Back to school nutrition

Nutrition is one of the single most important factors when it comes to a child’s development. Proper nutrition is essential for children to succeed in school. By feeding your children a proper diet, you are helping them to be able to function properly in school in addition to fostering their growing mind and bodies.

Why is nutrition important for your child’s success at school?

A proper diet is especially important for growing children. At this level, the children’s minds are still developing and their bodies are growing fast. Without proper nutrition, a child will lack the vitamins and minerals necessary to facilitate a normal growth.

It is important to feed your children a variety of healthy meals and snacks. Avoid feeding children junk food which will only contribute to obesity and malnutrition. The occasional treat will not hurt your child, but it is not healthy to make it a regular habit.

One way to ensure that your child eats healthy at school is to make a bag lunch for your child each day. Include healthy snacks such as fruits and vegetables or a variety of nuts. Each of these snacks is high in vitamins and low in fat. They also provide your child with energy to keep their attention on school matters rather than drifting off to sleep.

Also pack a nutritious meal along with a juice box or milk box. Nutritious meals can include sandwiches along with soups. Be sure to pack your children’s meals in small portions as children tend to snack on several items at once. While there is no way to ensure that your child is not trading away their food, you are preventing them from buying school lunches which consist of mostly processed food.

Getting involved with the school can be beneficial. PTA meetings are held regularly for parents to voice their concerns with issues. This would be a good venue for bringing up the subject of healthier school lunches. More than likely, you are not the only parent who has concerns about the food being served in the cafeteria.

As children get older and graduate to junior high and high school, more unhealthy options are available in the lunch room such as ice cream machines and soda machines. Gather a bunch of nutrition-minded parents and create a plan to implement new options into the school cafeterias. While you may not see immediate results, if you keep up your campaigning and your research, eventually someone else’s kids will benefit from your hard work.

There are several ways to implement a healthy, nutritious diet in school-age children. Children need lots of minerals and vitamins in order to develop the tools necessary to facilitate healthy growth in both body and mind. Packing a bag lunch for your children is a great way to monitor what your child eats while at school. Another great solution is to get involved with the PTA and campaign for healthier school lunches. Results may not be immediate, but they will be beneficial.