Children need good nutrition and the BEST source of good nutrition is a healthy, nutritious, (and hopefully delicious), breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Food effects your child's ability to sit still, stay focused and learn. 

Study after study has shown that both behavior and grades improve significantly when sugar, refined carbohydrates and nutritionally empty foods are
eliminated from school cafeterias and are not available at home. 

For YOU & CHILDREN, having a "healthy diet" means . . . 

Enjoying foods that nourish your body and keep your blood sugar and body chemistry in a healthy balance; AND . . .

Avoiding foods containing ingredients that will throw your blood sugar and body chemistry out of healthy balance or that put a toxic load on your body.  

A breakfast high in sugar or refined carbohydrates, such as sweetened cereal, causes a sharp rise in your child's blood sugar and will have him or her,
"bouncing off the walls", in no time.

If a child is "hyped up" on sugar first thing in the morning, it will be practically impossible for them to sit still in class, pay attention and learn. First they will be hyper, and when the sugar high wears off, they'll be exhausted!

Food powerfully effects your child's ability to learn

A healthy breakfast sets the stage for learning! 

A healthy breakfast for children, (and adults), may include eggs of any variety, high fiber, whole wheat toast, (easy on the jam and jelly - it's almost pure sugar), fresh seasonal fruit, (apples, oranges, peaches, pears, melon, and strawberries are healthy choices).  Real oat meal with some fresh fruit or berries mixed in and topped off with a little cream, (yumm!) is also a healthy breakfast.

Regarding fruit juice: Fruit juice, including orange, apple and grapefruit juice is extremely high in natural sugar.   Just 6 ounces of orange juice has the equivalent of 4 teaspoons of sugar, and that's too much!

Go easy on the fruit juice and, (within reason), enjoy all the fresh fruit you want.

Real yogurt with fresh berries or sliced fruit makes for a very nice breakfast, but avoid all the flavored yogurts with fruit mixed in - they are little more than
candy. Purchase PLAIN yogurt and add your own fruit - this is MUCH better nutritionally.  For a special treat, mix some walnuts in with the yogurt!  

One of my 12 year old granddaughters favorites is to add bee pollen to yogurt or low fat cottage cheese.  The bee pollen is tasty, crunchy and loaded with B vitamins; overall this is a GREAT snack and a healthy addition to any lunch! 

Pancakes, waffles (with or without syrup), sweetened cereal of any variety, all products made with white flour, including white bread, doughnuts, sweet rolls, fake-fruit juice and so on are PROFOUNDLY BAD CHOICES.  Just say no! 

PLEASE never give these high-sugar, health-disaster foods to your children!  These gooey, high-sugar creations are "the really bad stuff".  They will make your kids overweight, sluggish and turn them into slow learners.  

All sweetened cereals, (and most other cereals), are loaded with carbohydrates and food-processing chemicals, and are generally low in fiber and low in any real nutritional value.

The carbohydrates turn into sugar, the sugar is converted into fat, and your child gains weight. In children, a regular diet of cereal and milk for breakfast, will almost always lead to high blood sugar, hyperactivity and being overweight.

If you insist on feeding your child cereal, select one that is high in fiber and as low in carbohydrate with no sweetener of any sort added.

Remember that the reason we eat is to NOURISH THE BODY.  With that thought in mind, it's easier to make healthier breakfast, lunch and dinner choices.

Here's a sample weeks worth of healthy school lunches. 

The key is to make sure your child is getting wholesome, nutritious food and make DOUBLE sure they stay away from foods high in sugar, salt and fat, or foods  that contain hydrogenated oils and trans-fatty acids.

Day 1

Tuna salad – made with solid white albacore, real Mayo and tangy mustard.
(Hard-boiled eggs are optional) Add a dash of garlic powder and dill weed
if desired.
baby carrots OR celery sticks
A peeled orange OR apple slices
Almonds, OR other unsalted nuts
Water

Nutritional observations: The tuna has protein your child needs to grow and develop properly and is loaded with healthy essential fatty acids.  

