The Low-down on Healthy School Lunches

One of our chief responsibilities as parents is to teach our children healthy habits. So it’s no surprise that one of the most important things we can do to ensure a good school day is to pack a lunchbox full of nutritious, power-foods that will keep our kids full and focused.

Experts say the items you pack inside that lunch box affect the mood and behaviors of the children, so monitoring carbohydrates and sugars is a big job. The ability to function, focus and learn well in school is greatly affected by a child’s diet, making it more important than ever to pay attention to what you are packing.

“Too much sugar and carbohydrates often have an adverse affect on kids behavior, making them hyperactive, which makes them anxious, jittery, and restless,” according to Dr. Lorraine Hutchinson, a Cupertino therapist specializing in weight control.

Hutchinson says there have been countless studies that indicate that children act up and have disciplinary problems in school directly after lunch because of the poor food choices that were made at lunchtime.

She says that making healthy foods readily available to kids, and having healthy options packed in their lunchboxes each day will contribute to a solid lifelong relationship with good eating habits.

And she warns parents that all eyes are on them when it comes to their own eating habits, so modeling good behavior is paramount.

“As parents and adults we should show by example,” Hutchinson said.

According to the Cupertino Union School District’s website, “Good nutrition and learning go hand in hand.”

On the district nutrition website it provides a healthy snack calculator that measures the nutrient density of snack foods, so parents can help their children make healthier choices.

The website also offers more nutrition tips for parents and students including menus, healthy snacks, wellness, fitness and nutrition information.

Here are a few additional lunch-packing tips for moms and dads embarking on another year of early morning sandwich making:

• Pay close attention to the balance of your child’s lunch rather than counting calories to ensure you’ve packed a well-rounded meal; make sure there’s a good balance of carbs, fat and protein.
• Avoid the empty calories hidden inside of juice boxes and offer water instead. If your child doesn’t like water, try flavoring it with fruit or a hint of juice.
• Include fun finger foods that your child will enjoy eating such as crackers and cheese or cucumbers and hummus.
• Use unprocessed items — avoid those bags of Doritos and Oreos — instead opt for blueberries and pretzels.
• The more colorful the better — most natural foods are colorful, choose your items based on this.
• Be creative. Nobody likes the same old sandwich every day. Use last night’s leftover grilled chicken and wrap it up in a whole-wheat pita with some hummus, or make a salad.
• Cut up veggies and pack with hummus or bean dip, or fruits with yogurt dip.
• Be careful about nitrates in lunch meat.
• Always tuck in a cold pack with items that need refrigeration such as meat, yogurt or milk.
• Opt for whole grain.
• Nuts, yogurts (be careful of brands that containt added sugar), and cheese make for a protein-packed lunch.
• Check with your school to see what the “hot lunch” program offers. The Cupertino Union School District closely follows the USDA nutrition information as it pertains to portion and balance to provide its students with the healthiest of options, according to the district website.