Help Your Child Make Smart Lunch Choices

It won't be long until the kids will be back in school.   If we teach our children how to eat a healthy diet now, while they are young, we can help prevent future disease like Type 2 Diabetes.  Read this helpful article on how to help your child eat a smart lunch:

Help Your Child Make Smart Lunch Choices
Here's what you can do to help your children choose a healthy lunch when they're buying at school:

1. Feed them breakfast. If their stomachs are growling in homeroom, they'll be more likely to load up at the vending machines. If you don't have time to feed them a home-cooked breakfast, try natural peanut butter on a whole wheat bagel and an apple, or a smoothie with soymilk, frozen bananas and peanut butter.

2. Talk to your child about vending machine, a la carte, and school store choices. Help them to realize that it's ok to like candy and fast food, but that doesn't mean they should be an everyday treat.

3. Lead by example. This may be the most effective way to teach anyone anything, albeit the most difficult. The next time you're out to eat with your child, explain why you choose to order the garden burger instead of the hamburger with cheese, or the grilled chicken salad instead of the fried chicken. Kids are sponges--use it to your (and their) advantage.

4. Discuss the cafeteria menu with your child, preferably before you're rushing out the door in the morning. You can help them learn which options are healthier, and talk about the importance of fruits and vegetables. If they don't like what's on the menu, then they'll have time to pack instead.

5. If you are unhappy with your child's school menu options, talk to the school lunch coordinator. Many cafeteria menu makeovers started with just one parent. If you'd like more information about healthy lunch activism, visit www.HealthySchoolLunches.org.


Too Much Junk!
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