

Growing up, cookies were the best part of lunch. We still want to allow our children to enjoy somethin’ sweet, let’s just make good choices.

1. Fruit is always a great choice. Fruit is a special food in that it provides good nutrition while still tasting like a treat. Cut up fruit wedges or provide canned fruit cups in their own juice (avoid canned fruit in syrup).

2. Be mindful of baked goods. A lot of the baked goods on the market are high in sugar and fat. Look for low-fat recipes that use whole grain flour. Involve the children and they will be even more excited to taste their creation.

3. Watch portion sizes. If you add too much of the sweet stuff, they will be less likely to eat the other components of their lunch. It is okay to be conservative.

4. Add your own personal touch. Your child would love a little note or reminder that you think they are special. Think of how nice that would be for you to open your lunch and be reminded that someone thinks you are great!

Pegasus News content partner - Children's Medical Center

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• Food and Drink
• Health and Fitness
• Kids / Family

Comments

Collin Gouldin Verified

"Try a sugar-free alternative like Crystal Light, sugar-free Kool-Aid, and Splenda-sweetened flavored waters."

Wait ... this article is about a healthy lunch right? ...

3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

Jason Rice Verified

Hey, just have 'em cart along a bottle of Karo syrup. It's "sugar-free" and industry lobbyists assure us of it's overall benefit to mankind, whiter whites, brighter colors and goodwill towards chickens in every pot.

If you're all that guarded about your child's thymus (which you shouldn't be, it's relatively small, anyway) send a quart of 10W-40 or wood vinegar with them. It has the same nutritional value and isn't digested either.

3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

momzilla Anonymous

No kidding re the artificially sweetened drinks. And I don't even want to think about all the dyes in those drinks. Ick.

And what kid eats raw spinach? I always had to hide spinach in spaghetti sauce or under the cheese on pizza to get my kids to eat it.

3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )

DC Anonymous

Some people around here probably could use a few parenting tips

3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )