Baby boomers can well remember when school didn’t begin until the Monday after Labor Day. Now it’s hard to believe that summer is over for most local kids, and Hamilton County schools will be back in full swing on Thursday — just one week into August.
So there’s reading and writing and ’rithmetic to think about, but also food. It’s time to get the lunch boxes out of the pantry and begin thinking about what to put in them. But keep in mind that obesity is still a “huge problem in the Southeast,” says Amy Gruber, a registered dietitian for Parkridge Health System. So what’s the best way to satisfy your child’s hunger while keeping in line with health guidelines?
“Let them help pack the lunch, so they’ll know what he or she will be eating the next day,” Gruber advises. That way, she says, they can try new things at home, and you’ll know what your child does and doesn’t like.
Use an ice pack in the lunch box so you are not limited to standard lunch-box choices, she adds. And think outside the (lunch) box with more of Gruber’s tips:
• Make a fruit skewer stacked with chunks of pineapple, red and green grapes, kiwi slices and strawberries. The kids will have fun eating their recommended daily allowance of fruit.