HEALTH AND NUTRITION

Lunchbox Makeovers

WHY GIVE LUNCH A THOUGHT? DO YOUR KIDS COME HOME FROM
school and ransack the cabinets in hungry desperation for something to eat? Do they have 4PM "let down" and plop in front of the TV with a bag of salty or sweet snacks looking for a quick fix? Maybe they are not getting enough of the fuel their bodies need to sustain them during the day. Food not only provides that necessary energy and nutrients to keep your body healthy and active, but it can also affect your mood and mental function. As food is broken down in the body, nutrients enter the bloodstream and are transported to the brain and other organs, providing a fresh supply of energy. Therefore, eating the right foods at the right time of day can have a significant impact on your feelings of energy and alertness and can affect your sleeping and relaxation patterns. By adjusting the amount and type of food you eat, as well as the timing of your meals, you can help sustain optimum mental and physical energy when you most need it.

Lunch is important because it recharges your batteries so you can finish your work or school day and be energized for all your end-of-the-day activities, including sports and exercise routines. A child's lunch is important because lifelong eating habits are formed during childhood; and heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis, and other diseases begin to develop in these early years. In addition, hunger and poor health are barriers to academic achievement. Children require more calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals per pound than adults, and because children are usually more active, they need to refuel more often.

High protein and high complex-carbohydrate lunches appear to produce greater alertness and more focused attention; whereas lunches that are high in sugar and fat tend to lead to greater fatigue, distraction and sleepiness. Unfortunately, too many “fast” lunches are overloaded with fat, sugar and salt, and are missing fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. This scenario is especially true for many children. Most processed fast foods are low in the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients young bodies need to grow strong and healthy. Luckily, only a handful of lunch foods do the most damage to our diet and health. Therefore, a handful of changes can go a long way toward improving our eating habits.

One example of positive change can be found in Appleton, Wisconsin. High school students at Appleton High School realized that food does have an impact on their behavior. Five years ago, soda-filled vending machines were replaced with new ones offering only juice, water, and energy drinks. A natural foods company took over the cafeteria and offered fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain breads, and entrées free of additives and chemicals, instead of pizza and fries. Round tables replaced standard issue cafeteria tables. Students found themselves better able to concentrate, less tired, and more energetic. They enjoyed the school's less chaotic atmosphere. The administration agreed, citing a reduction in behavior problems.

Planning, and surprisingly little of it, is the key to a nutritious lunch. First, plan the week's lunches in advance to make shopping easier. Make a list and go shopping so you have the items in stock in the pantry and refrigerator. Second, plan for the next days' lunch the night before. Time is tight in the morning so know what you're going to prepare in advance. Making a healthy lunch should take no longer than 10 minutes. (More time would be spent in line to purchase a less healthy lunch). And finally, let children help plan and prepare their lunches and choose their own healthful snacks. By involving them in the process, they will be less likely to trade their lunches at school.

What are some easy changes for improving lunchbox nutrition?

1. Choose 1% or fat free milk. Drinking a cup of whole milk (150 calories) twice a day, rather than fat free milk (86 calories) results in an extra 46,600 calories or 13 pounds a year. Other healthy sources of calcium include low fat yogurts and calcium fortified orange juice.
2. Switch from ham, bologna, salami, pastrami or corned beef, and other fatty luncheon meats to low fat alternatives. Low fat alternatives include turkey breast, chicken breast, lean roast beef, and low fat ham.
3. Experiment with sending cold pasta salads or tossed green salads with chicken or other lean proteins. Grilled chicken Caesar salad is a favorite.
4. Include at least one serving of fruit in every lunchbox for a morning snack. Apples, oranges, sliced melon, cups of applesauce, grapes and pineapple (fresh or canned in its own juice) are good suggestions.
5. Include one serving of vegetable in every lunch. Pack single servings of carrot and celery sticks. If possible, try to sneak vegetables, such as lettuce, tomato, or slices of cucumber, onto sandwiches.
6. Use whole grain bread instead of white bread for sandwiches. Choose breads that list "whole wheat" as the first ingredient. If the main flour on the label is "wheat" or "unbleached wheat flour" the product is not whole grain. Make the transition to whole grains slowly. Experiment with lighter types, such as Nature's Own® 100% Whole Grain Wheat, before introducing hearty, denser whole wheat breads.
7. Limit cookies, snack cakes, doughnuts, brownies and other sweet bakes goods. Choose low fat sweets such as fig cookies, gingersnaps, low fat pudding, vanilla and sugar wafers. Pack only one snack cake per lunch. Read labels and compare.
8. Pack baked chips, lowfat popcorn, pretzels, Cheerios®, bread sticks or low fat crackers instead of potato, corn, tortilla or other chips made with oil or Olean®. Fat free chips are made with Olean® (olestra), a fat substitute that can cause abdominal cramping and diarrhea, and can rob your body of carotenoids and other phytochemicals that may lower the risk of cancer. Bugles® are fried in heavily saturated coconut oil. Pack only single serve (1 ounce) sizes, prepackaged or in a home packed baggie. Amazingly, there is one gram of fat in every Frito® chip.
9. Pack 100% fruit juice. Juice boxes can be frozen and double for a cold pack during warm weather. All juice drinks are not created equal. Sunny Delight®, Hi-C®, Fruitopia®, and Capri Sun® contain no more than 10% juice and plenty of sugar.
10. Don't send prepackaged lunches. Prepackaged lunches that contain processed cheese, lunchmeats, sugary drinks and a treat, get two-thirds of their calories from "bad" fat and sugar. Buy a school lunch or make your own healthy alternative with low fat crackers, low fat lunch meat, a piece of fruit, a few cookies and a box of 100% juice. At the very least, use the lower-fat prepackaged lunches.
11. Use mayonnaise and salad dressings sparingly. Try mustards instead.
12. Talk to your children about food and how they can resist peer pressure. There is nothing cool about being unhealthy.

© 2003 Claudia Pillow and Annalise Roberts

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