Tasty and Healthy Breakfast and School Lunch Ideas and Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food for Your Child
Last week I had the pleasure of speaking at a parent-teachernight for parents of pre-schoolers and kindergarteners about what balancednutrition looks like for their kids, the importance of their kids getting agood breakfast and lunch (and of course ideas for these meals), and lastly theimportance of creating a positive environment around and relationship with food! For this week’s post, Iwould like to share the handout I developed for keeping lunch and breakfastinteresting as well as some easy to make ideas that won’t take too long toprepare! Whether your kids are preschool age or in middle/high school, theseideas can still be useful, just note that the portions will increase as yourkids get older.
Check out the handout below for a fun, varied list of ideas!
Lastly, I just wanted to make a note as I found this animportant topic when speaking with the fabulous parents at the school last weekof how to begin to promote a healthy relationship with food from a young age.
- Talking to your kids about foods that we eatmore of or less of rather than saying that foods are healthy/unhealthy orgood/bad is a good place to start- having sometimes foods or growing foods canstart to help your kids understand what a good balance and variety looks likewithout developing a mindset that food is “bad.” **Note with Halloween comingup, allow your children to have a few pieces of candy, just make sure theportions aren’t too crazy, these are sometimes food.**
- Additionally, preventing the use of food as areward as much as possible is important in minimizing a connection with food asa primary source of emotional comfort.
- If possible, try to have at least one meal a daythat you all sit down together for at least 20 minutes and eat a meal.
- If your child says they are “full” before eatingwhat is a healthy portion for them, ask them what full feels like and if theyenjoyed their food, sometimes they are just full, sometimes they just want toget back to playing- have them sit for 5-10 more minutes before they go andplay, spending time with the family to ensure they truly are full.
- If they want seconds, the same idea shouldapply. Ask them if they enjoyed their food and are still hungry? Also have themtry to wait 5-10 minutes before they get seconds to ensure they truly are stillhungry, sometimes they will realize they are actually full and just need timeto digest.
- Avoid a required clean your plate rule as thisconditions children to eat even when their body isn’t hungry.
- Positive body talk- avoid making comments aboutyour child’s body or your body around your child, they hear everything. Insteadof making comments such as “looks like you have been enjoying food or, look atthose chunky cheeks” you can say “look how big and strong you are getting.”Making positive comments about how smart, brave, how pretty your eyes or hairis, etc. are all comments that minimize body stigma while also promoting selfconfidence.
While this is not a comprehensive list I wanted to throwsome good ideas out there to help keep your breakfast and lunch ideas fresh foryour kids as well as create a positive, healthy mindset around food and bodyimage in your home long term.
If you have any feedback, thoughts, or concerns please feelfree to reach out with a comment or message
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Wishing you a safe and warm week ahead and an early HappyHalloween,
-Ricci-Lee Hotz, MS, RDN
Denver’s Dancing Dietitian
A Taste of Health, LLC
“Improving Quality of life one bite at a time”