As summer vacation winds down in August, millions of children nationwide are gearing up to head back to school. Among the many things parents worry about – such as immunizations, sports physicals, school supplies and playground safety – packing a healthy, nutritious lunch (that kids will actually eat!) is at the top of the list.
Combating Childhood Obesity: It Begins With School Lunches
With the rising tide of obesity in the nation over the last 30 years and subsequent rise in related morbidities, it’s not only extremely important that children eat healthy, balanced meals throughout the day – it’s imperative. And eating a nutritious school lunch is key to helping minimize the child obesity epidemic. There’s clear evidence that inception of good eating habits in childhood not only leads to better eating habits as adults, but also less risk of obesity. Because of this, it’s critical that parents stay involved with the nutritional choices children make as they grow into their teens.
The National School Lunch Program provides guidelines regarding the nutritional content of meals offered through schools, including the caloric content, fat content and micronutrients such as calcium, iron and vitamin A.
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