Start the new school year off right with proper nutrition! Healthy eating is important to children's functioning at school. Even moderate undernutrition can have lasting effects on a child's development, school performance, and relationships. Poor nutrition puts children at risk for diseases like diabetes if they are seriously overweight and for chronic diseases later in life. Did you know that poor nutrition and lack of physical activity is the number two cause of death in the U.S.? To learn more, see the Nutrition and the Health of Young People Fact Sheet (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/nutfact.htm) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Healthy eating begins with breakfast. Research shows that skipping breakfast can affect children's intellectual performance. Choose from different food groups to give your child a well-balanced, healthy start to the day. Be sure to discuss nutrition with your children and use the Food Pyramid (http://www.usda.gov/news/usdakids/food_pyr.html) to plan healthy meals together.

One very important ingredient for a healthy diet is calcium which children and teens need to help them build strong, healthy bone. By consuming enough calcium now, kids can lower their risk of developing osteoporosis and fragile bones later in life. Good sources include low fat or nonfat milk (http://www.nichd.nih.gov/milk/), yogurt, and certain vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, and kale.

Whether a student brings a lunch or buys it at school (http://schoolmeals.nal.usda.gov/), it is important to make educated food choices. Parents, guardians, teachers and school administrators can all help improve children's nutrition by playing an active role in discussing healthy choices and by setting a good example. Click here to find out about Promoting Lifelong Healthy Eating Among Young People (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/nuthych.htm).

When your child comes home from school hungry for a snack, offer low fat yogurt, fresh fruit, and pretzels as healthy alternatives (http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Parents/pyramidsnacks.html) to soda, chips and candy. Not only are sugary foods less nutritious, they also can be dangerous to their teeth. To learn how to snack smart, check out a list of teeth-friendly and nutritious snacks (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health/pubs/snaksmrt/sec4.htm).

Learning about the importance of proper nutrition at a young age will help to establish lifelong healthy eating habits and will improve the health of your child, both now and in adulthood. But nutrition alone will not ensure good health. Combining a balanced diet with physical activity will help your child to live a long and healthy life. Start the new school year off right by teaching your children about the importance of proper nutrition and physical activity (http://www.fitness.gov/funfit/10tips.htm) for a healthier future.


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wow i am loving all this information!!! this is so wonderful that we are getting this out to the pto family. it is so important expecially where children are concerned.
you have to be so careful as to what your children are eating. i know that it is sometimes difficult, but if at all possible, avoid letting your children buy their food at school. it is so bad for them. pack their lunch instead. it makes me insane when i see all what some of these children are eating. lunchables???? they are so bad for you. loaded with fat, and the meat is all processed. if we actually took the time to read what we were feeding ourselves or our children i bet that most of you wouldnt let them eat what is in your cabinets!!

there are so many good alternatives. kids need fat, yes they do, but kids do not need mcdonalds 3 times a week. i know everyone is busy and it is the quick fix, but it is so unhealty!

healthy lunch items and snacks for kids.

-peanut butter and apples
-bannana
-pear
-pretzels
-strawberrys
-grapes
-carrot sticks
-1/2 cup of granola
-soy crisps (an alternative to potato chips, they are so good and the kids will never know the difference!)
-nookie (its like a cookie, actually it is a cookie, but low in fat, high in fiber, all natural and no white flour. available at most health food stores.)
-even cereal, not lucky charms, but a granola or bran or oat cereal in a little container.

as far as lunch goes, i am not a cold cut person so bare with me!

turkey on whole grain bread
tuna on whole grain bread
salad with chopped chicken on top and fresh veggies
fresh veggies sticks/a few whole grain crackers
fresh fruit salad
yogurt

and as far as soda goes. so bad for children. next time your child looses a tooth, leave it in a glass of coke for 2 days. within that two days the tooth will be gone!!!

and as far as juice boxes go, juicy juice even though its 100% juice, it is manufactured in turkey. full of pesticides and god knows what else. for juice boxes from the grocery store, i would suggest adam and eve. they are all natural and contain nothing but juice from the fruit. also i they came out with an organic apple juice. im not sure if its available in juice boxes yet. but dont forget bottled water.