by Jennifer Shakeel
Umm... What will your child choose?
When I was younger one of the things you looked forward to when you went to high school was being able to buy your lunch through the "snack line" instead of the hot lunch line. Yes you could get fries, chips, ice cream cookie sandwiches and such. That was high school a number of years ago but to us back then it was a sign of … well maturity, we weren't little kids anymore and the proof was that they were giving us the option of what type of lunch we wanted to buy.
I am sure you are wondering which line was the longest, hot lunch or snack line. In all honesty the hot lunch line was usually longer and the majority of "kids" that went into the snack line went because they were running late or the lunch being offered was disgusting. We all remember the Salisbury steak lunch that we all opted to go hungry over instead. But the majority of students, if they were eating, were eating the healthy hot lunch.
Today there seems to be a huge controversy over the food that is being served in school and how healthy it is. Some communities are going as far as banning vending machines and junk food from schools and quick marts that are close to the school in an effort to put a kabash on kids eating junk. I have yet to figure out why. Not why are people upset over kids consuming too much junk food, I think everyone should be concerned about that especially in our obese nation where childhood obesity is on the rise reaching numbers it has never seen before. READ More on Junk Food and Schools - Who is Responsible for What Kids Are Eating?
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Healthy Eating by Example
by Jennifer Shakeel
The best way to do that is by setting a good example. There is the old adage, "Do as I say, not as I do…" but our children like to emulate us. Whether we want to admit it or not, they are more likely to do what they see us doing then they are to do what we tell them to do. With school starting and the current debate going on about health care… now is the time for all of us to step back and re-educate ourselves and our children on healthy eating.
Nutritionists have stated that in order for a child to try a new food they need to see it four or five times, possibly even 10 times. This means that just because the avoided the broccoli at dinner tonight, doesn't mean that in a week or two they won't try it if you keep showing it to them at meals. This also means that you shouldn't take the first, "bluck!" as an "I will never eat this again." You can also try making a rule, similar to what we have in our home, and that is called the "No Thank You Bite." READ More on Teaching Our Kids Healthy Eating Habits
