With students now back into the swing of school, a Sunshine Coast paediatric dietitian is urging parents to focus on nutrition to ensure children get the most out of their education.
Eden Mansell from the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service says planning good eating habits will help children concentrate in class as well as have good energy levels for the classroom and playtime.
“Planning is key to anything you do so if you don’t plan ahead what you’re going to eat, we’re more likely to go for foods that are higher in the sugar and the fats, and they’re not as healthy for us,” she said.
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Ms Mansell recommends avoiding processed packaged foods as they won’t sustain students throughout the day.
“If you do have time there is some great options like zucchini slice or meatballs – those types of things you can pop in the freezer then put in the lunch box in the morning and they’re ready to go,” she said.
“Just keep water as the only drink in the lunchbox, we don’t need to opt for juices or milk drinks unless someone like a health professional has said that you should have them.
Her advice is to not just pack foods you think your child likes but to also include new fruit and vegetables.
“Let them have the autonomy to decide how much they eat, so don’t expect the lunchbox is always going to come home empty – it’s OK if it doesn’t, they might not be having as hungry a day as they did the day before,” she said.
Another of Ms Mansell’s tips is to start the day well.
“We often miss a bit of protein at breakfast so anything like eggs, any sort of other savoury mince, chicken, even yoghurt and muesli is a good option; baked beans on toast can be another one,” she said.
“Some of our cereals we get at the supermarket can be quite high in our sugars so steer away from those sorts of foods and more towards our lovely wholegrains and proteins.”
She said the theme of good protein should continue in the lunchbox with foods like egg, tinned tuna, shredded chicken, cheese, pasta and rice.
“Those wholegrains will keep those energy levels high and slowly be digested in the body, so we’re not getting big energy spikes and big lows,” she said.
SCHHS is holding free parent information sessions on March 9 from 9.30-11.30am at Nambour Child Health, 5 Waterfall Road; and on March 16 from 9.30-11.30am at Caloundra Child Health, West Terrace. For more information or to book phone Child Health on 5319 4824.
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