Children spend up to 8 hours a day at school. This is the time when they learn, develop, make friends and at the same time discover the world and themselves. For your child to do well at school, it is important to eat right.
A well-balanced meal containing sources of complex carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains), proteins (low-fat dairy products, legumes, eggs) and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocados) will help your child focus on the tasks that lie ahead of him during the day.
Research shows that the quality of food affects not only the health of the child, but also his IQ. Children who eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables have better memory and academic performance. They also have better control over their emotions, are less aggressive, and are happier.
A sandwich for everything
Sandwiches come to most of us's mind when we think about lunch, and there is nothing wrong with that. A sandwich is a very practical solution, but not always useful.
For sandwiches to become a valuable dish, several factors must be considered:
- variety - replace cold cuts and cheese with hummus or vegetable pate. This substitution is one of the easiest ways to incorporate valuable legumes into your child's diet. You can make a bean paste at home by making green lentils or chickpeas and mixing them with sun-dried tomatoes, tahini paste, garlic, and lemon juice.
- green leaves - you can add lettuce, Chinese cabbage, arugula or romaine lettuce to the sandwich,
- Whole Grain Bread - There is no good sandwich without good bread. Always read the ingredients and choose whole grain sourdough bread.
Even the best sandwiches can get boring. When a child gets bored with sandwiches, he gets hungry or buys a sweet bun from the school buffet. To prevent this from happening, alternate sandwiches with other types of breakfast.
Dry muffins
In terms of nutritional value, dry muffins are similar to sandwiches. They resemble dessert, so children eat them willingly. When making muffins, choose whole grain flour, for example. You can also make them with chickpea flour for more protein.
Add diced vegetables (such as carrots or peppers), peas, or corn to the muffin dough. Also add 2-3 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (flaxseed is a source of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, iron and calcium) and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Pancakes
Children also like pancakes and flat cakes. You can make them as large pancakes wrapped in filling or small pancakes. In pancakes, you can use not only whole grain flour, such as oatmeal, but vegetables as well. We recommend the options with zucchini, pumpkin and carrots. If your child does not eat dairy products, make pancakes by choosing one of the plant-based drinks, such as soy or almond. You can grease the pancake with hummus, cottage cheese, arugula or other green leaves.
Cocktails
A green smoothie is a refreshing snack with high nutritional value. This cocktail should include:
- green leaves - spinach, cabbage, lamb salad, try several types and see which ones your child likes best,
- berries - use frozen raspberries or blueberries
- bananas - give the cocktail a sweet taste and creamy consistency,
- flax or pumpkin seeds are an additional source of fiber and zinc.
To increase the calorie content of your shake, you can add a few tablespoons of oatmeal to it, or use milk or a plant-based drink instead of water. Pour the cocktail into a water bottle or glass bottle.
Yogurt with muesli and fruit
Pour natural yogurt into an airtight container, add muesli (baked at home or look with a little sugar) and fresh fruit (banana, kiwi, peach). You can also add some nuts (like walnuts) and raisins.
What else to add to your second breakfast?
Your child may not have enough sandwich, cupcake, or pancake. Adjust the amount of food to eat according to your child's age, physical activity, hours at school, and availability of lunch.
A good addition to the basics of lunch would be:
- fruits - fresh, juicy fruits contain vitamins and help to hydrate the body,
- Vegetables - Complementary vegetables, cut into chopsticks, are the best you can give your child. Better to pack separately cherry tomatoes, radishes, finely chopped carrots, peppers or kohlrabi.
- nuts and seeds are the healthiest sources of fat. Serve a few cashews or almonds in a separate container. You can also buy ready-to-use mixes such as student mix,
- Small Sweet Dessert - By giving your child a sweet dessert, you are in control of what they eat and minimize the likelihood that they will buy a donut or sweet roll. To do this, you can use a piece of homemade dough sweetened with xylitol, dried fruits (such as dates and apricots), or a delicious sugar-free bar.
What is worth remembering?
Lunch should last in the child's backpack for several hours. It must be well packaged so that it does not lose its attractive appearance. A sandwich crushed by books not only looks bad, but it can also stain the contents of your backpack.
So pack your lunch in boxes. The choice of lunch boxes is now very large. The best ones for the school are those with multiple compartments so the ingredients don't get mixed up. You can also buy additional smaller boxes for dried fruit or nuts.