The egg is as close to a nutritionally perfect food as you are likely to find.  The carrots or celery are loaded with essential minerals, fiber and other important nutritional components.  The almonds are rich in essential minerals and mono-saturated fats that are extremely good for you. 

This lunch is loaded with good nutrition, it will keep your child's blood sugar in a healthy range, keep them alert, and will keep their appetite satisfied for hours! 

Day 2

Chile (from last night’s dinner) Use only LEAN beef; I recommend Texas
Longhorn brand available at Randall’s or The Whole Food Store. It is 98% lean and is made from cattle raised with NO hormones, NO steroids, and NO antibiotics. (This is TRULY healthy beef.)

Corn Bread (made fresh with no hydrogenated oil)
Apple or other fruit
Cashews or other unsalted nuts
Milk or water

Day 3

Chicken lettuce wraps (use sliced Chicken Breast cooked extra from dinner)
String Cheese (the good stuff, not processed)
Chunked Watermelon OR apple slices OR grapes OR strawberries
Pork Rinds, (not a perfect snack but FAR BETTER than potato or corn chips)
Water (flavored with fresh lemon or lime juice)

Day 4

Ham Wrapped Cheese ( Use real ham sliced thinly.  Avoid processed lunch meats, they are loaded with sugar and preservatives!) 
Green salad served in Tupperware 
Boiled (or stuffed) Eggs 
Sweet Potato Chips (made at home in the microwave) - a healthy treat! 
Milk or water

Day 5

Peanut Butter on celery (or whole wheat bread).  Purchase only natural peanut butter with no sugar or hydrogenated oils added.  Laura Scutter is a brand available at most grocery stores. 
String cheese
Home made oatmeal cookies with raisins
Mixed nuts (always unsalted!)
Water

Notes and Extras

• Flavor water with fresh lemon or lime juice for a little change
• Make stuffed eggs with real mayo, and a little mustard.
• Make trail mix with nuts, a few dried fruits and seeds
• Mix fresh fruit and plain yogurt for a sweet treat-include seeds too
• Plain yogurt mixed with cinnamon and raisins tastes great
• Real cheese is better than processed

Get a thermal lunch kit that keeps hot things hot and keeps cold things cold.  Hot dishes should be micro waved in the morning, foil wrapped and thermal packed to stay hot and tasty. 

With a good thermal lunch kit there's no limit to the delicious, nutritious  lunch entrées you can prepare for your kids!  

Thermal lunch kits are available at most grocery stores and department stores. 

Delicious, nutritious lunches are EASY ... when you plan ahead! 

Think about your child's lunch when planning your evening meals. Making a little extra chicken, chili, steak, meat loaf, vegetables or other dish is easy and saves time when making a lunch for the next day.

Kids are wonderful and they are fast learners!  Teach you children about good nutrition, let them take part in the process, get involved in making healthy choices for themselves.  Teach them, guide them and lead by example.  

Involve your kids.  Explain the goal.  Get them to help plan their lunches a week in advance and give them lots of healthy choices to choose from.  

Make up a "lunch meal plan", let them help, post it on the refrigerator door.  Include their favorites whenever possible.  You make it, but they eat it!

The BEST way to teach your children about good nutrition and help them develop healthy eating habits early in life is to be a good example!  

Kids learn best by watching their parents.  And when it comes to eating, kids are going to eat what you give them and they will develop likes and dislikes for foods that closely match their parents tastes.  

As an adult, the more you know about good nutrition the healthier you will be and the more able you will be to help your child develop healthy eating habits. 

One of the greatest gifts you can give a child is to help them develop healthy eating habits while they are young.  

Explain to your children what's good for them and why.  Explain what's bad for them and why.  Teach them and they will quickly develop the habit of making healthy choices for themselves. 

I never cease to be amazed at how fast kids learn.  Talk to them, love them, tell them the truth, play with them, lead by example and your kids will excel beyond all reasonable expectation ... and then some!  

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