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Food
for School
Nutrition
Lunch
time is a great time to provide your child with a nutritious
midday meal. Providing your child with a variety of
foods will lead to a healthy diet, and hopefully keep
them interested in eating their lunch. Many fruits and
vegetables are easy to package, and help fulfill daily
nutritional requirements. The federal government's Dietary
Guidelines for Americans recommend three to five servings
per day from the vegetable group,and two to four daily
servings of fruit. One fruit serving consists of one
medium apple, banana, orange, or 1/2 cup of chopped,
cooked, or canned fruit,or 3/4 cup of fruit juice. A
vegetable serving can be measured as one cup of raw
leafy vegetable, or 1/2 cup of a cooked or chopped raw
vegetable. Additionally, keep in mind that growing children
need more nutrients especially iron. Foods rich in iron
-- lean meats, and whole grain orenriched bread -- will
help them meet these needs.
Preparation
When
preparing your child's lunch, be sure to use food that
has been stored and packed properly. Follow good preparation
practices; anyone preparing a lunch should be sure to
wash hands often, use clean utensils and cutting boards,
and wash preparation surfaces to help reduce the risk
of contamination by harmful bacteria. Also, avoid cross
contamination; do not use the same utensils for raw
meats and other products. In addition, when preparing
a lunch at night, be sure to refrigerate items such
as tuna, cold cuts, egg salad, and any type of dairy
products. Consult food labels to make sure foods are
stored at the proper temperature.
Consumption at School
Parents should instruct children to refrigerate
lunches at school if necessary. Be sure to seal thermoses
properly. Make sure that your children know that foods
that have not been stored properly that smell or taste
odd, or that are not sealed correctly should be thrown
away. Keep in mind that foods such as peanut butter,
box juices, and raisins, are particularly useful for
field trips or traveling because refrigeration is not
required. Children also should wash their hands before
eating their lunch. This will reduce the risk of contamination
by harmful bacteria. Finally, remember caution should
be used when sharing lunches with other children; allergic
reactions to certain food items or ingredients are possible.
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