IN RECENT TIMES there has been much discussion on healthy eating as it relates to children and the high level of obesity and diabetes among them. When we look at the high number of children who are overweight, it makes one wonder what and how these children are being fed.
It has been noticed that the lunch boxes of many children are filled with foods containing lots of sugar and salt, and some schools sell snacks rich in sodium and sugar in addition to greasy fish cakes and doughnuts just to raise school funds.
In order to build healthy children, we must be mindful of the lunches parents prepare, lunches served as well as the type of snacks sold at the school. Furthermore, those preparing school meals must be mindful of the nutritional content.
With the start of the new school term “just around the corner”, I wish to suggest the following items as regulars in lunch boxes: vegetables, fresh fruit, dairy foods, protein food, starchy food and water.
Vegetables – vegetable sticks or a mixture of vegetables such as tomato, cucumber and corn are good, delicious choices. Forget packaged chips and corn curls. Too much oil increases the risk of heart disease.
Fresh fruit is great. Try to use local fruit that is in season – golden apple, mango and banana. Forget canned fruit and some Tetra Pac fruit juices or juice drinks; they provide a big portion of sugar.
Dairy food – cheese slices or cubes are great. Natural or fruit yogurt and whole milk are also good. These can be frozen and put in your child’s lunch box. Forget flavoured milks that are high in sugar.
Protein food – a slice of lean meat such as ham, turkey, chicken are great protein givers. Lentil patties and baked beans are healthy choices to use in sandwiches.
Starchy food – pasta, potatoes, rice or ground foods and bran bread are good to use. Forget chocolate spreads, jam, jellies and honey.
Water – our bodies are made up of 80 per cent water. Water is the best drink for children. Forget all sweet drinks such as fruit juice, juice drinks and energy drinks. These drinks can increase the risk of tooth decay and hyperactivity.
Allow and encourage the child to be involved in his/her own lunch preparation, provide him/her with an opportunity to help in the selection of foods and give praise when healthy food choices are made. If the child packs it, she/he will be more likely to eat it.
If you have a packed scheduled on mornings, lunch or snacks can be prepared the night before. Make the lunch look appetizing and full of colour so that the child will want to eat it on opening the box.
Parents can avoid obesity, diabetes and other health conditions in their children by preparing and providing healthy snacks and lunches. A healthy lunch equals a healthy child.
“We are what we eat.”
• Rhonda A. Blackman is an educator, National Development Scholar and former president of the Early Childhood Association of Barbados Inc.; [email protected]
