credit:booskitty
Some parents would be shocked to see how little food their children eat at school. For years I tried to get kids to eat their lunches and many just flatly refused.

Thomas, why aren’t you eating your lunch?” “I don’t like it.” “Have you tried it?” “No, but I know I don’t like it.”

“Christina, why aren’t you eating your lunch?” “I’m not hungry.” “But you’ll get hungry later if you don’t eat now. Won’t you just take a few bites?” “I’ll drink my milk and eat the cookie.”

“Lawrence, you aren’t eating your lunch. Did your Mommy make that for you?” “Yes.” “Then why aren’t you eating it?” “I don’t want it.”

A few suggestions:

• f possible, drop by the school at lunch time once in a while to check on your child’s eating habits. Eating enough of the right food makes a huge difference in performance for the rest of the day.
• Talk to the teacher and ask if your son or daughter is more lethargic in the afternoon, possibly from the lack of nutrition.
• Encourage kids to try food that is new to them or prepared in a different way.
• Have your child plan his own sack lunch menu. You can teach him the importance of eating the fruit, as well as the sandwich.
• Discourage swapping food, so you can keep a more accurate tab on what he or she is eating.

Don’t assume that just because you pay for school prepared lunches, or because you go to great care sending healthy food, that your kids are eating as they well as they should.

With good health in mind,

The Schoolmarm