School lunches can be difficult for parents to manage. We’ve all heard the complaints that kids aren’t eating what they’re supposed to or that they’re getting too much sugar. And while many schools are doing a good job of helping families meet their children’s nutrition needs, it’s still a challenge for some families to get their children to eat what’s being served in the cafeteria.
That’s where the School Nutrition Association (SNA) comes in. This organization offers resources and support for parents who want to make sure their children are eating healthy foods while in school. If you’re concerned that your child isn’t eating properly, SNA offers these tips to help you get your child to eat what you prepare for lunch.
Tip 1: Create a positive, nutritious lunch environment for your child.
The first thing you need to do is create a positive lunchroom environment. Make sure your child sees and hears other kids eating healthy foods, and that everyone’s lunch is labeled. Also, make sure that the serving containers for the food are attractive and appealing to kids.
Tip 2: Provide a balanced meal.
Next, you should provide a balanced meal for your child. Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Your child will likely eat better if you serve a variety of foods, too. Avoid serving just a few options, such as pizza, mac and cheese, or a hot dog.
Tip 3: Make lunchtime fun.
Finally, make lunchtime fun. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make this happen. Just include activities that encourage kids to try new foods and stay healthy. For example, you could set up a table with snacks, or you could have a kid-friendly game to play while everyone is eating.
Remember that a healthy diet includes many different foods. Try to offer a variety of foods so your child has a chance to try new things.
School lunches have become a contentious issue for many parents in recent years. While many schools offer nutritious meals, some parents have complained that their children are eating too much processed food. This has led to a push for school lunch standards that encourage healthier food options.
In response to this push, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) in November 2018 issued new meal regulations that require local schools to provide three meals per day to students, which are required to be balanced and nutritious. In addition, the new rules require schools to offer a wider variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, meat and meat alternatives, legumes, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. Schools are also allowed to serve foods that contain more sodium and sugar than allowed under the current guidelines.
The PDES’s school nutrition director, Susan Mancini, said that in the new guidelines, the department is encouraging schools to “embrace an approach that emphasizes choice and promotes the healthfulness of the school meal program.” To that end, the new regulations provide several options for schools to meet their nutritional goals. For example, they allow for a choice of fruit, vegetable or side salad, and a serving of pasta or rice, as long as the total amount of grains does not exceed the daily limit. Students can also opt to have milk or water, and they can opt to have meat or fish as a protein.
However, not everyone is pleased with the new guidelines. Some parents in the Pottstown School District, which includes Pottstown and nearby boroughs, are upset that the new guidelines do not include any specific guidelines for the sale of snacks or drinks in the school cafeteria. In fact, the rules do not address the sale of candy, cookies, ice cream, soda or other non-nutritious beverages, although they do require schools to make healthy food options available to students during school hours.
“We are very concerned that the regulations don’t take into consideration the health and wellness of our children, as well as the environment,” said Susan Mancini, the school nutrition director. “We want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of all of our students, so we’ve developed a menu that meets those needs. The regulations, though, do not reflect the menus we are currently offering.”
Mancini added that the school district will continue to work with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to develop the menus and will share them with the public.
The district, which serves more than 3,000 students, offers the following meals: breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.; lunch is offered from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Snacks are offered at both breakfast and lunch, but are not required.
While the new meal regulations do not specifically require schools to sell snacks and beverages, they do allow schools to do so. The district, however, does not plan to do so, saying that it will instead offer fresh fruit, vegetable and side salads, whole grain breads and pastas, and low-fat dairy products, as well as fruit, juice and milk.
To provide students with more choices, the district will also offer a second lunch option for students who opt to pay $1.25 more per day. The extra money goes to cover the cost of a nutritious meal, which Mancini said should be healthier than the regular lunch.
Mancini also said that the school district is in the process of developing menus that will meet the new guidelines. She hopes to share those with the public in the next few weeks.