School Lunches ~ Healthy Choices Begin at Home

Jacksonville, Florida
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 @ 12:00 AM EDT

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest children’s health systems, urges parents to talk to their children about what they eat at school. Now that children have returned to school parents may have less control over the food choices their children make. The good news is many school cafeterias have improved the nutritional value of their selections. The bad news; a child can still choose an unhealthy mix of foods.

Parents can maintain some control by knowing what foods will be available to their child on a given day. Many school districts offer their cafeteria menus online. For example, in Duval County parents can view school menus at www.educationcentral.org/schools/htmeals.asp. By reviewing the menu parents can discuss healthy options with their children and encourage them to choose wisely.

Packing a lunch may still be the best way to assure that children get the appropriate nutrition. This also gives parents an opportunity to educate their children and to reinforce the guidelines set for meals at home.

“If children are used to getting healthy meals and snacks at home they are more prepared to make healthy choices outside the home. Exposing children to a variety of fruits and vegetables at home is critical because children tend to choose foods that they are familiar with when away from home,” said Elizabeth Beasley, MS, RD, LDN, a clinical dietitian at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville. “Therefore, a healthy lifestyle must begin within the family.”

Nemours Children’s Clinic offers the following healthy choice tips:

• Eliminate unhealthy “junk” foods from the home.
• Provide healthy snack alternatives, such as fruit and raw veggies.
• Exercise with your child for at least 30 minutes per day.
• Limit TV and computer time to no more than 2 hours per day.
• Avoid fried foods and other foods high in saturated fat.

modified: Wednesday, October 08, 2008 @ 10:30 AM EDT
created: Tuesday, January 08, 2008 @ 02:56 PM EST

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.