Mama Fit Monday: What Do You Pack In Your Lunch??

The kids go back to school tomorrow...I'm definitely excited. Back to the routine of getting up, making lunches, running for the bus and doing homework.

Some of you know me and know I love to look in people's carts at the grocery store. And I'm the same way with people lunches. When my daughter was in JK, I was new to the lunches and snack thing so I asked her, "what do your friends bring for lunch and snack". I currently was giving a ham sandwich (the only thing she would eat, fruit and little treat for lunch and a homemade muffin and fruit for snack. Were there better things? She said she wanted Froot Loops for snack. What!!!!!

She had no idea what they even were! No- someone in her class shared their snack with her and that was it. I quickly explained to her that Froot Loops were not healthy and not a good snack for school. After that I didn't ask what the other kids brought, I stuck to what I know, and my kids don't complain---too much:)

Steps to a Healthy Lunch

1. Keep them Hydrated:

Send water with their lunch. Its' easy to send juice and pop, but once they expect that, it will be very difficult to get them to switch to drinking water on its own. Juices and pop are loaded with sugar. Sugar is addictive, causes more problems than this post will allow for discussion, and robs the body of important nutrients.

2. Have protein:

Protein will not only fill them up, but necessary for the body to function properly. Protein is an essential part of lunch, both for you and your kids. Kids need protein to support their growing body, and you need plenty of protein in order to grow and maintain lean muscle tissue.

Some great examples of protein are: fish, beans, tofu, nuts, eggs, chicken, turkey, lean pork and lamb.

Limit the amount of high-saturated-fat protein that your kids eat to no more than 3 servings per week. These include cheese, hot dogs, salami, bacon and sausage.

• 2 – 3 servings daily
• 1 serving equals: 2 – 3oz meat, 1/2 cup cooked beans, 1/3 cup nuts or one egg

3. Whole Grains:

The key to this part of the lunch is "whole grains", which means unrefined. Whole grains are essential to a healthy lunch. It will provide you and your children with energy and of course help to fill them up.

White bread, bagels, pasta and rice have been stripped of the nutrients and minerals. As a result these items convert quickly into sugar, leaving your child drained after an initial quick burst of energy. Always avoid refined white grain products.

Here's a list of healthy whole grains: oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, millet, bulgur, whole-wheat or sprouted grain bread, barley, whole grain cereal and whole wheat pasta.

Here's what your child should be eating:

• Kids 6-9 yrs: 4 – 7 servings daily
• Kids 10-14 yrs: 5 – 8 servings daily
• Teens: 6 – 9 servings daily
• 1 serving equals: 1 slice of bread, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup pasta, 1 cup of whole grains

4. Veggies:

Don't save your veggies for dinner. Pack lots of colours to give them a variety. You may get some resistance here, especially if they are not used to eating them. Start with something you know they will like and introduce a new one every week. I have added hummus and light dressing to dip which makes them disappear.

• 4 – 9 servings daily
• 1 serving equals: 1 cup raw of 1/2 cup cooked vegetables

5. Fruit:

Fresh fruit is healthy and essential to get vitamins and minerals. As with your veggies, choose a variety of colors to ensure that your kids are getting a range of nutrients.Stay away from fruits that are canned and coated in syrup, and also from fruit snacks and chews that contain added sugars. If fresh fruit is not readily available then go for plain dried fruit, with no added sugar.

Unlike veggies, it is possible to eat too much fruit. Though the natural sugars within fruit are much healthier than refined sugar, too much of it will have a negative impact on your blood sugar levels and the extra calories will be stored as fat. Stick with 3 – 5 servings per day.

• 3 – 5 servings daily
• 1 serving equals: 1/2 cup cut fruit, whole fruit size of tennis ball, half a banana, 1/2 cup 100% fruit juice

6. Calcium:

Most of us rely on milk as our source of calcium. There are many sources of calcium that we can choose from without using milk. Try these sources of calcium: nuts, dark leafy greens, salmon, broccoli, tofu, soy milk, sardines, beans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt.

• 2 – 6 servings daily
• Serving size based on the amount of calcium in the food. Examples of 1 serving: 1 cup cooked beans, 1/2 cup almonds, 1/2 cup dried figs, 1/2 cup dark leafy green vegetables, 1/2 cup tofu, 1 cup low-fat milk, 1 cup low-fat yogurt.

There you go, 6 tips to packing the perfect lunch. Start the kids off right, with healthy lunches, they will feel better, have better energy and thank you in the long run when they need to know how to make a healthy lunch for their children.

Committed to your fitness success,

Kelly Parker

www.bestfitbodybootcamp.com