Knowing What to Pack and How Much to Pack:
Some Tips and Guidelines
Understanding what students need during the school day can be a challenge. There are some great tips and guidelines on the Government of Canada Health Website to help make it more clear. Follow this Link to see some excellent guidance.
CBC Article: How to Pack the Perfect School Lunch
This article details some of the ways parents can pack lunches that are smart and nutritious for their children. (and lunches their children will actually like, which is another challenge in and of itself!) This is a great starting point and reminder for parents and it also touches on important considerations such as allergies or dietary restrictions. Parents should check with their child's individual school about any foods that are not allowed to be brought into school.
The article can be found here
The article can be found here
Nutritious Foods Your Child Will Actually Like
Knowing foods that are both nutritious for children and foods that they will actually like is not easy. Children can be picky eaters which certainly makes packing a well balanced and nutritious lunch difficult. However, there are an abundance of sites on the internet dedicated to listing and providing examples of healthy foods children have been known to enjoy. Take a look at just some of the sites listed below and follow the links!
Fluids
Fluid requirements are an often overlooked aspect of diet. If lost fluid is not replaced, dehydration will result. In the short term, poor hydration causes headaches and constipation, and can cause irritability and impair mental performance, which is particularly relevant for schoolchildren. In the longer term, chronic mild dehydration is associated with increased risk of a number of conditions, including urinary tract infections, hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke. (Buttriss &Weichselbaum, 2011, P 302 -As cited in Benelam & Wyness 2010).