School Lunch
By Anne Kolker MS Registered Dietitian
Every parent wants to know what to make for school lunch. It is frustrating to find out your child didn’t eat a thing you made, even after they suggested what to put in it. It is also frustrating because it is just another thing to remember in a busy day of parenting. Of course many schools provide lunch either from vendors (Roundtable Pizza, etc) or from the USDA’s National School Lunch program (NSLP). At the end of this article I will recommend some good lunch ideas.
In the meantime, now that I have your attention, I wanted to inform you about school policies that are supposed to improve school lunches among other things related to wellness.
Did you know that Congress passed a law requiring public schools participating in the NSLP or even just in the Special Milk Program to adopt a school wellness policy (WP) by 2006? Congress recognizes that schools play a critical role in promoting student health, preventing childhood obesity, and combating problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity [1]. The objective of a WP is to set goals for nutrition education, physical activity, campus food provision, and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness.
Physical activity and nutrition education are two areas in school that can get pushed aside with more and more emphasis on academics (i.e. standardized testing) and only so much time in a school day. Furthermore, the NSLP traditionally has not offered healthy lunch options (relying on commodities such as cheese [high in saturated fat]). Similarly, schools that do not participate in the NSLP may rely on vendors to provide lunch (e.g. McDonalds, Burger King, Togo’s, etc).
Your district’s WP should have language specifically addressing the nutrition content of school lunch and items sold a la carte. Even if your kids attend a private school, it is a good idea if they adopt some type of wellness guideline. Most WPs follow the suggested government recommendation such as the following:
Each food item will have no more than 35% of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds, cheeses, peanut butter, avocado, and other nut butters) and no more than 10% of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined with a goal of total elimination of trans fat.
School fundraisers, such as bake sales, may be addressed to match similar nutrition guidelines. Do you think this goes too far touching upon the sacred bake sale? Perhaps, but when you think about all the added sugar kids are eating in a week. (1-2 lbs per week) from birthday parties, soccer practice, and even from candies handed out by teachers, it is a good starting point. We expect our school to offer the best curriculum and set high standards, so it is essential that schools set standards in other areas as well. Rather than think of it as limiting, think of it as being creative. Instead of selling brownies, try a walk-a-thon, a car washing event, or selling holiday cards and gift wrap. Instead of just relying on fast food companies to deliver lunch, talk to local foodservice caterers. Or work with your vendor to replace cookies with fresh fruit.
Check with your school district and find out what is in your school’s WP. Also, find out if you are under the school requirements for minutes of physical activity. Ask if kids are being withheld from recess (this is not an acceptable practice and takes away important time for a child to be active). A WP should address all of these areas and should have been created with input from teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders in the community (generally by a wellness committee). Unfortunately, there is no penalty at this time if your school does not have a WP nor are there any penalties for not following the guidelines. Hopefully, parents and teachers will want to ensure that a guideline is created and is being utilized. It takes commitment from at least one person to ensure these policies are created and followed.
Ahhh, but back to school lunch. What should a parent do when a child only wants to buy school lunch and it isn’t healthy, or a child is bored with the lunches you pack from home? And really, does one meal a day make a difference? Yes. When kids get used to eating high fat food, this can form a long-term habit (fat does taste good). The time to set permanent healthy behavior is early and reinforcing during school is no exception.
Depending on the age of your child, have her help plan lunch or even prepare part of it. This can be done just once or twice a week to get your child involved.
Remember that children love to get out and play and sometimes will eat very little so they can have more time on the school playground. Packing a snack for early or late recess may be a good idea (peanuts and cashews are full of fiber and protein). Don’t be upset with them if their lunch is only half consumed. She is just a social butterfly. Offer sliced peaches and plain yogurt when she gets home. Make a fruit smoothie with your son using frozen fruit, vanilla yogurt, and milk.
Talk to your child about the lunch program and help him choose a healthy option. Although it is quite convenient not to pack a lunch, try a bag lunch at least two times a week. For older kids this can help your budget as kids who can go off campus can spend a lot on lunch (of questionable nutritional value).
Healthy things to pack:
- Edamame (soybean) or sugar snap peas (good source of protein)
- Cube cheese and offer it on a toothpick
- Trail mix (nuts, dried cranberries stick pretzels)
- Sliced mango, kiwi, or apples (use orange juice to help prevent browning)
- Vanilla yogurt with raspberries and granola or nuts on top (place it in a small plastic container (use an ice pack to keep it cold)
- Use leftover chicken from dinner last night and make a sandwich vs. processed sandwich meat which is high in sodium (salt)
- Use a cookie cutter to shape sandwiches into hearts, flowers, etc (young kids love to eat fun-shaped sandwiches)
- Open faced bagel with cream cheese and a face (use raisin for the eyes, a cashew for the nose etc.)
- Peanut butter and banana sandwich – apples will work too.
- Fresh mozzarella cheese in a tortilla
- Use a thermos in the cold months and fill it up with soup or pasta with a little bit of chicken broth for added taste
- Cereal. Just make sure it is high in fiber (5 grams) and low in sugar (under 10 grams). Provide a container with a top and a spoon; your child can add the milk provided at school.
For more information on Federal Wellness Policies check out these websites:
- http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/wellnesspolicy.html
- http://actionforhealthykids.org/wellnesstool/index.php
- http://www.opi.state.mt.us/schoolfood/wellness.html
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