Sandwiches vs. Hot Lunches.

Parents in some areas of the country were surprised to learn of a new regulation when their children

returned to school last year. Rather than being given the option to send their children to school with a lunch prepared at home, they were informed all children would be eating lunches prepared at school. For some, this decision has raised concerns.

What has caused some school districts to require families purchase school lunches? And is the lunch provided at the school really that much better? Below are some ideas to consider, both for and against allowing children to bring lunches from home.

Pros

Some children have food allergies. It is unlikely that schools have the resources to arrange separate meals for all different types of food allergies. By allowing the parent to send a lunch from home, the child is ensured it will have foods which are safe for their particular dietary needs.

Parents have more control over how much money they spend. School lunches can be expensive. Not all families will qualify for free or reduced lunches. By allowing parents to prepare and send lunches from home, they are able to pack a lunch that fits within their family’s budget.

Some children are picky eaters. Schools prepare the same meals for all students and have very little variety. It won’t matter that little Joey doesn’t eat pizza, if that is what is served for lunch that day, he will either eat it or go hungry. By allowing parents to send lunches from home, they can be confident their child will eat something rather than go hungry.

Many school districts provide meals that are too high in fat, salt or sugar. By allowing parents to send lunches from home, the parent is able to control the foods their child eats and can ensure the choices are healthy.

Cons

School lunches are planned by a registered dietician to meet the children’s dietary needs. Many schools are concerned the child won’t bring healthy food to eat and want to ensure the children get at least one healthy meal each day.

Parents don’t always have the time to prepare a healthy lunch so the child ends up fixing it. This could lead to a child putting only non-healthy items into their lunchbox.

Most lunches children bring from home are cold rather than the hot lunches provided by the school.

Parents in school districts which forbid or limit bringing lunches from home often feel the government is trying to control things too much. While there may be some merit to requiring school lunches, the parent ultimately wants to be able to decide whether a sandwich from home is better than the hot lunch from school which their child won’t eat.

Sandwiches vs. Hot Lunches.

Mayonnaise - fast, delicious, healthy.

I love salads with mayonnaise! And I prefer healthy food. This type of mayonnaise good for adult and for children.

Ingredients

150 gram olive oil

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar 5% (or lemon juice)

1/3 teaspoon of salt

Direction

In a blender pour the olive oil, add the egg, vinegar and salt. Beat all ingredients until the mayonnaise.

PS. You need to have a correct blender. I use this model:

Mayonnaise - fast, delicious, healthy.

Healthy After School Snack Ideas.

If you are a parent who has school age children, you have most likely noticed your children making

a quick detour to the kitchen for an after school snack.  If this is the case, you want to make sure your child has healthy snacks that will satisfy their hunger but not ruin dinnertime for them.

It’s not surprising that most children are hungry when they come in from school.  School lunch times are often earlier than noon and by the time they complete their afternoon at school, they will have already digested their lunch and will be ready for something else to eat.

Here are some basic tips and after school snack ideas that will help satisfy your child’s hunger but will also leave room for a nutritious dinner.

First of all, you need to consider what type of eating schedule your child is on.  Younger children may have a mid-morning snack, but the older school age kids generally do not.  Find out the meal schedule your child follows on a daily basis and this will help you determine how hungry your child is when they come home from school.

Secondly, do not offer food or drinks that contain a lot of sugar.  Offer water or skim milk as an alternative and if dinnertime is soon, water is most likely best because milk can be very filling.  Knowing your child’s mealtime routines will help you determine what snacks are best for them.

Giving Your Child Some Choices

Talk to your child about what types of snacks they would prefer after school.  It’s all about choices and if your child knows they have the option to make choices, you will most likely see your child reali es there are alternatives to chips, sodas and other low-nutrient snack foods.  You don’t necessarily have to ban them from such snack foods or drinks, but these are things that you don’t want them to consume on a daily basis for after school snacks.  Let your child help you make choices when grocery shopping and encourage them to choose snacks that are low in fat, sugars and sodium.  Letting your child be involved in making choices related to their own foods will help them learn to make healthy choices for themselves.

Keep in mind that kids are most often going to choose snacks that are pretty much ready to eat and easy to come by.  Don’t expect your child to do a lot of snack preparation on their own.  If you intend to offer things like fresh fruits or vegetables, make sure those snacks are readily available and pre-prepared so your child can just simply open the refrigerator, make their choice and enjoy.

If your child is a teenager, they may want to prepare their own snacks.  In that case, all you have to do is make sure the food is available and if preparation is necessary, you may want to show them how to do it or leave written instructions just in case you aren’t home when they get in from school.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Some healthy and creative snack ideas that you may want to consider for your child are things such as:

Fresh Veggies & Dip – Fresh veggies are a great option for children of any age.  You want to make sure you offer a low fat/low calorie dip.  You can use fresh celery, carrots, broccoli or other fresh cut veggies.  When they know dip is available, it will make the veggies more appealing to your child.  This is a snack that is good for children of any age.

Ants on a log – This is an easy option where you stuff celery with peanut butter and top with raisins.  Younger children seem to love this option.

