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What To Pack Your Children For Lunch

15th February, 2012 - Posted by health news - No Comments

You probably make at least a little effort to eat a healthy lunch most days of the week. Even if you enjoy lunch with colleagues or clients, you might choose to eat a salad with grilled chicken rather than a double cheeseburger with large fries. You may know that eating fatty, sugary foods leads to a drop in energy that makes it uncomfortable to get through the late afternoon. Most people experience that sluggish feeling in the late afternoon, but eating a healthier lunch could solve the problem. It is one thing to eat a healthy lunch so you stay energized in the evening, but what are you doing to make sure your children stay energized?

If your children are not consuming a healthy lunch, you can guarantee they are also experiencing that late afternoon slump. This energy slump is caused by the drastic rise and then fall of the blood sugar because of a lack of healthy nutrition. The energy surge and later crash of the blood sugar is brought on by simple carbohydrates and sugars in unhealthy foods.

Many parents who have students in public school do not even know what their children are eating for lunch everyday. This is a travesty since many children would perform better on tests and their report cards if they were allowed a lunch much healthier than what is served in schools today.

Schoolchildren do not have the luxury of just running to Starbucks or the vending machines when they experiencethat afternoon slump, so they have to just stick it out and do their best to pay attention and stay awake. Are you now pondering if there is anything you can do to make their afternoons more enjoyable and functional? There are many things you can do, but one thing is most important.

Packing a Nutritious Lunch

If you have assumed that schools would prepare your children healthy foods, you are wrong in most cases. Common items on the menu for elementary schools include breaded processed chicken nuggets, corn dogs, mac and cheese, and a variety of soggy white noodles with unknown meat. In the middle and high school levels, many schools are offering greasy cheeseburgers, hot dogs, large slices of pizza, and tubs of French fries.

Those are the types of foods that send the body for a steep dip in energy later in the afternoon! It should be quite certain that many kids are not getting the healthy foods they need to remain focused to the end of the school day. If you want to save your children, you will avoid the lunch line and pack your child’s lunch from home. The earlier you start making this a habit, the less resistant they will be to your new lunch options.

If you want to get an older child to accept packed lunches after enjoying the greasy burgers and pizza for many years, sit them down and talk to them about the reasons you want them to eat healthier. Ask them how well they are able to pay attention in the afternoons, and how much energy they would like to have for their afterschool sports.

Try to make a pact with them that will include them packing a healthy lunch for three or four weeks. For most teenagers, that is enough time to see how much better they really feel and adjust their attitudes. Make sure to give teenagers control of how they pack their food and what they carry it to school in.

What’s On the Lunchbox Menu?

Good nutrients supply the fuel that allows your boy or girl to engage in the childrens activities they love. Create your nutritious lunch on lean protein sources, healthy fats, and whole grains. Do not offer refined grains or processed food items that contain simple sugars or starches. If you are thinking that fresh fruits often have simple sugars as well, note that those are healthy, natural sugars that will be balanced out by the nutrients in your other food selections.

Your choice of drink for the lunchbox matters just as much as the food items. Drinks that come bottled or canned typically contain a high amount of sugar. You can find drinks with artificial sweeteners, but they are not much better for the body. Opt for naturally flavored water, or seek out a juice box that is low in sugar at the very least.

Packing your child’s food may be an inconvenience, but think of it as investing in your child’s future. Packing a lunch is also a solution if your boy or girl may possibly be a picky eater. It isn’t just a nutritious lunch for a more alert dat at school, but a healthier body for a more alert and active life.