children

Texas Gets It Right!

August 23, 2009|Written by |Filed Under Childhood Nutrition, Lunch, Nutrition News|Comments (0)

On the heels of my recent posts about healthy school lunches, I saw some news about school lunch in Texas. “Lunch ladies no longer serving up fried foods to students” is about how elementary, middle, and high schools will no longer be serving fried foods, candy, and junk food. And on top of that, teachers are not allowed to use candy rewards, students can no longer sell candy and other sugary treats at fundraisers, and vending machine visits for soda and candy are out of the question.
It… read more »

What’s For Lunch? Part 3

August 22, 2009|Written by |Filed Under Childhood Nutrition, Lunch, Nutrition Tips|Comments (2)

Now that you’re aware of the best lunch choices for your kids at school, let’s move on to packing a healthy brown-bag lunch.  The same food groups that kids should fill their plates with at school should be packed for them at home. The benefit of sending them off to school with a pre-made lunch, is that they will be more likely to get the balance they need, and you can make them (or they can make themselves) more interesting combos.
Before I get to the choices, there are a few things you should re… read more »

What’s For Lunch? Part 2

August 21, 2009|Written by |Filed Under Childhood Nutrition, Lunch, Nutrition Tips|Comments (0)

Yesterday I shared with you the top ten foods kids purchase in the cafeteria versus what they bring from home. It was certainly a mixed bag of healthy choices (like fruit, vegetables, and milk) and less wholesome ones (like french fries, salty snacks, and pizza). I was actually pleasantly surprised to see that the top 5 foods purchased at schools were healthier than the top 5 foods kids brought from home. However, there is still a lot of education that needs to be done to help children make better decisi… read more »

What’s For Lunch? Part 1

August 20, 2009|Written by |Filed Under Childhood Nutrition, Lunch|Comments (0)

It’s that time of year again…back to school! And as you’re getting your kids ready with new pencil cases, notebooks, and backpacks, you also need to think about what they’ll be eating for lunch when they’re away from home.  If they’re part of a lunch program at school or buying lunch in a cafeteria, are you aware what they are being offered? If you’re sending them off with a lunch box in hand, are you giving them a balanced meal to help them get through the af… read more »