Kids spend a large part of the day in school and they eat at least one meal at school. Some schools offer breakfasts as well as lunches to their students. It is necessary that the schools feed nutritious meals to the students, so that they have complete nutrition. Kids often fuss about food at home and school. Parents must teach their kids the importance of healthy food habits and make them eat balanced meals regularly at home. If kids are used to healthy meals at home they will also choose wisely at school meal times and eat their food properly.
Kids are intelligent and they listen to reason. You should discuss with your kids about the vital importance of foods in making them healthy and fit. Tell them, with help of charts and pictures, how malnutrition can affect the different body parts and delay the development of brain. Encourage them to eat vegetables and fish.
You should eat healthy foods and maintain a regular eating routine so that your kids can learn from you. Review the school menu with your kids. Ask their opinion about the different items in the list. If they complain that a particular dish tastes awful, then you can complain to the school’s service director and committee. Your feedback will help the school to improve their quality of food.
The Federal government has started the Let’s Move program to educate both parents and students about the importance of healthy eating and promote healthy meals for kids. You can also join the movement and organize programs in your community to spread awareness about the benefit of healthy food habits. You can also contact the food service directors of the school and join them as volunteer for a day or two. This way you will be able to give your opinion about the quality of food, encourage your children to eat better and know how the meals are being prepared at schools.
Students should form a focus group and voice their opinion about healthy meals. The school authorities have an important role to play in all this. They should hire a health coordinator for preparing meal menus and evaluating the health condition of the kids. They should communicate with parents and promote healthy eating both inside and outside the school premises.