Keeping Your Kids' Lunches Healthy

The new nutrition standards for school meals have created a lot of controversy across the country.

We got your reaction at the beginning of the school year, and now families are doing something in response.

More families across the nation are packing their kids lunches.

Yet, locally, Frederick County Public Schools says they haven't seen an increase in packed lunches.

Nutritionists say any family who packs lunches for their kids, should keep those new guidelines in mind.

"I think it's important for parents to follow the new national school lunch program guidelines," said Susan Lessar.

Lessar is the Valley Healthy Director of Nutrition Therapy. Kids who buy school lunches are guaranteed a healthy meal. Those who pack should still be eating a healthy meal too. To make that happen, parents need to look at the nutritional facts.

"Increasing whole grains, fruits and vegetables every meal, every day of the week. Limiting dairy products to low fat or fat free. And also limiting calories and portion sizes, depending on the age of the child and lastly, limiting sodium, fat and trans fat," said Lessar.

So why the push to make sure kids are eating healthy every day?

"One in three adults is obese. So looking at our growing obese adult population, we also have a growing pediatric, adolescent and teenage obesity problem," said Lessar.

"Childhood obesity is rising significantly in the United States," said nurse practitioner, Rick Northcraft.

Northcraft is a nurse practitioner with Winchester Medical Center's Bariatric Program. He says teaching kids about nutrition starts at home.

"Portion control. What your plate should look like as you build your plate at home. Half of it being fruits and vegetables and then the half being a lean protein and some whole grains," said Northcraft.

It's also a good idea to have different varieties of each food group on hand to make it easier to pack lunches.

"An example of an easy lunch: two slices of wheat bread with some lunch meat, so per-prepared sliced apples for your fruit, some cut up vegetables with dip, wash that down with a fat-free or low-fat dairy product and if you want to throw in a snack, 100 calorie pack is a great option," said Lessar.

If you're having a hard time buying lunch items that your kids like, bring them with you when you go to the grocery store.

Tell what you're you looking for in a healthy item and let them help you pick it out.

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Source: http://www.tv3winchester.com/home/headlines/Keeping-Your-Kids-Lunches-Healthy-177816631.html

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