Not a day goes by without the media addressing America’s growing obesity crisis.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that if American children don’t get their weight in check, their anticipated health problems will significantly shorten their lives, and make them the first generation in our nation’s history to die at younger ages than their parents.
With children back at their desks this month, we need to ask ourselves; are we feeding our kids more healthfully? Why should healthy school food matter to every one of us?
A child may be eating a lot, but if it is of low nutritive value, his brain may literally be starving, acutely affecting his behavior. The link between nutrition and behavior has been increasingly tested over the past few decades as more and more processed 'food products' have replaced actual food in its original form.
An easy way to improve nutrition is to become conscious of eating foods closer to their original form, with as little processing as possible. This means choosing whole grains, whole fresh fruits and vegetables rather than products processed with large amounts of salt and sugar, nitrites, or foods that are "enhanced" with artificial flavors and colors.
Why do you want to plan for salad or fruits and vegetables at every meal? At least, 50% of our diet (kids included) should come from fruits and vegetables! A plant based diet not only ensures your kids are getting the proper nutrients necessary to grow, but also contributes to
- disease prevention,
- better behavior,
- more energy,
- better skin,
- better academic performance, and
- The younger you teach this to your kids, the more likely they will adopt these behaviors for LIFE.
What about Water? Without adequate hydration, a child can become lethargic, cranky and unable to focus. But fluid consumption should not come at cross-purposes: soda, fruit juice and artificially flavored drinks composed mainly of sugar and food dye may address one problem while creating another. Water is still the best thirst quencher. Explain the importance of good hydration to your kids, and try to set a good example yourself by carrying around a stainless steel water bottle.
What’s on Your Menu?
Try the following lunch menus and rest assured that your children are getting all the nutrients they need.
Lunch #1 - Brunch for Lunch
Egg Salad Sandwiches (recipe included)
Green & Red Bell Pepper Strips
Mixed Berry Fruit Salad
Lunch #2 Fiesta!
Bean and Cheese Burrito (recipe included)
Green salad with bell pepper strips & dressing
Sliced mango
Lunch #3 - Veggie Powered Pita
Chicken & Vegetable Pita Pockets (recipe included)
1 cheese stick
Orange Slices
Lunch #4 - Catch of the Day
Tuna Salad Sandwich (recipe included)
6-8 Baby Carrots
1/2 cup grapes
Lunch #5 - Breakfast Delight
1 piece Carrot “Cake” Loaf (recipe included)
1 hard boiled egg
1/2 cup blueberries
Lunch #6 - Nutty Goodness
Almond butter on Whole Wheat Bread
Broccoli and cauliflower spears
Applesauce
Egg Salad Sandwiches
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped (optional)
2 small handfuls of lettuce or baby spinach
8 slices of whole grain or sourdough bread
Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Then turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or just long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise or yogurt, a couple generous pinches of salt and pepper and mash with a fork. You may need to add a bit more mayo/yogurt to moisten it. Stir in the celery and chives, if using. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. To assemble each egg salad sandwich: place a bit of lettuce on a piece of bread, top with the egg salad mixture, and finish by topping with a second piece of bread. Makes 4 sandwiches.
Bean and Cheese Burrito
Make a big batch! These burritos freeze very well. Simply wrap in foil and place in a Ziploc freezer bag and they will last up to a month.
1 (16-oz) can refried beans
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup mild salsa
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 cup leftover rice (optional)
4 whole wheat tortillas
Spread a scant 1/2 cup of refried beans on each tortilla. Top with cheddar cheese, salsa, lettuce, several bell pepper strips and rice. Roll-up and slice in half. Serves 4.
Chicken and Vegetable Pita Sandwich
Get creative! Toss in any vegetable that you know your children will eat.
2 cups cooked, diced chicken breast
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach, washed & dried
1/2 cup hummus
2 pitas, halved
Spread 2 tbsp. of hummus on the inside of each pita half. Fill each pita half with 1/2 cup diced chicken, several cucumber & tomato slices and 1/2 cup baby spinach. Serves 4.
Tuna Salad Sandwich
If your kids love nuts, toss in some toasted, chopped pecans!
12-16 ounces canned tuna packed in water, drained
1/2 cup apple. cored and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp. dried cranberries
salt & pepper
2 tbsp. mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
2 cups baby spinach or lettuce, washed and dried
8 slices whole wheat or sourdough bread
Mix tuna, apples, celery, cranberries, a pinch of salt and pepper and mayonnaise together in a medium-size bowl. Place 1/2 cup baby spinach or lettuce on top and one slice of bread, top with 1/2 cup tuna mixture and finish by topping with the second piece of bread. Repeat to make four sandwiches. Serves 4.
Carrot “Cake” Loaf
This recipe, adapted from www.101cookbooks.com, amazes me! All the sweetness comes from the fruit so there is no need to included refined sugar!
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces butter, heated until just melted
1/2 cup dried dates, seeded and finely chopped into a paste
3 ripe bananas (1 1/4 cups), mashed well
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 eggs, whisked
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9x5x3 / 8-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the walnuts and set aside. Stir the dates into the melted butter, breaking up the dates a bit. In a separate bowl combine the bananas and carrots. Stir in the date-butter mixture, breaking up any date clumps as you go. Whisk in the yogurt and the eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir until everything just comes together. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick tests clean in the center of the cake Remove from oven and let cool. Makes one carrot cake.
