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 Valhalla, NY - Now that kids are back in school, it’s the perfect time for parents to start thinking about school lunches and how to offer their children healthier choices.
Marie Roth, Registered Dietitian at Blythedale Children’s Hospital, offers some back-to-school nutrition tips to help parents make smart decisions about their children’s nutrition:
Providing children with a well-rounded breakfast will allow them to be more alert in school and feel energized throughout the day. Whole grains, fruits, lean meats, and dairy products supply children with important nutrients.
Healthy snacks are vital for growing bodies. Some great snack ideas are ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables, hummus, cottage cheese, yogurt, trail mix, whole grain cereal, whole wheat pretzels, and low fat cheese. Try to avoid chips, offering popcorn in its place.
Go over the cafeteria menu at the beginning of the week to figure out the healthiest choices for your child.
When packing your child’s lunch, keep in mind that it should contain food from all five essential food groups: breads, fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and dairy.
“Remember that children will often get bored and opt for the vending machine or snack bar. To avoid this, provide a variety of foods such as sandwiches, raw veggies, crackers, string cheese, whole fruit, and yogurt,” said Ms. Roth.
She also recommends alternating sandwiches with leftovers, offering dips or spreads to make fruits and vegetables more appealing, and satisfying their sweet tooth with graham crackers, animal crackers and fruit instead of candy and cookies.
Marie Roth is co-author and instructor of "Eat Well, Be Well," Blythedale's community-based nutrition outreach program. She has spoken about healthy eating to more than 16,000 kindergarten through 5th grade students in Westchester and Putnam. She also holds a culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts.
Blythedale’s “Eat Well, Be Well” program provides school staff, students and parents with the tools necessary to help children develop healthy eating habits. For more information about Blythedale’s “Eat Well, Be Well” program, please contact Lena Cavanna at (914) 592-7138 ext. 374.
About Blythedale Children's Hospital
Founded more than 100 years ago, Blythedale Children's Hospital has been a leader in developing innovative, multi-disciplinary inpatient and ambulatory programs, as well as a community resource for children with a variety of medical concerns and their families. For more information about Blythedale Children's Hospital, visit www.blythedale.org
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