Back to School Health Tips

In many parts of the country, school bells are ringing again. That means early mornings, homework, and the dreaded dilemma—a brown-bag lunch or the hot lunch at school. For decades, school kids have dreaded opening up their lunch bags and boxes, wondering what boring lunch would be there for the eating. Many a trade has taken place—swapping sandwiches for chips, cookies, or whatever the kids could get their hands on. Those same kids would look upon the "lucky" ones, those who were carrying their trays straight from the lunch line, the hot-lunch kids. Pizza, chicken nuggets, tater tots, hot dogs, hamburgers. And chocolate milk. Boy, oh boy, sounds like the lunch of champions!

Now, if you haven't already caught on to my sarcasm, you need to know that I am not a fan of the hot lunch being offered at the majority of the schools, both private and public. These lunches are not nutritious, despite supposedly adhering to the government "recommendations."  The lunches being served to our children are full of processed foods, sugar, fat, saturated fat, white flour, with minimal fruits and vegetables being offered. And those fruits and vegetables that are offered are some of the least nutritious as they are the cheapest: Iceberg lettuce and delicious red apples (which are not delicious anymore, but mealy and flavorless). Sure the tomatoes and carrots in the salads are healthy, but when the kids douse them in ranch dressing, how healthy have they become?  It's like taking two steps forward and four steps back. And let's not forget what they wash it all down with—chocolate milk. Sugared milk. With the obesity epidemic growing in this country, who thinks it's OK to give our kids sugar in the middle of the day? What's wrong with giving kids a bottle of water?

Tips to get kids excited about lunch

Once a week, sit down with your kids and make a list of lunches that they would like to see each day of the week. That way you will be organized with all of the ingredients and it makes the food preparation time much shorter. After the menu is created, take your kids to the grocery store to help pick out the food. Kids who are involved in food purchasing and preparation are much more likely to be adventurous eaters.

What constitutes a healthy lunch?

Packing a lunch with staying power is crucial to keeping their energy levels up and brain focused. A lunch with smart carbs and fiber (whole grains, fruit, veggies) will give them energy, lean protein (turkey, egg, beans, nut butters) will help that energy level stay elevated for a longer period of time. And of course, pack them plenty of water. Keeping kids well-hydrated is crucial to promoting good energy levels and to preventing dehydration, especially in the very warm first month of school. Don't pack a sweet treat nor a juice box/fruit punch pouch, or soda in your child's lunch. They do not need the sugar and empty calories that they provide.

Lunch ideas

• Turkey pinwheel sandwich (whole wheat flat bread, such as Flat Out) filled with  lettuce, tomato, avocado, mustard; roll up and slice into "pinwheel" shapes; bowl of watermelon chunks; water
• Skewers of string cheese pieces, grape tomatoes, and melon chunks. Serve with whole wheat mini pita and hummus; water
• Tacos - two corn tortillas filled with chicken, black beans, salsa, and guacamole. Serve with a bowl of mango and pineapple chunks; water
• Almond butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread, cut into triangles or cute shapes with cookie cutters.
• On cold days, ladle up some vegetarian chili into a thermos and serve with a piece of corn bread; water

Keep it cold

A 2011 study of packed school lunches showed that over 90% were at a dangerous temperature by the time lunch was served. Most lunches, even those with an ice pack, were at a temperature that promoted bacterial growth (40-140 degrees F), which could increase the risk of a food-borne illness. If refrigerators are an option at your child's school, ask to have the lunch placed there in the morning. If not, consider putting two ice packs in your child's lunch or try using a frozen water bottle, which will slowly thaw during the morning.

Start the day off right

Just as important as packing a nutritious and delicious lunch, is feeding your kids a smart breakfast. Mom always said, "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Kids who eat a healthy breakfast have more energy and are able to focus and concentrate in school better than kids who eat nothing or eat a nutrient-poor breakfast (doughnuts, toaster pastry). The best breakfast is one that is high in protein (eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, nut butter), with a piece of fruit and a serving of whole grains (oatmeal, whole wheat toast, high fiber cereal). Washing it down with some green tea or water is ideal. Nonfat milk or 100% juice is another option.

Get Some Sleep

Now that summer is coming to an end, so too should be the late bed times that seem to happen during these months. Kids need at least 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep to grow and properly function and concentrate at school. In order to get your kids to sleep at a smarter time, you might need to start backing up their bed time by 15 minutes every 3 nights until you reach your goal time. It usually takes kids one to two weeks to re-set their internal clocks to fall asleep quicker and it's best done gradually. In addition, turn off all electronic devices—TVs, computers, cell phones, ipads, e-readers—at least one hour before bed. Electronic devices emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin production in the brain (melatonin is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy). Your body needs about an hour in low or dim light for enough melatonin to be produced so you can nod off easily.

Erin Macdonald, R.D. has been a Nutrition, Fitness, and Wellness Coach for 18 years and is in private practice in Rancho Santa Margarita. She is a regular contributor to Oxygen Magazine and Clean Eating Magazine as well as co-founder of www.URockGirl.com. She teaches cooking classes monthly at her office, focusing on nutritious, delicious, and easy recipes.