Rosalee Brown
MANY PARENTS are enjoying the summer holidays with their children because they are temporarily free from the morning hustle and bustle of breakfast, lunch kits, getting out of the house by a certain time to make the school drop-off and so on. Many children are still involved in some summer programmes because they cannot be left at home unsupervised and some have no 'country' to visit to spend time with relatives.
Parents, I am sure, are not rejoicing that this repast is fast coming to an end. Yes, it is almost back-to-school time, and I want us to focus for a while on meals during this period. We have a huge responsibility when it comes to impacting the health and well-being of our children. The choices we make now can influence their school performance and even their after-school years.
BREAKFAST
Breakfast is very important and because the time for breakfast is limited, it takes a lot of planning. Have children assist in the planning before you go shopping and do some of the preparation the night before. The choices are wide but should be nutritious. Have starchy foods, such as cereals, breads or ground provisions along with some sort of protein and fruits. Left-over dinner can be breakfast if this is what the child wants, especially for older children.
If the child must leave home very early in the morning, package fruits and sandwiches for consumption at school before classes or in the family car. A healthy breakfast will provide energy to face the day and prevent excess snacking on high-calorie nutrient-deficient snacks before school and at break time. One way to ensure that breakfast is consumed is to have children retire to bed early to prevent undue rush in the mornings.
LUNCH
Lunch is another meal that is important for children, whether it is bought at school or taken from home. Most schools provide lunch options for children. They provide cooked 'boxed' lunches and also other items such as patties, burgers, and pastries. Parents should play a greater role in the parent teacher association and influence the decisions made for the lunch offerings in the best interest of their children. Lunches should be nutritious, provide variety, be adequate in important nutrients and be prepared under safe and hygienic conditions. This can be achieved with proper planning, even with limited resources.
AFTER-SCHOOL SNACK
Parents need to provide healthy after-school snacks for children; provide an abundance of fruits and less of the chips, cookies and juices.
DINNER
As much as is possible, organise dinner so children can consume this meal early and instead of eating excess snacks to replace hunger. Plan dinners in advance if you have to go to work and do not have help. If the children are too young to prepare dinner, always make more than one meal and store one for easy reheating. Make casseroles and one-pot dishes and do preparations the night before. Dinner is much more than a meal to take away hunger, it also contributes to health and well-being which should be kept in mind when food choices are being made.
Home-prepared meals are important, as parents have a greater influence in what is consumed by their children. It is difficult to influence school lunches, but at home you can always ensure that wholesome foods are expertly served and you can influence your children's consumption by partaking in and enjoying these foods yourself. These healthy habits that are entrenched will not only contribute to their well being, but also that of the next generation, as they will pass on these habits to their children.
Rosalee Brown is a registered dietitian/nurtionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
