01 Dec The Benefits of Packing Your Child’s Lunch
Now that kids are back in the classroom, it means many parents are once again faced with the dilemma of whether to pack their child’s lunch or to have their child eat the school-provided lunch. While packing a lunch puts a little more pressure on parents in the morning—there are a lot of often undervalued benefits of packing your child’s lunch.
Packing your child’s lunch is the easiest way for you to make sure your child is getting the proper nutrients when they aren’t at home. Packed lunches don’t have to be elaborate, but if they include a balanced blend of fruits, vegetables, and real, fresh food, then it can set your child up for success. Many great benefits come with packing your child’s lunch every day.
You Can Make Sure Lunch is Allergy-Free
In addition to making sure your child’s packed-from-home lunch is healthy, you can also make sure that it is allergy-free. If your child has food allergies or sensitivities, it can be hard to rely on the school to make sure he or she isn’t accidentally being served foods they can’t have.
This will give parents a little extra peace of mind for when their kids aren’t eating in front of them.
You Will Provide Your Child With Meals They Will Actually Eat
It’s a struggle a lot of parents face—when their kid doesn’t love their food options, they will simply choose not to eat anything at all. This is a major concern for many parents when they send their child off to school in the morning. Packing their lunches with things parents know their kids will eat is the best way to ensure they are eating when they aren’t in front of Mom or Dad.
You Can Make Sure Your Child is Getting a Mid-Day Boost of Energy
When packing your child-friendly lunch, you can make sure that you fill their lunchbox not only with foods that are healthy and ones they will eat—but food that will give your child energy as well. There are so many children who aren’t getting the right foods they need to power them through the rest of the day.
This can make it difficult for your child to focus during the latter half of the day, and it can hurt their behavior and success at school. Make sure to include healthy energy-boosting snacks in their lunch such as peanut butter and celery, fruited yogurt, or low-fat string cheeses—they can all give your child a healthy boost of energy.
While there’s a little more work, and sometimes a little more money involved in packing your child’s lunch, it can make all of the difference in your child’s health and wellbeing. Here at Continuum Pediatrics, we want to help educate parents on how they can make sure their child is eating healthy and getting the nutrients they need to grow big and strong. Make an appointment with us today by calling 817-617-8600 and make sure to ask about nutritional tips for your child during this specific time in their lives.