What's in Your Child's Lunchbox?

With the school year on the horizon it brings many parents back to the question: What should I pack for my child’s lunch? 

Many schools provide the option of packing your child’s lunch or purchasing a hot lunch. If you have a picky eater (as I do), try to find healthy and easy solutions for your child’s lunch.

The website for National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Control stated: “The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5 percent 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008; and among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0 percent to 18.1 percent.” 

The fact that childhood obesity has more than tripled over the last 30 years should tell schools, and most of all parents, that we need to help our children develop healthy habits while they are young.

Emily Bailey, a registered dietician and director of nutrition and massage at NutriFormance in Frontenac, who also offers child and adolescent nutritional coaching, explained that when it comes to packing your child’s lunch, the biggest mistake parents make is not involving the children in the meal planning. Whether it's going over the school lunch menu for healthy options or going to the grocery store to pick out healthy lunch choices, your child should be involved. 

Parents also have a misconception that a child must finish their plate. 

Children are in tune to being hungry or full, Bailey said. In general, daily, children ages 9 to 13 should have 5 to 6 ounces  of grains, 2 to 2.5 cups of veggies, 1.5 to 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of dairy, 5 to 6 ounces of protein and 5 teaspoons of healthy fats, Bailey said. Your child can easily eat the recommended amounts during the span of three meals, even if a snack is added, she said. 

If you are concerned about what your child is eating at home, you have a way of helping get the day off to the right start. 

“Eating breakfast can help improve behavior and school performance, as well as promote healthy weight, whereas when a child (or anyone) skips breakfast, their brains and bodies suffer all day long,” Bailey said. 

Bailey’s advice on packing a well-rounded lunch:

• Make a spreadsheet of foods your child likes and foods you need to reintroduce. Include portions of each daily food group to plan a well-balanced meal. 

• For those students eating lunch at school, make sure your child includes a fruit or vegetable and a dairy, such as milk. Go over the menu with your child to select healthy food options.

• For those who do breakfast on the run, make a plan the night before. For example, choose a piece of fruit such as a banana, a bag of trail mix and between a quarter and a half a cup of milk. 

• Moderation is important when dealing with unhealthy foods.  Encourage your children to choose a fruit or vegetable with their entrées.

• Remember to continuously reintroduce foods. Dinner is a great way to reintroduce and lead by example to your child.

When choosing healthy lunch options for your child, take them with you and allow them to pick out things for their lunches. They will be less likely to trade or throw their lunch away. 

Education is the key. If we educate our children now on healthy food choices and lead by example, we can decrease the rate of childhood obesity in the country.