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What are Your Children Eating for Lunch? You probably make at least a little effort to eat a healthy lunch most days of the week. Even if you take lunch with colleagues or clients, you might order a salad with grilled chicken rather than a double cheeseburger with large fries. When you do eat the wrong foods, you are probably more than familiar with the sluggish feeling that comes over you in the afternoon. Most adults know how that afternoon slump feels and many know that a healthy lunch is the key to overcoming it. The problem is most adults do not give much thought to what their children may be eating for lunch. Children go through that same sluggish feeling in the afternoon when they are not given a healthy lunch. This energy crash is caused by the rise and fall of blood sugar after an unhealthy meal. The simple carbohydrates and sugars in an unhealthy meal cause a blood sugar spike that gives energy, but that crashes soon after with the reverse effect on energy levels. If your children go to public school and do not eat lunch at home, you may not think too much about what they are eating for lunch. This needs to change right away, because the lunch served by their school or even packed in their lunchbox could be lowering their grades on their report card! When you hit that afternoon slump you can go to the vending machine and load up on sugar or go for a big cup of coffee, but children are usually stuck in a classroom fighting to keep their eyes open and pretending to pay attention. What can you do to help them stay awake, pay attention and earn better grades? There is actually a lot you can do! Make Packing a Habit The lunches served in most school lunchrooms are anything but healthy. If your children are going through the lunch line you can guarantee they are eating breaded chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, corn dogs, and some ?mystery meat? selections that they may not know quite how to explain. At the middle and high school levels, many schools are serving greasy cheeseburgers, hot dogs, large slices of pizza, and tubs of French fries. Those are the foods that send the body for a major dip in energy later in the afternoon! No wonder so many children have trouble paying attention in afternoon classes. If you want to help your children, you will avoid the lunch line and pack your child's lunch for them. The younger you start making this a habit, the less resistant they will be to your healthier lunch options. If you are trying to get an older child to accept packed lunches after enjoying the greasy burgers and pizza for many years, sit them down and talk to them about the reasons you want them to eat healthier. Ask them how well they are able to pay attention in the afternoons, and how much energy they would like to have for their afterschool activities. Ask them to try packing their lunch for a month and see if it makes a difference in how they feel. For most children, that is enough time to see how much better they really feel and change their attitudes. Let them choose what they pack their lunch in, so they at least have some control over the situation. What to Pack A healthy lunch should include whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fat. Avoid simple sugars, which are found in many processed and refined foods. Simple sugars are also found in many fruits, but those are health sugars that can be balanced with whole grains and protein. Pay attention to the drinks that you add into your child's lunch. Juice boxes, soda, and other canned or bottled drinks typically come loaded with sugar. Those that come with artificial sweeteners are not any healthier, as artificial sweeteners are unfamiliar chemicals to the human body. Go for naturally flavored water, or find a juice box that is low in sugar at the very least. Packing your child's lunch may be an inconvenience, but think of it as investing in your child's future. By giving them a healthier lunch packed with nutrients, you are giving them a healthier future packed with success. Empower Network If you would like to join a team and build an Empower Network business on autopilot, click here. Curtis Glenn is an internet marketer and member of the Empower Network working online while still having a life. http://www.empowernetwork.com/curtislg
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