"I challenge you to go to any school and open 50 lunchboxes, and I guarantee you there will be one or two cans of Red Bull, there'll be cold McDonalds and jam sandwiches with several cakes."
--Jamie Oliver
--Jamie Oliver
The
kids are going back to school. Your job
is to get them ready to learn. This is
the typical “to do” list” for parents:
- Buying school clothes and uniforms
- Buying school supplies
- Preparing a list of emergency phone numbers for the school office in case your child gets sick
- Getting required shots, school and sports physicals
Here
are my 3 Back to School Tips for Growing Healthy Kids:
- Plan healthy breakfasts for every school day. If your kids qualify for the free and reduced meal program, make the effort to check out your school district’s menus. Teach your kids to identify and avoid foods high in added sugars, such as flavored milks that quickly raise their blood sugar and make learning difficult. Have breakfast with your kids at school so you can help guide their choices. If your kids will be eating breakfast at home, make sure they have some protein, good carbs (fruit, vegetables or whole grains), and some of the good fats (such as nuts or nut butter). Examples of delicious, healthy breakfasts: (1) cooked rolled or steel cut oats (do NOT use instant oats) with almond milk, cinnamon, honey, chopped pecans, and dates or raisins and (2) almond butter on whole grain bread and half an orange. Breakfast is the meal that kids need the most. Don’t load your kids up with added sugars and saturated fats. Skipping breakfast often results in overeating later in the day, resulting in weight gain and obesity.
- Make family dinners a priority. Put all the mobile electronic devices into a basket in another room so everyone can talk about their day at the dinner table. Listen to your kids. Ask them to talk about the best part of their day or something nice they did for another student. Children are losing the art of conversation and other social skills needed to succeed in life. Studies have shown that when kids eat dinner together with their families at least half of the week, they are less likely to be overweight or obese.
- Plan so your kids get plenty of sleep…70% of high school kids do not get enough sleep on school nights. Children who don’t get enough sleep don’t get sleepy during the day. Instead, they typically become hyperactive, irritable, and inattentive during the day (source: NIH.gov). Children in preschool need 11-12 hours a day of sleep. School-aged children and adolescents need at least 10 hours a day. Teenagers need 9-10 hours a day. Make a plan for bedtime on school nights based on when kids have to wake in the morning. If your 10 year old child has to be up by 7 AM to get ready for school, then they need to be in bed by 9 PM on school nights. Not getting enough sleep makes weight loss more difficult, especially for adults.
ALL children deserve to be ready to learn when the school year begins. Avoid foods and drinks with added sugars, limit fried foods and meat consumption, especially aged meats such as salami and pepperoni. Plan meals that feature fresh fruits and vegetables. Make sure your kids get plenty of outdoor play time every day and enough sleep every night.
Preventing diseases such as diabetes and obesity is up to parents. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 17% of U.S. youth ages 2-19 are obese. Let's not allow our children to be Big Pharma's next victims.
With
love and gratitude,
Nancy
L. Heinrich, MPH
Founder,
Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
