Rosalee Brown - DIETITIAN'S DESK

The start of the new school year is only a few days away. Parents are busy implementing their back-to-school plans which should include appropriate meals for their children.

Wholesome breakfast

All children should eat breakfast. Many studies indicate that breakfast is important to children's lives. Local studies by Grantham-McGregor, Powell, Walker and Chang also indicate that children who eat breakfast showed improvement in attendance and school performance. Children need fuel and nutrients after the night's fast to help them focus on learning until their next organised 'fuel break' at lunch time.

Breakfast can be quick and simple yet delicious, nutritious and wholesome. It can consist of left-over dinner, staples, porridge, sandwiches, low-sugar dry cereals and so on. A good mix for breakfast could include foods from the staple, foods from animal, fat, vegetables or fruit groups. All food groups do not have to be offered at one meal. Ibreakfast programmes nstead, short falls can be given as snacks or included in other meals.

So, for example, oats porridge and orange would be a good breakfast taking items from the important food groups. If children are not able to eat breakfast, a sandwich should be packed for them. They can consume it when they get to school or while commuting.

Breakfast programmes

Schools and responsible citizens should help to organise ongoing breakfast programmes for those children who arrive at school without eating breakfast.

Lunch is also very important and, often is the main meal for many children. Parents have a responsibility to make an input in their children's lunches although this may be more difficult to control than breakfast.

Parents can influence what is served to their children. Schools are encouraged to develop their cooked-lunch programmes and to provide nutritious and healthy meals to children at all times. Some schools are regularly offering lunches which are high in fat and sugar. There are also 'order out days' which are treats for the children and easy ways out of lunch preparation that become the norm for up to three days of the week in some schools.

Parents, please focus your fundraising activities on the school lunch programmes. This will contribute to your children's health.

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com