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Back to School Nutrition

Back to School Nutrition

Posted on By Atlanta Fowler

How good is it to see your kids thriving at school? Choosing foods to enhance their school journey could be one of the most important things we can do as parents. Scientists have proven that what your kids are eating can have a huge impact on their behaviour, level of concentration and even their ability to socialise.  Choosing unhealthy lunch box foods means your kids could be missing out on essential nutrients they need to develop and grow to be the best version of themselves.

Adding quality and variety of macronutrients means you don’t worry about if your kids are consuming enough vitamins and minerals. The three key food types kids need to ensure this quality and variety are proteins, fats and carbohydrates. 

 

Super lunchbox foods include:

So what exactly should you be feeding your kids? Even with the knowledge that kids need high amounts of protein, fats and carbs, it can be difficult to know exactly which foods are the best for their development. Some super lunchbox foods we recommend for kids, include: 

  • Protein sources like; leftover meat from dinner, beef jerk ,or tuna wil help kids stay full for longer and are important sources of essential minerals and vitamins like iron, zinc, calcium, and selenium.
  • Healthy fat - With nuts and eggs being banned from most schools great choices are avocado and Organic EVOO. Spread on their gluten-free sandwiches or make a healthy guac.
  • Smoothies are an easy way to include a whole bunch of nutrients in one delicious meal for summer. Always choose a protein, fat, and fruit ingredient for your smoothies!
  • Fruit  is easy to pack and kids love it! Berries and kiwifruit are great, both super high in nutrients, including prebiotic fibres, antioxidants with very small amounts of sugars.
  • Vegetables Get your kids involved in cutting their own fun veggie sticks. We love cucumber, carrots, and all colours of capsicum, with a side of mayo for dipping.

 

“Food” items NOT to include 

  1. Packaged snacks - Processed fruit snacks, cereal bars full of gluten, refined sugar and food additives and basically most packaged snacks are a no-go. All these foods have been associated with higher rates of food allergies, behavioural issues and poor cognitive performance by scientists.
  2. Food additives - Numbers, long words you can’t pronounce and “chemical names” in the ingredient list are a big NO to your healthy lunch box. These substances are directly associated with many immune/allergic responses like asthma, skin rashes, headaches and ADHD - conditions that will certainly affect how much your kids can do at school, and everywhere else.
  3. Energy drinks - The caffeine and sugar combo found in energy drinks is never good for kids. Both ingredients can overstimulate their brains, creating behavioural issues and lack of concentration. In large doses, caffeine can even be harmful to their cardiovascular system. 
  4. Refined sugar - Sugars can cause all sorts of problems when given regularly to kids, including dental disease, obesity and metabolic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. Even if you’re thinking, “only sometimes”… the spike in blood sugar from foods containing high amounts of refined sugars can affect their ability to concentrate, mood and energy levels in just 20 minutes!
  5. Vegetable oils like Soy, canola and sunflower often contain perfume and bleach to make them appealing to consumers.  Many packaged foods will use these ingredients to reduce cost and give the impression of health. In reality though, vegetable oils are associated with cancer, induce insulin resistance and immune reaction (allergic response). Use Organic EVOO where you can.



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    Written by Gevity Guru Elza Bevilacqua

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