I was really interested when I found an article last week showing that data supports the idea that more time for school lunch means eating more of the healthier foods. This is certainly the case in my house, as my elementary student repeatedly tells me that he doesn’t have enough time to eat all of his lunch.
The Harvard Gazette published an article Short Lunch Periods Don’t Serve Students Needs reporting on the findings from a study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published on September 11, 2015.
If your children (or you) don’t have enough time to eat a healthier lunch, here are ways you can help them get the right kind of nutrition to fuel their growing brains and bodies:
- Start the day with a well balanced and nutritious breakfast
- Pack a hearty snack for mid-morning
- hard boiled egg
- peanut butter or sunflower seed butter on a bagel
- slices of apple and slices of cheese
- Reduce the number of lunch items and focus on healthy, high quality ingredients
- Prepare an after-school snack so that it is ready to eat as they get home (or packed if they go straight to after-school activities)
- Make a dinner main dish loaded with vegetables since it is usually the least consumed food group during breakfast and lunch.
Let’s do lunch – the right way!
Cheers,
GREAT ideas! I love this. My son also complains of a short lunch time and occasionally will bring items home saying he just didn’t have enough time to eat. And volunteering on occasion at lunchtime, I have experienced myself how difficult it is to eat a full lunch. I love your helpful ideas. I will do them. And I’ve also used time and again your healthy snacks list to shake up our routine. I also try and pack small healthy portions in his lunch so that he’ll have the chance to eat what is there and I make sure instead of chips, he’s getting crunchy fruits or vegetables. It is a challenge! I appreciate you writing about this!