| Pack
Kids' Lunches
Full
of Nutrients
As
more and more schools offer hot dogs, pizza and nachos for
lunch, conscientious parents are seeking more nutritious alternatives
for their kids. Packing healthy lunches can be the solution,
but the task has to be quick and easy for time-crunched adults.
Furthermore, the meals must be kid friendly. If your clients
include concerned parents, overweight children or both, pass
along these tips from registered dietitian Nancy Teas of San
Diego.
"Younger kids especially like bright, colorful foods
that have interesting textures and are fun to nibble on,"
Teas says. She suggests packing baggies of frozen peas and
corn straight from the freezer or buying prepackaged baby
carrots. She also cites fresh fruit as a great addition and
points to sesame sticks, almonds and trail mix as other crunchy
foods that go down well. Of course, with regard to trail mix,
Teas advises looking for a mix with nuts and raisins and avoiding
combinations heavy on sweets.
According to Teas, sandwiches are a good choice as long as
they're made with whole-grain breads, and leftover stir-fry
and rice can offer a tasty alternative for older kids. In
addition, she says that, during the winter, a small thermos
of hot soup can be satisfying. However, she recommends that
parents read labels to make sure they're buying a quality
product.
As for drinks, Teas warns against packing soda. "Sodas
add empty calories," she says. "Also, more young
girls are breaking bones, which seems to be related to soda
consumption."
In Teas' estimation, fruit juice is definitely better, but,
again, parents must shop wisely. Products sold as "fruit
drink" may be only 5 percent fruit and mostly refined
sugar. Even real fruit juice should not be consumed willy-nilly:
Juice retains fruit's natural sugar but does not have its
fiber, so I cup per day is plenty for children. Their other
beverages should be milk and water.
Reported
by Kate Watson
Title: Pack kids’ lunches full of nutrients
Doc Date: 2003
Journal Name: IDEA personal trainer
Journal Volume: 14
Journal Publisher: International Association of Fitness Professionals
Journal Issue: 2
back
to newsletter
|
