You’ve heard it said before, “You are what you eat.”
So are our children.
Recently, statistics have unveiled a startling truth about our children’s eating habits. It seems as though the number one food that children eat is chicken nuggets. Some chicken nuggets aren’t so bad, but I think because we think they are eating chicken, we forget that most of them are deep friend in hydrogenated oil.
In The Making of a Mom, I wrote about how loving our children well includes making sure they eat well. But healthy doesn’t always come easily in a world full of drive thru’s and pre-packaged meals.
With the school year looming largely over the majority of moms, I wanted to share 5 ways to make your child’s lunchbox a healthy on.
1. PROVIDE A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF ‘FREE SNACKS’ ~ Carrots, celery sticks, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, grapes, apple slices (soak in water w/lemon for just a few minutes and they won’t brown) etc… Get your children’s tastebuds accustomed to eating healthy by allowing them to eat those snacks just about any time they want. Include at least two or more of the free snacks in their lunch box, so they can have a variety and also so if they get the munchies while at school, they can nibble on healthy foods instead of junk food.
2. PREPARE THEIR LUNCH MEAT AHEAD OF TIME & DON’T USE PROCESSED MEAT FOR THEIR SANDWICHES ~ Processed meat is filled with chemicals we can’t even pronounce. It’s less expensive and better for your children if you cook a chicken or turkey burgers on Sunday evening, they will have enough to last them most of the week. You can even make a veggie sandwich a couple times a week instead of adding meat.
3. USE WHOLE GRAIN BREAD OR GLUTEN FREE BREAD ~ The bread we eat today isn’t anything like it was when we were growing up. The way growers grow grain now uses a process that causes many breads to be difficult to digest and it is affecting the health of a multitude of people. That’s why so many are forced to eat gluten free diets. Go ahead and go gluten free and it will help protect the health of your children. If you don’t want to go gluten free or it is too expensive, buy whole grain bread. You can buy bread at the bread store to save money. It’s MUCH less expensive there!
4. DON’T DENY THEIR SWEET TOOTH ~ Most of us have a sweet tooth so don’t deny theirs. Instead of chocolate candy, cookies or unhealthy sugar-filled sweets, pop a cup of yogurt in their insulated lunchbox. Or a box of naturally sweetened cranberries or raisins. Grapes, peaches, and apples are also good when they’re in season. Don’t deny their sweet tooth. Fill it with yummy, healthy snacks. You can even substitute things like chocolate chip cookies for carob cookies.
5. DON’T GIVE THEM MONEY FOR SODAS OR OTHER VENDING MACHINE ITEMS ~ If you put everything they need in their lunchbox (including a healthy drink like unsweetened juice), they won’t need anything else to drink other than water. The amount of sodas kids consume now is crazy and we can help them stay healthy by eliminating the need to buy a Coke by providing them with a yummy drink.
6. DON’T BE FOOLED BY THE PACKAGING ~ It’s so easy to see words like, “Natural” and think that it really is. But when you read the fine print you find that there are a ton of ingredients in it that are unidentifiable unless you’re a scientist. Read the labels and if you can’t pronounce it, it’s probably not something you want to eat. Many things are enhanced with chemicals like monosodium glutamate and other flavor enhancers. Unfortunately, many of those things come with health risks. Don’t be fooled by the packaging.
7. BE THE MOM ~ Don’t expect to make changes without your children bucking at the idea. But you’re the mom and you can calmly say, “You’ll get used to it. Really! And because I love you, I want you to be healthy and strong.” It’s not easy and our children know that if they can push you hard enough you might give in. Don’t. You’re the mom and it is BECAUSE you love them that you are helping them make healthy food choices.
8. SUBSTITUE RANCH WITH HUMMUS ~ Most Ranch dressings contain monosodium glutamate. You can either buy a Ranch dressing without monosodium glutamate or you can substitute it with hummus or other natural dips. Celery sticks and hummus are really yummy!
9. MAKE FOOD FUN ~ You can make food fun and cute with all those Pinterest ideas for a child’s lunchbox. Just keep it healthy too. And nuts… don’t forget the nuts. They’re not only super healthy, but a great way to decorate the fun food that you make for your child’s lunchbox.
10. DON’T BE A FOOD NAZI ~ Give in every once and a while and pack a special surprise in your children’s lunchbox. Let them know they can have things that aren’t so healthy every once in a while, but that can’t be their main food source. Most children adapt to whatever you feed them, so start feeding them healthy at a young age.
DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH MAKING YOUR KIDS EAT HEALTHY MEALS? WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO THE LIST?
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