Not only is good nutrition essential for your child’s growth, it also plays an important role in keeping the immune system healthy.
A well-functioning immune system will help your child fight the germs that cause colds, coughs and the flu.
Unfortunately, for many rushed parents, convenience foods have become a staple of their child’s lunch box. Since these foods usually contain a lot of sugar and salt, young tastebuds soon learn to love them.
Here are some healthy alternatives that are both quick to prepare and child-approved. Try to pick one or more options from each group:
- Dairy group: a carton of naturally sweetened, low fat yogurt; slices of cheese; a carton of milk (plain or flavoured).
- Fruit/vegetable group: half an apple, sliced; a banana; orange segments; carrot sticks; strawberry and kiwi salad; unsweetened apple sauce; unsweetened juice box.
- Grain/cereal group: wholewheat pita pocket filled with peanut butter; “healthy” cookie with oats and raisins; small serving box of unsweetened cereal.
- Protein group: All meats, fish and soy products provide protein. Dairy products such as cottage cheese, hard cheese and yogurt also supply protein. Most protein choices are included in other food groups or may be combined with them for a healthy snack. Try celery filled with peanut butter and raisins; cottage cheese with small cubes of apple; sliced hard cheese with wholewheat crackers; custard with sliced bananas.
Foods to Avoid
The occasional addition of a less-than-perfect snack for your child is perfectly fine. It only becomes a problem if “unhealthy” foods are an ongoing part of your child’s lunch. Foods that should generally be avoided include processed meats (high in fat, salt and preservatives); candy bars, cereal bars that contain a large quantity of sugar, and store-bought cookies; carbonated drinks (high in sugar or artificial sweeteners, and phosphates that leach calcium from the bones); “empty” calorie foods such as potato chips and similar packaged snacks, and processed cheese spreads (high in fat). School age children don't need more fat in their diet than adults do, so choose lower-fat options whenever possible.
Other Safety Considerations
Ensuring your child eats a healthy lunch goes beyond choosing wholesome foods. If your child’s school or daycare centre does not have a refrigerator, you should avoid foods that require refrigeration, particularly meats, fish and mayonnaise. Freezing a juice box and placing it in your child’s lunch box will keep dairy foods cool enough to inhibit growth of bacteria (and provide your child with a cool drink at lunch time).
Making sandwiches from cold ingredients (bread, tuna, peanut butter,etc. kept in the refrigerator) will also help inhibit growth of bacteria.
If your child uses a reusable lunch bag or box, make sure to clean it weekly with a cloth or paper towel soaked in a weak bleach-and-water solution (one teaspoon of bleach for one gallon of water), or use a disposable antibacterial cloth.