School Lunches – The Bane of Every Parent’s Existence

When I was in elementary school I had a choice: peanut butter and jam with an apple; peanut butter and honey with an apple; or peanut butter and banana with an apple. The problem now is that kids have too many choices and frankly, they are too fussy – my children included. Also with nut allergies, the peanut butter option has kind of disappeared. Parents at my kids’ school often approach me and ask what I put in their lunches. They are often surprised when I tell them that starting last year both my girls, aged 9 and 12, make their own lunches. I make sure I have healthy choices in the house, then I set out some clear rules, and they follow them. Since I believe in the 80/20 rule, they must have 80% of their lunch healthy choices and 20% “treats”. Since the treats part is easy, I will talk about what I consider to be healthy choices. First, however, I would like to suggest you invest in some really good quality food containers (safe plastics are #1, #2, #4 and #5), a wide mouth thermos and freezer packs. This will make life so much easier.

- Any kind of fresh fruit, apples, sliced oranges, pears, grapes, etc. Put the fruit in containers wrapped in paper towel to stop it from bruising. If your kids like apples or pears cut up, sprinkle a little lemon juice over them to stop them from turning brown (oxidation). If nuts are permitted, try having some peanut butter to dip the fruit in to. If fresh fruit is not feasible, an alternative would be something like Motts Fruitsations (Unsweetened). Dried fruit would be the last choice since it is a very concentrated form of sugar. ¼ cup of raisins is equivalent to about 1 cup of grapes. I NEVER recommend fruit juice since it is basically “liquid sugar”. 1 cup of 100% pure apple juice is equal to about 3 or 4 apples and has 30g or 7½ tsp. worth of sugar, but is devoid of the incredible nutrients and fibre that are naturally found in apples. DRINK WATER, EAT FRUIT!!!!!
- ‘Veggies and dip’ is a great, fun way to start incorporating some “greens” into the diet. Cut up celery, carrots, broccoli, etc. and the dip of their choice. We love Renee’s dressings since they are quite “clean”. Hummus is also a great choice. We also like celery with cream cheese or peanut butter.
- Whole grain wraps are so much more fun than sandwiches and the variety is endless. Cook up extra poultry or meat at dinner time, slice it up thinly and use that in the wraps in place of processed meats. If you are vegetarian, use legumes. Add shredded cheese, thinly sliced carrots, sliced red pepper, shredded lettuce, their favourite dressing, guacamole, sour cream, whatever they like – in fact, let them help you make them. If you cut the wraps in ½ inch segments and use colourful toothpicks, they look like pinwheels. I love having peanut butter and a whole banana in a wrap.
- Multigrain crackers and cheese. You can use the thermos for cut up cheese to keep it cold. You can buy pre-sliced cheddar cheese in most stores now. I do NOT recommend processed cheese at all since it is made with Formaldehyde.
- Yogurt cups can also be put in a thermos with ice. Chose 2% fat or higher since children need the fat for their brains to work properly and the low fat varieties are usually loaded with sugar, or worse yet, aspartame. Olympic brand is my favourite. Island Farms is also good.
- If nuts are permitted, then ¼ cup of mixed nuts would be great.
- Chick peas (garbonzo beans) right out of the can are yummy and loaded with protein, iron and zinc. Buy organic if possible

The list of things I DON’T recommend is too long for this article, but you are welcome to make an appointment with me to come to your home or take you grocery shopping along with your kids and together we will get you all on the right track.

Healthy Children For Life - Breakfast

Imagine building a house without a foundation. It may stay standing for awhile, but eventually it will start to shift and crack and eventually collapse. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast should be considered as important to your body as a solid foundation is to a house. The word breakfast literally means “breaking the fast”. After you stop eating in the evening, there is usually about 12 hours until you rise and eat again. Although it is important for your body to rest during the night, it is extremely important to begin nourishing your body once you awaken. As soon as you eat, your metabolism revs up. The internal organs, including the brain, can perform their respective functions and you have energy to begin your day. On the contrary, if you don’t eat, your metabolism is not activated and the body starts to go into starvation mode. The human body has a natural instinct to preserve itself and basic functions begin to slow down as the body responds to a lack of nutrients. By not consuming breakfast, you stress all your internal organs, you have trouble concentrating because there is no energy for your brain, and you create a body that is destined to be obese as it learns to hold onto fat due to this perceived famine. Therefore, eating a healthy breakfast is an extremely important habit to teach your children.

So what are the best choices for breakfast? It is very important at every meal to have carbohydrates and protein. Let’s start with the carbs. A great habit to instill in your children is to have fresh fruit to start the day. Fruit gives you tons of energy, it’s full of nutrients and enzymes for digestion and most varieties have a good amount of fibre. When it comes to bread, insist on multigrain. White bread should be considered a “treat” just like candy. My youngest daughter likes when I make “M&Ms”. No, not the chocolate kind. I toast up some multigrain bread, her current favourite is Dempster’s Whole Grains “Ancient Grains” (3g of fibre and 5g protein per slice). Then after buttering it, I sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top. Cinnamon is a great blood sugar stabilizer and antioxidant. Then I cut the bread into the letter “M”, the first letter of her name. Somehow this makes it taste much more delicious.

Next, I would recommend a good source of protein. Plain, low fat yogurt is great because it is loaded with protein, is an excellent source of calcium, has lots of good bacteria for the intestines and is easy to add flavour to. Stir in the aforementioned fruit, some honey or maple syrup, some chopped up nuts and a high quality granola and you have a very satisfying breakfast. Or make a smoothie with the fruit and yogurt. In my experience, if you give them straws, kids are more likely to drink it. It’s all about making it fun. Stay away from presweetened yogurts that are loaded with sugar. One of my daughters’ favourite breakfasts is what we call “string cheese egg”. I pour egg whites into a fry pan and the girls string the cheese over the top. I serve it rolled up and they love it. What a great blast of protein

Many people ask me about breakfast cereals and instant oatmeal. I am not a fan because most are loaded with sugar and are low in protein and fibre. Nature’s Path, Kashi and President’s Choice brands have some excellent cereals, but make sure you check the nutrition label. Look for at least 4g of protein and 3g of fibre. My kids love the Nature’s Path Optimum and Optimum Slim. They are both loaded with fibre and protein and are actually fantastic to eat after exercising.

By starting the day right, your kids will be ready to perform their best in school, in sports and in life.