Feeding children is not easy, but it’s vital that they take healthy packed lunches to school. Not only does it affect how they behave, but also how well they concentrate and learn in the afternoon. Haven’t you ever found that certain kinds of food made you sleepy in the afternoon?
As well as choosing things that are easy to transport and eat, you want to make sure you’ve got some variety too. Children, like adults, will soon grow tired of eating the same thing every day. The easiest way to do this is to break the meal down into five parts:
Complex Carbs: Starchy food, like wholemeal bread in their sandwich, will provide slow-release energy. Cold pasta salads are also a good option. For a change, you could make up some pizza the night before (feel free to use lots of veggies here), and wrap it up to be eaten cold for lunch.
Protein: This is what’s going to keep them full and keep their concentration levels from wavering. Lean meat, chicken, hard-boiled egg and peanut butter are all good options. A roast at the weekend can provide many a filling during the week. A bun with roasted vegetables is another great sandwich filler.
Dairy: Bone-strengthening calcium is important for growing children. Rather than a flavoured yoghurt, give them plain yoghurt with added add fresh fruit. Choose a different fruit every day: passion fruit, pineapple, mango, pureed banana…the list is endless.
Although it’ll take a couple of weeks to get into the swing of things, the more you start planning and shopping, the easier (and more interesting) the whole process will become. Encourage the children to get involved too – the more hands-on they are, the more likely they want to eat the final product. It’s all part of them establishing a healthy relationship with food.
So long as your child follows a well-balanced diet 80 per cent of the time, you needn’t worry about the other 20 per cent. Some child psychologists believe that if you are too strict about food at home, then your children are more likely to stray into eating unhealthy foods when they are away from home. In fact, it’s a good idea to have a few chocolates and sweets around the house from time to time for your children to dip into if they wish. This ‘take it or leave it’ attitude is believed to stop them from going crazy around these foods when away from home.
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