Although it takes a little extra effort from parents, good eating and sleeping habits will not only give kids enough get-up-and-go to get through long school days, they’ll also provide a strong foundation for future dietary and lifestyle choices.
And the good news is it’s not rocket science. Here are a few simple hints and tips to help you get your kids into first-rate shape for school this year.
Good breakfast habits
We’ve all heard how important a good breakfast is to kick start the mind and body after a night’s rest. But a recent national survey by a major private health provider found that 42% of parents admitted their children skip breakfast on at least one or more school day each week.
The American Dietetic Association Foundation’s 2010 Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey revealed similar school-aged breakfast skipping habits. Despite the alarming results, the US Association says children who eat breakfast stand to gain more than just a full tummy. Kids also benefit from:
- Better concentration and problem solving abilities
- Less absenteeism
- Better behaviour
- Improved dietary intake - more nutrients, vitamins and minerals
They’re also less likely to be overweight.
So although mornings are often a hectic and stressful time, getting children into a daily routine of eating a high-energy breakfast like porridge, boiled eggs, wholegrain toast or cereals, fruit and yogurt will pay dividends in the classroom, schoolyard and beyond.
Lunchbox inspiration
Breakfast might be vital to morning energy levels but packing a balanced and satisfying lunch box full of healthy and nutritious morning midday and even afternoon snacks is also critical to maintaining children’s vigor throughout the day.
As a basic guide, Sports Dietitians Australia recommend school lunchboxes always include at least:
- Two pieces of fruit - either fresh, dried or tinned
- One serve of dairy foods such as yogurt or cheese
- Three to four servings of carbohydrate-rich food such as bread (wholegrain is best), pasta, fruit based bars etc.
Including foods rich in iron like wholegrain bread and cereals, lean red meat, chicken, fish and some vegetables is also particularly important. According to experts at The Children’s Hospital in Sydney’s Westmead, kids who do not get enough iron often become tired, faint, pale and uninterested in play.
The hot weather in Australia may limit what can safely goes into kids’ lunchboxes during the warmer months, but including sandwiches or wraps with healthy fillings such as cheese, shredded carrot and lean ham, chicken or tuna is a better alternative to repeatedly using spreads such as vegemite or peanut butter (the latter may also be restricted due to school allergy policies).
Freezing water or a low-sugar juice in a drink bottle and including it in a lunch box is a good way to keep lunch contents cool while avoiding overusing spreads and keeping kids hydrated.
Cold pasta combinations like ham, corn and peas (which could be left over from the night before) can be another good way to break up a tired sandwich routine whilst providing a tasty, high-energy meal. If lunches are purchased from the school canteen take a good look at the menu and choose healthier options. Potato chips, meat pies or processed chicken burgers are high in salt and fat and deliver less essential vitamins and nutrients than most sandwiches, salads and pastas.
Snacks such as dried fruit or wholegrain crackers and honey are also ideal, healthy energy boosters. If kids walk or take the bus home such munchies are a good idea to include in lunchboxes to stop children feeling ravenous and eating junk food in the late afternoon – which often leads to poor appetites at dinner.
Help in a bottle
Despite best parental efforts sometimes children simply refuse to eat the right thing. Empowering kids by including them in food choices can help, but if you feel like you’re failing don’t give up hope. Supplementing with a good multivitamin designed with children’s dietary and energy requirements in mind can help deliver missing elements essential for energy and wellbeing.
Even if your child is taking a multivitamin, it’s important to continue offering nutritious, high-energy foods so children don’t develop bad eating habits – which can have a detrimental knock on effect to short and long-term health.
Sleep and exercise
The best diet aside, if children do not get enough sleep during the week their energy levels will be lowered. If kids stay up too late or have consistently interrupted sleep they will suffer from tiredness and fatigue, adversely affecting mood and learning ability, so it’s best to maintain a strict age-appropriate bedtime routine.
Although staying fit and active is important at all ages, parents should be mindful of not overdoing children’s weekly schedule. Packing in too many after-school sporting and extra curricula activities can become too much for children, especially when first starting school or making the transition to secondary education. After school activity has its place, but it’s best to be realistic and think carefully about additional weekly pursuits as school itself, especially initially, can be taxing on little bodies.