Barbara Ellington, Acting Lifestyle Editor
OIL PRICES keep soaring. Bus and cab fares have increased. More toll road fees hang in the future.
Back-to-school expenses are mounting.
The economic effects of Hurricane Katrina will be felt while parents have to stretch the meagre salaries.
But hungry children in school do not care about these variables come lunch time. Perhaps the time has come for parents to start educating their children about eating healthy, reasonably priced and preferably Jamaican produced meals and snacks.
However, as we become a more modern society, it becomes increasingly easier to opt for fast-food meals. As children have been showing early signs of obesity, parents should try to take control of their daily diets by ensuring that they eat right.
HEALTHY LUNCH ALTERNATIVES
Food elicited the assistance of one housewife and the team took to the streets to find and offer some creative and practical lunch alternatives.
If there are no cooked lunches at school, sandwiches and light snacks are still a great idea.
For two years, Mrs. Yvonne Myrie, from Christiana in Manchester, sent her two American-born nieces off to Knox Junior School with lots of healthy items. In spite of the difference in eating habits between their years in America and Jamaica, they quickly adapted to eating and enjoying what she prepared.
"Mondays were the easiest because I just loaded the oven on Sundays with them in mind. I baked totoes, cakes, cookies, puddings along with the chicken for dinner. Then I left a chicken breast or slices of roast beef for their sandwiches on Monday," she said.
Mrs. Myrie said further, that as the adult charged with the responsibility of the children, she made it quite clear that she knew what was best for them and did not entertain any negative attitudes towards eating. "I love my nieces so I would only want them to have the best," she said.
Mrs. Myrie said parents can transmit good
eating habits to children so that even if they give away or exchange lunches with friends, they will eat at least one of their items. "Teach children to ignore taunts and teases from those who criticise them for bringing lunch from home. They should instead convince friends that they will be assured of a healthy body with what they eat. Fast food should be an infrequent treat.
Mrs. Myrie shared some of her secrets to healthy and inexpensive lunches and stressed that the lunch pans always came home empty.
