The primary goal of preparing a lunch box is to provide a complete, healthy meal for school-age children. But sometimes we may miss the mark and prepare a lunch box that is not suitable for children.
Preparing a lunch box is where your child gets a meal that increases his activity and provides him with nutrients. This means that it does not require complicated foods or prior preparations.
Remember this rule: “The less food there is, the more children will eat.” As children feel confused with multi-ingredient meals, try to include more ingredients but in smaller quantities. This gives your child variety and at the same time helps him get his full meal.
The school lunch box for your child is supposed to contain all the nutritional elements, including protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and calcium. Therefore, it is preferable to buy a lunch box divided into compartments so that you can put all the nutritional elements that you want to provide your child with.
The difference in colors inside the school lunch box is of great importance, as it indicates that your child’s school meal is full of all the beneficial nutrients that provide your child with energy.
Mothers should be careful to add proteins to their children in the school lunch box, and there are many examples you can choose from, such as grilled chicken pieces, cheese, eggs, and legumes.
It is necessary to place a healthy and beneficial “snack” for your child in the lunch box, and it is among the useful types that mothers can rely on as a source of vitamins for the child and help him focus during the following school day: “Nuts, vegetables, snacks made specifically for healthy people, and it is best to place them in an attractive way to encourage the child to Eat it.
Do not add sweets or fruits that contain a large amount of sugar to the school lunch box, as they lack the basic nutrients needed to build the child’s body.
When purchasing a school lunch box for your child, you must consider choosing a good type of plastic due to the danger of some types of plastic to the foods inside it.
- Among the wrong habits that many people do in lunch boxes:
- Use of fino bread:
- There is no doubt that pheno has a delicious taste that is loved by children, but be careful that excessive use of it and eating it for breakfast leads to:
- The possibility of obesity because it is rich in calories, as one piece of it contains 111 calories, which puts your child at risk of obesity.
- It accelerates the secretion of the hormone insulin and raises the level of sugar in the blood.
- It gives a feeling of hunger throughout the day.
- Using canned cheese to make sandwiches:
- It contains a lot of calories.
- It contains a high percentage of saturated fats, which causes high triglyceride levels.
- It is made from hydrogenated and vegetable oils, which lead to high cholesterol levels and fat accumulation in the abdominal area, resulting in weight gain.
- It contains a very high percentage of preservatives.
- Eating processed meat such as luncheon meat:
- One piece of beef luncheon meat contains 26 calories.
- Processed meat contains nitrates, a carcinogen that damages the liver and pancreas.
- It contains artificial colors, which makes it harmful to health and may cause various types of cancer.
- Fruits with high sugar content:
- Fruit is known to be rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but there is an indication that there are some types of fruit that should be avoided in large amounts. These are fruits that contain high levels of sugar, such as bananas, and this indicator leads to:
- One medium-sized banana contains 105 calories.
- It is rich in starches, as it contains about 14 gm sugar and 6 gm starch, which makes it a risk for developing diabetes.
- Bananas contain a high percentage of magnesium, which leads to relaxation, calming the nerves, and a desire to sleep.
- Unhealthy snacks such as fried potato chips:
- An average bag of french fries contains 3450 calories.
- It contains acrylamide, which is a toxic compound resulting from exposure of potatoes to high temperatures during frying.
- It is rich in artificial flavors that contain high levels of sodium, which makes it a powerful source of irregular blood pressure and heart rate.
- The correct habits that must be followed when preparing a lunch box:
- Replace fino bread with whole grain flour bread:
- One piece contains 27 calories.
- Rich in fiber, which gives a feeling of fullness.
- Improves digestion.
- Promotes healthy skin and hair.
- Replace canned cheese with cottage cheese:
- Two small pieces contain 36 calories.
- A strong and important source of protein that stimulates metabolism and is important for health and muscle building.
- It regulates blood sugar level.
- It contains selenium and enhances the health of the immune system.
- It contains calcium to maintain bone health.
- Replace luncheon meat with boiled eggs:
- A medium-sized egg contains 78 calories.
- Eggs contain 30% saturated fatty acids and 70% unsaturated fatty acids.
- A rich source of selenium, which works to produce antioxidant enzymes.
- It raises the level of good HDL cholesterol.
- Rich in vitamins such as Vit. A,Vit.B2-9-12, Vit.D.
- Maintain launchbox fiber source mode as option:
- One cucumber contains 15 calories.
- Rich source of fibre.
- It moisturizes the body.
- Regulating fluids in the body because cucumber is rich in water.
- Way Fry Chips, an alternative to French fries:
- It contains 429 calories.
- Oil free.
- It contains 60% less fat than other products.
- Rich in fiber, which gives a feeling of fullness.
School age is the time when children learn habits that will last them a lifetime. Therefore, it is important to make the child develop the habit of eating a healthy diet to keep him motivated in his classes. Parents can improve their children's eating habits by preparing the inch box with the right ingredients every day.
References:
www.healthline.com