School lunches need not be a problem

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 14

School lunches need not be a problem

Naturally delicious

By

ANNE DOORNEKAMP

During the summer holidays, children are usually happy to eat the same sort of food as the rest of the family. When school reopens, however, parents often worry about the effect of peer group habits on their child’s eating. School lunches can become quite a problem to parents concerned that

their child should eat healthily. I do think we can worry too much about what a child’s friends will say, if she or he is the only one with brown bread sandwiches. Trying to conform completely with a group and blend into the background, Is not going to help a child develop self reliance, individuality or independence. It is better for children to learn how to cope with the pressures of being different. Discuss with your children how to handle these problems, if necessary, but be firm that you are not going to give them white bread sandwiches, with hundreds and thousands, just because they and their friends prefer it. Left to themselves, most children would probably eat fish and chips and ice cream every day, so we already guide their eating habits to quite a large degree. We exercise the same sort of restraint on ourselves.

Good health is based on what we eat daily, not occasionally. It is important that children eat a good lunch at school, but once every week or two, they can buy a school lunch, or take something less healthy, if they desire. Wholemeal bread sandwiches, with cheese, egg, tomato, lettuce, mannite, peanut butter, honey or banana, make a good satisfying lunch. Choose your bread carefully. Some brown breads are made from white flour, with a few

whole grains thrown in. Others mix wholemeal and white flour, or have gluten added. For a really pure wholemeal bread, you will have to bake your own. Cut it as thin as possible, so children can chew it easily. Choose about three different breads your child will eat, and rotate them, as anyone gets bored with the same bread day in and day out. Wholemeal bread rolls don’t contain much wholemeal flour, but they make a change, and seem to be more acceptable socially. In hot summer weather, appetites are less and children may enjoy taking wholemeal crackers with salad fillings, instead of sandwiches. My children love celery sticks or cucumber slices spread with peanut butter, and carrot sticks usually go well. Most children enjoy fruit and in hot weather an all fruit lunch may be welcomed. A little bag of dried fruit, seeds and nuts can be included.

Small pottles of yogurt are quite popular. Most are sweetened with sugar, which cancels out the good effect of the yogurt. You can buy a pottle of

sweetened yogurt, eat it and reuse the pottle, filling it with plain yogurt mixed with honey, banana, coconut, dried fruit or muesli.

Sometimes, leftovers from the previous night’s dinner make good lunches. When having such foods as quiche, burgers, nut loaf or brown rice salad, make sure there will be enough for the next day.

Do explain to children why you won’t let them eat certain foods, and discuss the composition and merits of different brands of the same food.

They may grumble, but will appreciate that you are not treating them arbitarily and have good reasons for your actions. Healthy school lunches don’t need to be a problem. Be firm, but listen to your children’s preferences and use your imagination, so that school lunches are enjoyable.

Children learn to cope with being different

Leftovers make good lunches