GOOD
Food
Back to School: Diversity in Their Lunch BY LAURA SPENCER
As a new school year approaches, an old question arises: what to pack for school lunches to support our children’s rapid development and also meet their high-energy demands?
O
n average, school lunches provide around 26% of daily calories—not a small number if we think of their cumulative effect on a child’s weekly diet. It is also the meal that generally contains less nutritionally dense food such as leafy greens, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. From ages 6 to 12, it is common to see a spike in children's appetites, which can lead to more snacking between meals, making it even more important to offer a balanced school lunch that meets their growing demands. It is easy and convenient to default to “healthy” processed foods, in some cases unavoidably, as there is simply not time to do it all in the morning rush. Parents are doing a great job, though, at providing alternatives to sugary foods and drinks, and the level of awareness on this topic is growing in the right direction. Schools are also playing their part by limiting or restricting access to overly processed, sugary foods, especially since the number of diabetic and obese children has tripled in Canada in the last 30 years; however, there is room for improvement.
Children should consume less than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day, or 5% of their total energy intake, which averages around 60 calories. The over-consumption of sugar can not only impact their weight, but it has also been linked to cognitive impairment, negative neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt to new environmental changes), and risk of tooth decay, inflammation, sluggish immunity response, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance.
Start Small
Worried about the best sources of these types of foods?
It is easy to let enthusiasm carry us away and implement all the ideas and tips we encounter, but children are rooted in routine and changes need to be made gradually. Start small and expose them to a diversity of foods consistently and slowly.
Don’t be. When we focus on providing a variety of foods, we are generally providing a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals needed by our children’s bodies, although supplementation of certain vitamins and minerals might be necessary with certain restrictive diets.
Seemingly unrelated, but with great causative effect on hunger levels and a child's readiness to eat their school lunch, is to provide a balanced breakfast that includes protein, healthy fats, and fibre, and not only simple carbohydrates. These foods provide a steady source of energy without disrupting blood glucose levels too rapidly, which allows them to develop healthy hunger cues and a willingness to eat their own lunches.
Simply do your best to make diversity your best ally when designing your children’s plates. For example, pay attention to seasonal vegetables; they are high in nutrition and are most likely to be local—great qualities in a food. Branch out from the familiar whole grains like oats and quinoa to explore new options such as buckwheat, amaranth, or millet, and of course, make colour a fun element as well.
LAURA SPENCER is one of Nature’s Fare Markets’ vitamin specialists and a passionate foodie. She believes we can be as happy, healthier, and fulfilled as we allow ourselves to be. As a certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant, she works with people to help them achieve a healthy lifestyle by focusing on modifying behaviours and eating habits that are not working. 13 | September/October 2021
Protein is required for the formation of new muscle, organ, and bone tissue. Fat is fundamental for brain health, hormone protection, and nutrient absorption. Fibre helps with longer satiety periods and maintaining a steady glucose level, as it slows down the digestion of carbohydrates, which also have a very important role in providing the body the necessary energy for its demanding activities.
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