Nutrition School Lunch

The food served in school lunches should meet the Dietary Guidelines and Recommendations which suggests that at least one-third of the daily requirement of calories, calcium, iron, protein and vitamins like C and A should be met by the lunch meal. Also the calories should could come from no more than 30% of fat and not more than 10% from saturated fats. This would mean that children would be having a well balanced and nutritious lunch every day. But sadly this is not the case and the main problem is that children get to choose the food in as it is served a la carte and also there are many items available in vending machines.

Many schools have an unhealthy mix of food items along with the nutritional food and many times the child choses the wrong food. Many schools now are now serving food items like french fries and pizzas and their vending machines are stocked with sweet snacks and sodas. You might be under the impression that your child is having a healthy lunch but because of these choices you child may be stuffing himself with the most unhealthy food. Also certain surveys conducted by Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine have found that most school lunch menus have food items loaded with saturated fats and harmful cholesterol and low in nutritional foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

It is necessary that you sit with your child and go through the lunch menu of the school cafeteria and recommend the healthier foods on the list which your child likes. Do not be too strict and allow an occasional "unhealthy" item if your child promises to keep to the chosen list most of the time. Find out about the foods that are available in the vending machines in the school premises and try to dissuade your child from getting these items if they are an unhealthy mix.

If you are not sure of the food served in the school than it is always better to pack a lunch for your kid. This way you can ensure a nutritional lunch for your child by packing the healthy food items he or she likes. A sandwich of lean meat and whole wheat bread or with peanut butter and fruits can be very nutritional and also tasty. Discourage sodas and pack a honey or chocolate milk shake. A nutritional school lunch will go a long way in promoting your child's health and will help to maintain high energy levels and alertness.

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