The Low-Down on School Lunches

One of our chief responsibilities as parents is to teach our children healthy habits. So it’s no surprise that one of the most important things we can do to ensure a good school day is to pack a lunchbox full of nutritious power-foods that will keep our kids full and focused.

Experts say the items you pack inside that lunch box affect the mood and behaviors of children, so monitoring carbohydrates and sugars is a big job. The ability to function, focus and learn well in school is greatly affected by a child’s diet, making it more important than ever to pay attention to what you are packing.

Things to watch out for before they make it into your child’s lunchbox are sugary beverages with no added nutritional value and high sodium foods. Always check nutrition facts, said to Nalani Battaglia, child nutrition consultant for the Gilroy Unified School District, Sodexo School Services.

Battaglia says to factor in sizes in order to maintain snacks and beverages “that are served in the right portions and with the added nutrients to support good health.”

Instead, Battaglia suggests adding a source of protein such as lean meat, low-fat cheese, hard-boiled eggs or beans; fruits and vegetables and to offer plain water if your child doesn’t like milk in his or her lunchbox.

Parents should also be encouraged to reference the new USDA MyPlate at choosemyplate.gov. “This guide reminds parents that a child’s meal should consist of 50 percent fruits and vegetables, 25 percent protein and 25 percent whole grains.”

Packing healthy choices for kids is key, according to Battaglia and Roxanne Moore, national director of Wellness for the Sodexo Schools.

The Sodexo School Lunch programs are designed to meet all USDA meal planning guidelines for the National School Lunch Program. The lunch program offers daily selections at all grade levels of a variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains.

“We are proud that we were the first and remain the only food service management company to commit to the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, or AHG, guidelines, for healthier snacks and beverages and to date have helped over 100 schools achieve the USDA Healthier US School Challenge award,” according to Moore.

Here are a few additional lunch-packing tips for moms and dads embarking on another year of early-morning sandwich making.

• Pay close attention to the balance of your child’s lunch rather than counting calories to ensure you’ve packed a well-rounded meal.
• Pack small portions with easy-to-eat foods. Your children only have a little time to eat.
• Avoid the empty calories hidden inside of juice boxes and offer water instead. If your child doesn’t like water, try flavoring it with fruit or a hint of juice.
• Include fun finger foods that your child will enjoy eating such as crackers and cheese or cucumbers and hummus.
• Use unprocessed items, avoid those bags of Doritos and Oreos, and opt for blueberries and pretzels.
• The more colorful the better; most natural foods are colorful; choose your items based on this.
• Make sure there’s a good balance of carbs, fat and protein.
• Be creative. Nobody likes the same old sandwich every day, so be creative. Use last night’s leftover grilled chicken and wrap it up in a whole-wheat pita with some hummus or make a salad or bean dip.
• Cut up veggies with a hummus or bean dip or fruits with a yogurt dip.
• Be careful about nitrates in lunch-meat and always pack a cold pack with items that need refrigeration such as yogurt or milk.
• Always go for whole grain.
• Nuts, yogurts, cut-up fruits and veggies and cheese make for a very protein-packed lunch.