Back to school season has arrived. In addition to the nightly rituals of homework and making sure things are ready for the next day comes the daily “what will they eat for lunch” discussion. For some, that can be a struggle.
Being hungry has an enormous impact on a student’s ability to learn, so make sure your child has enough to eat during the day. At the same time, you want it to be healthy, but they have to want to eat it, too. It can be a delicate balance.
Shelby Miller is a pediatric dietitian with the University of Illinois College of Medicine. When it comes to school lunches, Miller says planning ahead is key. Most schools have a menu that is sent out. She encourages families to look at those menus and decide if what’s offered is something their child will or will not eat. If they don’t eat lunch, they may come home hungry and either eat a huge snack and not eat dinner, or they just eat all night, which can lead to obesity.
Miller says it’s okay to send children with some healthy extras to go along with the cafeteria lunch.
“If the school menu says it’s a chicken patty sandwich with green beans, fruit, and milk, and the kids like the sandwich and the fruit, but maybe they don’t like green beans, then send them with some carrots. You can kind of fill that hole with something else,” Miller suggested. “Or if they don’t like the sides that go with the main dish, but you want them to have that main item, whether it be the chicken sandwich, cheeseburger, or pizza, it’s okay to always send something extra.”
If you pack your child’s lunch, Miller says to try to balance it with all food groups, including fruits and vegetables, and don’t go overboard on grains. She says if your child doesn’t like the low-fat white milk offered, go for water. Even using flavor drops is okay. The occasional chocolate or strawberry milk, often sold by schools, is okay on occasion. Think of it as a once-a-week treat.
When it comes to high schoolers, one of the biggest issues is skipping lunch altogether, because they can’t get to the lunchroom with enough time to eat, or they head straight to the a la cart lines with pizza, chips, or sugary treats. Miller says while those are okay every once in a while, they shouldn’t be an everyday occurrence.
“A lot of the high schools in the area have a salad bar option, so promote that a couple times a week. Again, it’s okay to have nachos every once in a while. It’s completely okay to have pizza every once in a while, too, or maybe one or two days a week when you let them have an a la carte option. Otherwise, packing a lunch that includes fruits and vegetables or picking from the salad bar line is going to be key,” said Miller.
Another key to making sure your child eats healthy is to make sure adults are setting a good example.