- Pack Children a Healthy Lunchbox - tiffany washco
Rising levels of childhood obesity is a serious health issue in the Western world and one that must be addressed early on in the child's life to break poor eating habits before they become too ingrained. In addition to introducing regular exercise, the obese child will also require re-educating about which foods are going to help them to get healthy and which will only cause more weight gain.
In order to make positive changes, it is crucial to change both meals and snacks consumed each day to form a healthy lifestyle eating plan. It is also important to get the whole family involves so that the child does not feel singled out in any way.
Lose Weight with Healthy Breakfast Options
As any person who has walked down the cereal aisle of their local supermarket will know, many of the cereals specifically aimed at attracting children are absolutely packed with sugar. As a result what was once a reasonably healthy breakfast may end up becoming as unhelpful as chomping on a chocolate bar in the morning. Cereals that are reasonably healthy include things like Weetabix, porridge and sugar- free brands of muesli. A simple way to make one of these healthier cereals more tasty is to chop up a banana or throw on some berries.
Another healthy choice for breakfast involves switching to wholemeal toast and added grilled tomatoes, peanut butter or perhaps a boiled egg. Also, think about adding different types of fresh fruit to natural yoghurt to help increase fruit intake.
Healthy Lunches Help Obese Children Lose Weight
A healthy lunch at school may sometimes be provided but if this is not possible then packing a lunchbox with balanced food will be necessary. Simple lunches include filling a wholemeal sandwich or pita bread with tuna and sweetcorn or ham/egg/cheese salad and a piece of fresh fruit and yogurt. Alternatives to fresh fruit include a box of raisins, dried apple rings or dried apricots, which all offer a sweet taste without being as loaded with calories and fat as a piece of cake or chocolate bar. Another option for children not keen on sandwiches every day is to include a hummus dip, bread sticks and various vegetables such as chopped celery, cucumber and carrots.
During weekends or if a child is able to come home at lunch time, then a jacket potato is a simple option which will provide essential energy for the rest of the school day. As the weather is getting warmer, salads with poached fish or chicken is also a healthy option.
Healthy Evening Meals and Snacks to Reduce Weight
Evening meals can include any of the options for lunch in addition to pasta or rice dishes such as risotto, tuna pasta bake, chicken curry, low-fat tacos and home-made burgers. At this time of year it is quick and easy to simply grill or poach some chicken and add to a salad. Where possible, aim to get children involved in preparing food and parents can make searching for ingredients in the supermarket more interesting by turning it into a treasure hunt. The key is to gradually introduce new, tasty evening meals over time so that children become used to eating certain foods and the different aromas from cooking.
Snacks are also important as there's little point removing chocolate, cake and crisps from a child's diet without replacing it with something else, as come 4pm most children will be hungry. Healthy alternatives include bread sticks, natural yogurt with fresh fruit, fruit smoothies, a handful of nuts, raisins and wholemeal toast.
As highlighted above, healthy eating needs to become a long-term approach if it is to result in the obese child getting to a healthier BMI. Also, introducing different cereals, snacks, fruit, sandwich fillings and jacket potato fillings will help children learn that healthy does not mean less taste.
Source:
Heaton-Harris, N. (2004) Childrens Health - Combating Obesity Brighton: Emerald Publishing
Kate Le Page - Kate Henning-Le Page writes about eating disorders, body image and recovery issues. She specializes in anorexia recovery.
