The back to school season can be very stressful for parents. Between rushing to buy school supplies, signing your kids up for after school activities and still finding time for all your other daily duties, it’s easy to forget about lunch. Healthy nutrition is very important for a growing child but it often falls by the wayside for both parents and schools because so many other things take precedent over food. While schools are preparing their students for exams they are overlooking the meals they are feeding them. While many schools have adopted newer, healthier options in their cafeterias, there are still some questionable choices that may not be healthy for your child. This is where you come in. Preparing a lunch for your child to take to school is a simple, quick task that can ensure your child is getting the proper nutrition. That is, as long as you have ideas. Many parents run out of ideas for their kid’s lunches and too quickly turn towards the good ol’ PB and J but it doesn’t have to be difficult to pack your kids a healthy and unique lunch.
There are many resources available online that provide healthy choices for your kids and also meet the daily requirements of each food group. For example, Chop Chop Magazine offers a variety of recipes on their website for school lunches, breakfasts and dinners. The website also provides information on the importance of nutrition in the lives of children. Learn more at chopchopmag.com. Family Circle also offers a lot of helpful information about school lunches as well as fun recipes for you and your child to make together. According to Family Circle, “getting the kids involved significantly ups the odds that they’ll eat what you send” so be sure to have your child help you come up with lunch ideas as well as participate in the preparation. Children are more likely to eat something they prepared because they can appreciate the planning and care that went into making the lunch. Some people worry that they only way to feed their child a healthy lunch is by buying pricey food that is marketed as “nutritious and healthy” but there is no particular brand you have to buy to make a healthy lunch. DIY Life offers a variety of cheap and healthy options for your school lunches as well as other resources to make sure you’re getting the best value for the foods you are purchasing.
Nutrition is an important part of life, but it is easy to forget about. Your life and the lives of your family members are very busy but it’s important to keep nutrition at the front of your mind so that you can make sure you and your family are making healthy choices. It’s easy to make quick, cheap lunches without having to sacrifice nutrition.
Sources:
http://www.diylife.com/2009/08/31/diy-and-save-10-cheap-school-lunch-ideas-that-rock/
http://www.chopchopmag.org/recipes
http://www.familycircle.com/recipes/healthy-eating/lunch/healthy-school-lunch-ideas/
-Jessie