Backpack sorted? Yup.
Math homework all done? Um, just about. My algebra isn’t what it used to be. Not that it was much to begin with, ha!
A nutritious pack lunch all prepared? Oh, yup! I’m ace at pack lunches for my kids.
Wait, what? Nutritious?
Um, nope.
Sad face.
If many of us dads were graded on our pack lunches for our kids, we’d score an F according to research at the University of Texas. We just don’t consider loading them with enough energy to get them through the day. As for vitamins and calcium? We’re told that we could do better. And iron and zinc? For these, we get a “see me.”
Always Include A Dependable Drink
Too many kids’ drinks contain enough sugar to turn them into little fatties, before they’ll grow up to be big fatty-fatties. You need to be really considerate when choosing your kids’ drink, and this means checking the label and picking out the ones which have very few calories – zero if poss. Water is great, as are diet drinks. Milk is also in.
Bulk It Up With Protein and Fibre
White bread is your kids’ enemy, whereas whole-grain should be their new best friend. You need to pack your kids’ pack lunch with enough protein to give them energy and a sharp mind, without which they’ll struggle to get through the day. We suggest meats such as turkey or ham on whole-grain bread.
To create variety in your kids’s week at school, you could even try hot soup one day and hard-boiled eggs another day.
Rethink Your Sides
When we think of slides, we inevitably think of fries. It’s natural. But we suggest replacing your chips with carrot sticks, and your chocolate bars with bananas. Your kids might not thank you for it at the time, but the impact on their health will be well worth it.
Other sides you could try include fruit salads, almonds and apples.
Treat Them – But Not Too Much
Okay, you don’t wanna make your kid miserable as hell, and you don’t want them to get the nickname “Diet Boy” in the playground, so obviously you’ve gotta chuck in a treat or two. Might we suggest a square of chocolate, a yogurt, or even a cereal bar?