Egg Wedges – Take hard boiled eggs and cut into wedges.  Put some cheese on top or pieces of fresh fruit.

Fresh Fruits – Try to make sure you have a supply of apples, oranges, bananas and other fruits available. Ask your child which fruits they prefer and give them a couple to choose from at snack time.

Those are just some suggested ideas for healthy after school snacks for your children.  There are many more foods to choose from.  Use your own creativity and although you don’t necessarily have to totally ban your child from snacking on other things, you don’t want them to be in the habit of choosing things like potato chips and soda instead of an apple and glass of water or skim milk. Once your child reali es they have healthy snack options to choose from and know those foods are just as satisfying, they will most likely begin to choose those healthy snacks versus the snacks that have no nutritional value.

Healthy After School Snack Ideas.

Fruit and Rice Warm Me Up.

What You Need:

 

1 1/2 C brown rice, cooked

1 C soy milk

1 banana, sliced

1 (15 oz) can fruit cocktail

1/4 C water

2 T honey

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t nutmeg

 

How to Make It:

 

Place the water, honey and vanilla in a large saucepan over low heat.

Add the bananas and fruit cocktail stirring well to cover with liquid.

Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and allow to cook 8 minutes or until very tender but not mushy.

Stir in the rice.

Pour in the soy milk and stir well.

Return to a boil and cook 10 minutes.

Best if served warm.

Fruit and Rice Warm Me Up.

Chicken Salad.

Ingredients:

1 smoked chicken breast
2 tomatoes
100 grams of pickled mushrooms
100 grams of cheese
50 grams of poppy
1 clove of garlic
3 slices of loaf
mayonnaise
redcurrant

Direction

Chopped chicken breast into the small pieces
Tomatoes and mushrooms chopped, garlic minced.

Stir tomatoes, meat, mushrooms, and garlic. Add mayonnaise
Put in a bowl. Sprinkle with grated cheese and poppy seeds
Toast bread, cut into cubes and put it around the salad
Decorate with green and red currants

Enjoy

Chicken Salad.

Candy With Fresh Strawberry.

Ingredients

- Vanilla yogurt (thick)
- Strawberries
- Chocolate sprinkling

Preparation:

Dip strawberries  into vanilla yogurt then roll in chocolate and freeze.

Children love it!

Enjoy

Candy With Fresh Strawberry.

Brown Bag Lunches for Children.

Taking a lunch from home can save money and provide nutrition not found in fast food or school lunches.

It does require some time but the rewards make it time well spent. Think about who you are feeding and what needs are specific to that person.

For example, elementary age children have different needs than an adult or teenagers. Their lunches need to be small and a bit playful to hold their interest. Since they can’t eat a lot at one time, try to pack something that can be eaten during a different break in their day. Here are some ideas.

Pre-baked dinner rolls cut in half will make tiny buns just right for little hands. Fill with sliced meatballs, ham and cheese, egg or chicken salad. Add a little container of dipping sauce or their favorite condiment. Throw in a snack sized bag of whole grain chips, baby carrots or small pieces of celery with dressing and a 100% juice boxed drink. Let them help you make a home-made trail mix and fill a small baggie with enough to share with a friend.

Spread fresh goat cheese and sliced tomato on rice cakes. Look for small bananas in the grocery. Most children like mandarin oranges so pack a few in a container. Make some pasta the night before and toss with olive oil. In the morning add cheese chunks, snap peas, bell pepper slices or whatever vegetable your child likes. Those little mini bagels can be spread with hummus or peanut butter and paired with string cheese and mini sized pretzels.

And just for fun, hide a note written to them somewhere in the lunch. Assure them that they are loved and thought of even when you can’t be with them. They may not remember the special thought put into their lunches, but they will remember the notes and you will know you did your best to help them grow strong and healthy.

Once your child reaches middle school, their bodies are changing as well as their appetites. Boys will need more of everything because they’re always hungry! Girls, on the other hand, often need to be encouraged to eat. They tend to become self-conscious about everything and will skip lunch all together. You can tell them all day long how their brain needs fuel to function, but, you might have better results if you tell them how the food they eat will help their bodies grow into what they want them to be.

Provide roasted or grilled vegetables dressed with vinegar and olive oil or a small salad with dressing on the side. Add some cheese squares or whole wheat crackers. Wrap up a piece of leftover chicken, a container of coleslaw and a roll. Add a cold drink and lunch is ready. Wrap a piece of turkey around a cheese stick and include a condiment for dipping. Add some whole grain pretzels and a small piece of fruit.

Alternate cooked chicken with raw vegetables on a skewer. Lay on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with honey mustard and wrap tightly. Include some sunflower seeds or nuts and a fruit juice drink. Add some grated carrots to a BBQ and send extra sauce in a container along with a bag of chips. Using a hot dog bun, make them a mini-hoagie. Pile on some meat and cheese and top with sautéed peppers and onions. Send a container with olive oil and vinegar to pour on just before eating so the bun doesn’t get soggy. Add a container of fruit cocktail for dessert and a soft drink.

The important thing is to get them to eat so their brain works properly and they can learn as much as they can!

Brown Bag Lunches for Children.