Packing Nutrition Into Lunch

Packing Nutrition Into Lunch

It is that time of year again! The kids are off to school and they will be opening their lunch bags in anticipation, wondering if a cookie awaits them this time.  I remember my lunches in school; they were huge, usually consisting of a sandwich with processed cheese, a yogurt, a fruit, juice box and a ‘treat’, which could have been anything from a Passion Flakey to a stack of Chips-a-hoy.  This lunch is pretty typical, even today.  Unfortunately, the pattern remains that children are getting too much sugar and too little fiber and protein.  It is time to step outside the lunch-box, sandwiches are convenient, but stews, soups, veggies/dips and left-over’s from the night before can help pack more nutrition into lunch!

Sugar is the biggest culprit. A 2009 study performed by the American Heart Association found that children 1 to 3 years old consume an average of 12 tsp of added sugar every day. By 4 to 8 years of age, they have an average of 21 tsp a day. By 9 to 13 years they consumed a whopping 26 tsp of sugar a day! But the “winners” by far are teens.  Between the ages of 14 to 18 years old, teens consumed 30 tsp or 480 calories from sugar per day.

Sugar adds calories with no nutritional value, often displacing vitamins, mineral and fiber from the diet.  In addition to being the biggest contributor to the epidemic of childhood obesity, it weakens the immunes system substantially and can be the root cause of frequent infections during the cold and flu season.  It can also wreak havoc on a child’s energy levels, behaviour, attention span, school performance and ability to cope with stress.

To keep sugar consumption in check, avoid giving a daily dessert or treat and only offer them at special occasions.  Try offering fruit instead. Packaged foods are the biggest source of sugar consumption.  Granola bars, cookies, flavoured yogurts, juice boxes all pack a sugary punch.  Look carefully at packages and try and choose products with little to no added sugar and lots of fiber.  Pack water instead of juice and remember not to give artificial sweetener to children in place of sugar either!

The best sources of fiber are whole grains, lentils, legumes and vegetables.  A survey conducted by the American Diabetic Associated set out to measure fiber consumption of preschools.  What they found was that ALL the children that were followed fell far below the recommended intake of 19g of fiber per day.  A simple rule of thumb; the less refined the carbohydrate, the more fiber you will find naturally.  Sticking to a whole foods diet will keep digestion healthy and prevent constipation.

Protein rich foods are being replaced by carbohydrates in children’s lunch boxes. Children between the ages of 7-10 need approximately 28g of protein per day. Older children ages of 11-18 need between 45-50g per day and teen boys can use up to 60g!  If sandwiches are a staple in your home, the average slice of lunch meat contains 2.5g of protein.  A 100g serving of hummus contains 7.5g of protein and 3.4g of fiber! A 2 tbsp serving of nut/seed butter contains 7g of protein and 3.2g of fiber!

The food wheel below is a simple tool to help you increase the nutritional value of meals.  Every effort should be made to ensure that every meal, including snacks, consists of foods that have anti-oxidants, protein and healthy carbohydrates.

Nutritious Snack Ideas:

-cucumber and pepper slices with a chick pea dip

-Sliced apples with nut or seed butter

-veggie and cheese sticks

-dehydrated chick peas and kale chips

-plain yogurt with berries

-smoothies

-trail mix

-edamame (steamed soy beans with sea salt)

 

Nutritious Lunch Ideas:

-quiche (with veggies like spinach cooked in to it)

-hearty soups or stews with lots of veggies, poultry or meat, and whole grains like brown rice/barley

-lentil soup

-homemade pizza with whole grain crust and lots of veggies

-salad with cheese, egg, meat or beans (they have invented fantastic Tupperware containers for salad & dressing!)

-sandwiches or wraps with home-sliced chicken breast, beef roast or egg salad on whole grain bread or pita

-veggie burgers