School has started and with that comes the added pressure of what to feed our children.
When I went to school to eat lunch with my children a few years ago, I was shocked at what was served in the cafeteria. Is it any wonder they come home starving to death? I think that the decision of what to feed them for lunch really starts with breakfast. Parents need to make sure they start their children off right with a healthy, high-fiber breakfast and then start worrying about lunch.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for children. I cannot express how important a good breakfast is. Think about it for a moment. From the time they eat breakfast to lunch time, a lot happens — the ride to school, which can be a challenge, recess before school starts, all that playing and jumping around and then it's off to the classroom for learning and thrown in there is another recess and finally lunch.
By the time lunch comes, they are starving and out of control. I personally think one of the best ways we can support our schoolteachers is to send our children fueled up with a healthy, high-fiber breakfast. It would sure make a difference on the first part of the day and with that we can send high-fiber lunches to help them perform at their best for the rest of the day.
Breakfast
Let's talk about breakfast first. No wait, first let's talk about educating our children about breakfast. How many times have we stated or heard someone say to children how important something is to do and never explaining why it is so important. Like "don't eat that doughnut — it's not good for you" or "don't drink that soda — it's not good for you," without an explanation of why it is not good to eat.
I have been amazed over the years how little children respond to education. They respond better to "Did you know that even though that doughnut tastes great that it is filled with white flour and sugar and did you know that it gives you a boost and then drops you like a lead balloon?" Or "Did you know that lots of white flour coats the sides of your colon making it hard to go to the bathroom?" Children respond to facts and they really want to be healthy. My son started eating spinach when I told him what it could do for him, like making him strong like Popeye.
Today, with the world at our fingertips, there is so much information we can find to effectively teach our children about what they should and should not eat.
So let's talk about breakfast. First, throw out the cold processed cereal. It might work on the weekends when they can raid the fridge when they are starving 30 minutes later. Pop tarts, sugary muffins, doughnuts — all that has got to go also.
Time seems to be the issue for breakfast. Plan ahead and stock the kitchen with high-fiber choices. Hot cereals in the winter work well. I suggest you can add whatever on top of the hot cereal to help them love it. Try a scoop of ice cream. If it gets them to eat a large bowl of high fiber protein hot cereal, go for it. Whole grain pancakes and waffles with eggs and bacon are great choices. My wife has been so faithful in getting up early to make sure my children start the day out right with a hot, satisfying breakfast. Our children have commented over the years what a difference that makes to them as they go about the day. It is worth the sacrifice to prepare a great meal to start the day.
I have often used my electric pressure cooker (more information on pressure cooking at www.chefbrad.com) to prepare hot breakfast cereal before I go to bed at night. The new electric pressure cookers allow you to cook the cereal at night and it goes into a keep warm mode until you are ready. So if you are rushed in the morning, it is a big help to have. Another great thing is to bake whole grain muffins. They freeze well and can be brought out the night before and added to make the breakfast more enjoyable. It does take time and effort, but our children are worth the effort. Happy children who are ready to learn many times are the ones that have been nourished with the right foods at the start of the day.
Lunch
Now we can talk about lunch. If we have provided a great breakfast, the pressure is off a little for lunch. Sending lunches can be a challenge, but there are some great choices. Sandwiches made with whole grain breads are a great start. There are some really great natural nut butters out there that are not hydrogenise or you can even make them in your blender. Nut butters are high in protein and great to hold them over until dinner.
Homemade whole grain cookies and muffins are a choice to add to the lunch. There are some really great recipes for protein bars and health bars that can be added to the lunch bag also.
Please don't forget the importance of fruits and vegetables. If it takes ranch dressing to get them to enjoy a handful of carrots, then do it.
Just one last thought. There are some school districts across the country that are having great success in healthy school lunches. Why are some having success and others not? The answer is simple: Parent involvement in what is going on in the schools. We as parents have the right and need to stand up to what the schools are doing. Recently in one school district, all the vending machines were removed that sold soda and candy bars. It was a hard thing to do because the schools depend on the money. There is great power when we as parents make a stand. And feeding our children healthy foods is definitely worth making a stand for.
Chef Brad Peterson's Fusion Grain Cooking show airs on BYUtv, he presents at BYU's Campus Education Week and is also the executive chef at the BSH National Training Center. His website is www.chefbrad.com.