It’s that time of year when students head back into the
classroom, and parents are faced with the daily challenge: What should go into
the lunchbox?
Nutrition experts say the start of the school year can be
tough as kids go from long summer days with flexible eating schedules and more options,
to high demands on their brains and bodies.
“You’re asking a lot of their brain to go from minimal
demand to maximum demand,” said registered dietician Addie Clare Jones. “That
first week back can be really a shock to the system.”
A simple acronym for parents to remember to set their
students up for success in the classroom is PFFC, Jones said.
“Protein, fiber, fat, and color. The color stands for a fruit
or vegetable,” she explained. “If there’s a four-compartment lunch box, then we
want those four things represented.”
How often kids eat can also be a big factor in how well they
perform in school, the health professional warned.
“A lot of times the first lunch is 10:30 a.m. and then they
stay in school until 3 p.m. What can they eat between 10:30 and 3?” Jones said.
“They need to be eating every 3-4 hours, especially on the three end for
younger students.”
Wake County Public Schools allows families to look at breakfast
and lunch menu options ahead of time using the interactive Meal Viewer. Clicking
on individual schools and specific dates reveals additional nutrition facts.
WRAL asked Jones to weigh on the lunch menu
being offered at several high schools, including Sanderson Senior High, for
the first day back to school on Aug. 25.
The choices are stuffed crust cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza,
orange popcorn chicken and rice bowl. Sides include ginger broccoli, seasoned
carrots, and pineapple tidbits.
Jones picked the pepperoni pizza, made with whole wheat, turkey
pepperoni, and low-fat cheese. For sides she opted for broccoli and pineapple
tidbits.
“My initial thoughts were that there were certainly a lot of
starch sources available. I was curious about the protein,” said Jones. “I was
really happy to see, for the individual pepperoni pizza that will be available
this coming Monday, that it has an excellent protein-carb-fat ratio.”
She continued, “I was really happy to see there was a great
macronutrient balance. About 50 grams of carbohydrates, which is excellent for brain
fuel for about 3 hours, 20 grams of protein, and about 15 grams of fat and 7 grams of fiber.
That’s a good relationship to each other.”
Jones graded the meal an ‘A’ for balance, but said the
calories specifically earned a B-.
“It’s only about 400 calories,” said Jones. “400 calories is
inadequate for a meal for a high school student, especially if I’m thinking
‘Are they going to get an opportunity to eat again?’ and ‘Are they active?”
Jones said many high schoolers play sports, participate in
theatre, or have jobs after school that require additional calories for energy
throughout the day.
“That’s asking a lot of their bodies. 400 calories is really
more of a hearty snack for high schoolers especially,” she said.
The registered dietitian also said she would prefer to see
pizza offered on fewer days overall.
“We get our relationship with food established during
childhood,” she explained. “If you in your mind are like, ‘Pizza is something
we eat four days a week,’ then you leave high school and go out into the world
and you continue to eat pizza four days a week that perhaps hasn’t been
optimized for macronutrient balance, you’re going to have some health
consequences.”
Jones reviewed the limited
school menu available for Durham County Public Schools, and stated her
grading “was about the same.”
WRAL also asked Jones to review two versions of breakfast
and lunch options made at home by a Wake County parent for their two children
this week.
The breakfast options included fruit and either sausage or
apples with peanut butter, and both were served with milk.
“I like it,” Jones said for a short answer. “I like that
there are multiple colors per plate. I think the top thing is ‘Will they eat
this?’ If so, I love it. It’s got some of everything and if palatable to the
child at 6 a.m. or whatever time they’re having to eat this breakfast, it’s
amazing because again, frequency is the top priority.”
For lunch, Jones was shown one photo of a sandwich with
lunch meat, tomatoes, olives, Pirate’s Booty popcorn, cheese sticks and yogurt.
The other was similar, with lunch meat and a granola bar
instead of a sandwich, and an apple with two gummy worms.
Jones said both meals achieved the key components of
including a creamy, crunchy, salty, and sweet item.
The Pirate’s Booty popcorn also added a boost of protein, and
gummy worms hit on a fun Back-to-School theme she said.
Her one recommended swap was to trade the store-bought
yogurt pouch for a DIY version in a reusable pouch.
“You could make a week of these ahead of time,” said Jones. “I
use a large Ziplock bag and put whole milk, Greek yogurt, and pureed fruit and
make my own and freeze them. It would be a little less sugar, a little more
protein, and a little more fat option.”
Jones said the option is a good idea for the whole family as
the dishwasher-friendly bags can be filled as much, or as little as someone
likes depending on the age of the person, they’re preparing a meal for. Freezing
them allows the pouches to double as ice packs.
Another snack idea Jones makes in her own home is applesauce
with chia seeds.
“The apple sauce gives them the yummy taste, but the chia
seeds is giving them omega-3s and fiber and fat and its’ great for their brains,”
advised Jones.
For parents looking to add greener foods into their child’s
diet, Jones said adding spinach into a smoothie and naming it something fun
like ‘Green Hulk Strong Smoothie’ can increase the likelihood your child will
try it.
“Studies do show they’re more likely to eat it outside of
the home when mommy and daddy aren’t watching and hoping that they’re eating it,”
noted Jones.