Posted by kathryn in Kid's nutrition

I’ve just come across a great post (from Shaping Youth) which discusses the battles that occur over school lunches. While you might want to pack a healthy lunch, your kids are more likely to want what everyone else has. In Australia this probably equates to a vegemite sandwich, a packet of chips, a popper and maybe a “healthy” muesli bar, but this is not a balanced, nutritious lunch.

Pester power is a strong force and it’s hard to resist. Nobody wants to be constantly battling with their offspring, especially over food. However, finding a way to negotiate the everyday healthy food vs occasional food argument is important. Establishing the difference between every day foods and occasional foods enables your child to eat properly now (and be strong and healthy), while also setting them up for good eating habits in the future.

Only 20% of the kids in NSW eat enough vegetables each day, while 60% of them will have at least one glass of sugar-laden soft drink. Toddlers are getting about a quarter of their daily energy requirements from junk foods like cordial, biscuits, lollies and chips. We do need to act.

Suggestions on getting kids to eat more fruit here , more vegetables and for info on healthy school lunches take a look here .

Technorati tags: school lunches

15 December, 2006