Advanced Search
Current and Breaking News for Professionals, Consumers and Media

Click here to learn how to advertise on this site and for ad rates.

Food and Nutrition Author: University of Alabama Last Updated: Jul 24, 2010 - 4:49:36 PM



How to Pack a Healthy School Lunch

By University of Alabama
Jul 24, 2010 - 4:46:12 PM



Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Sign up for our Ezine
For Email Marketing you can trust


Email this article
 Printer friendly page
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Newswise — Packing a school lunch has become less a matter of saving money or satisfying a finicky eater—it’s now a matter of health.

With childhood obesity rates at the highest levels ever—the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey estimates a scale-tilting 19.6 percent of U.S. children ages 6-11 are in the 95th percentile of the body mass index, which designates the term obesity—everyone including first lady Michelle Obama is taking steps to reverse the expanding waistlines of America’s children.

Suzanne Henson, assistant professor and director of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at The University of Alabama, offers her tips on packing school lunches loaded in flavor and nutritional value.

Let children shop for, clean, peel or cut up fruits and vegetables (depending on age). If they feel invested in their lunch, they’re more likely to eat it.

Let children select the dinner vegetable and then pack leftovers into the child’s lunchbox.

Watch for foods that can pose a choking hazard for younger children. Cut food
into small bites.

Don’t force children to eat foods, and avoid mealtime and food choices becoming a “battleground.”

Substitute healthier ingredients for those less healthful ones your child enjoys
“Go for Color” is still great advice. Colorful fruits and vegetables are nutrition powerhouses because they’re loaded with good-for-you vitamins and minerals.

If you have a child with a food intolerance or sensitivity, always check the ingredient list. Ingredients are listed on a food label in descending order by weight. Reading the ingredient list also helps us to understand what we are eating.

Take children shopping when both you and they are not hungry – you’re less likely to fill the cart with unplanned purchases if you have eaten before you go shopping.

Be aware of how companies market food to children. For example, something as simple as the foods a child sees from their eye level in a grocery cart to web-based games featuring popular characters off the cereal box can impact your child’s stated preferences.

Subscribe to our FREE Ezine and receive current Health News, be eligible for discounted products/services and coupons related to your Health. We publish 24/7.
HealthNewsDigest.com

For advertising/promotion, email: tvmike13@healthnewsdigest.com Or call toll free: 877- 634-9180


Top of Page

HealthNewsDigest.com

Food and Nutrition
Latest Headlines


+ The Benefits of Frozen Food
+ 10 Clean Foods to Always Put in Your Shopping Cart
+ Chocolate Works of Art For Your Sweetie - 12 Excellent, Though Pricey Chocolates
+ Food For The Mood
+ Critical Food Safety Message from USDA, HHS and Ad Council Prior to the Big Game
+ Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Strongly Supports New Nutrition Standards for Meals Served in Schools
+ Cancer Patients Suffer Needlessly From Lack of Nutritional Support
+ Healthful, Plant-Based Recipes From the 4-Corners of the Earth
+ Healthful And Quick Meals Made Easy With Avocados
+ Celebrate The Sandwich By Baking Delicious Bread



Contact Us | Job Listings | Help | Site Map | About Us
Advertising Information | HND Press Release | Submit Information | Disclaimer

Site hosted by Sanchez Productions