Back to school time is here – What to do about lunches?

On September 1, 2011, students will no longer be able to buy “junk” food from their school’s vending machine, tuck shop or cafeteria. There will be no more curly fries, no more hot dog days, and no more pop or chips.

We know when given a choice between a healthy or a less healthy food most children will likely pick the latter. To help children make healthier food selections, our local schools will now only provide food and drinks that are nutritious, low in fat and sodium, high in fiber and calcium. Although these food standards do not apply to food brought in from home, these new school rules do provide an opportunity to encourage healthy choices in a packed school lunch as well.

Your child spends a good part of their day at school so their lunch (and snack) needs to provide them with enough energy and nutrients to learn and play. Just like you, if your child is too hungry or tired, they will be more likely to reach for that unhealthy option – like candy! Students who eat nutritious meals feel better. They are also better behaved and find it easier to pay attention to their lessons and to learn.

It can be a challenge to create a healthy lunch with variety day after day so ask for some help – from your child! Studies tell us that children who have had input in making their lunch are more likely to eat it.

Use Canada’s Food Guide to teach your child about healthy food choices and aim to include food items from at least 3 of the 4 food groups in their lunch and snack. Have your child make a list of their favourite healthy lunch foods and help you grocery shop for them. Find other ways to add variety to their packed lunch like using cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes or instead of using bread, try using a pita or whole grain bagel.

Making healthy school lunches doesn’t have to be a hassle. Keep a stock of healthy food options on hand and consider making lunches in the evening. For further information on packing healthy school lunches and snacks, visit www.eatrightontario.ca.