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NEWS RELEASES
Texas Children's Hospital Offers Healthy Meal Ideas to Start the New
School Year Off Right
HOUSTON – (Aug. 9, 2010) – It's that time of year again, time
to head back to school and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston has tips to help
parents start their children back on the right path to a healthy school year.
American families are increasingly strapped for time; while juggling work and shuttling
kids to-and-from school – and other activities – finding time to make nutritious
meals can be difficult. This is one of the many reasons why obesity – especially
among children – is becoming a more omnipresent issue in our society.
The good news is that there are simple things you can do as a parent to help your
family start this school year off right. Texas Children's offers parents these 10
healthy lunch and snack ideas, as well as some tips to ensure their child is successful
in making healthy choices at lunch time.
Breakfasts
- Cereal: Add 1 cup of skim or 1% milk to 1 cup of
low sugar cereal (options include Cheerios, Multigrain Cheerios, Fiber One Honey
Clusters, any flavor Chex, Honey Bunches of Oats or All Bran) and add ½ cup of berries
or one small banana.
- Egg and cheese breakfast tacos: Heat two small
(six inch) corn or whole wheat tortillas. Fill tortillas with ½ cup Egg Beaters
or two egg whites – scrambled using no calorie cooking spray, 2 tablespoons reduced
fat cheese and Salsa or ketchup.
- Honey walnut yogurt: Mix 1 cup of low-fat plain
yogurt with 1 tablespoon of honey and top it off with 2 tablespoons of chopped walnuts.
Lunches
- Sandwiches: Two quick things to remember are to
transition your child to wheat bread and use turkey or chicken as an option over
ham. For peanut butter and jelly versions, look for jelly with reduced sugar.
- Make your own lunchable: We all know kids love
Lunchables and they are very easy to grab and go but they aren't the healthiest
choice. Instead, make your own with whole grain crackers, turkey, fat-free cheese
and add a sugar free yogurt as the dessert. If yogurt doesn't fly with your child,
consider a sugar-free chocolate pudding.
- Whole wheat English muffin pizza: Top one whole
wheat English muffin with 2 tablespoons red sauce, 2 tablespoons cooked vegetables
and 2 tablespoons of reduced fat cheese.
- Quesadilla: Fill one whole wheat tortilla with
¼ cup grated reduced fat cheese and heat until the cheese is melted. Optional: add
in 2 ounces of grilled chicken.
Snacks
- Fruit and cheese: Have one medium fruit (apple,
banana, orange or grapefruit) with one stick of reduced fat string cheese or 1 tablespoon
of peanut butter.
- Peanut butter grahams: Top two graham crackers
with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
- Crackers and cheese: Serve five whole wheat crackers
with one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese.
- Pudding: Pair one low fat pudding snack pack with
10 teddy grahams.
“Be sure to only consume snacks between meals if you're hungry,
said Jenn McAlmond a registered and licensed dietician at Texas Children's Hospital.
“You should have no more than two snacks daily and each should be between 100 and
200 calories,” McAlmond adds.
Getting your child on board with these changes can be a challenge, below are tips
to help your children transition quickly and easily:
- Give your kids healthy choices: This is win-win;
by offering your children healthy choices you are fostering their sense of independence
(they get to choose) while ensuring they are eating nutritious meals and snacks
(all choices are healthy). It's also important to balance meals and snacks. By providing
options you guarantee your child is getting the right proteins, carbohydrates and
healthy fats.
- Be a positive role model: Children watch and mimic
more than you realize. By eating right and participating in physical activities
you demonstrate positive behaviors. In fact, try instituting family activities;
this will help improve everyone's health while also ensuring you get quality family
time.
- Put structure into your child's life: Arrange for
them to have the same schedule during the week and plan three meals and one or two
snacks served at the same time every day. Getting into a routine can help mitigate
the last minute fast food runs or reaching for a sugary, unhealthy snack.
Parents also can prepare for a healthy school year by ensuring their child has healthy
sleeping habits, is up-to-date on all their immunizations, and has a backpack that,
when filled, weighs no more than five to 10 percent of the child's body weight.
Get more back to school tips.
About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy children by providing
the finest pediatric patient care, education and research. Renowned worldwide for
its expertise and breakthrough developments in clinical care and research, Texas
Children's is ranked in the top 10 best children's hospitals by U.S. News and World
Report. Texas Children's also operates the nation's largest primary pediatric
care network, with over 40 offices throughout the greater Houston community. Texas
Children's has embarked on a $1.5 billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes
a neurological research institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing
on high risk births, and a community hospital in suburban West Houston. Get the
latest Texas Children's news on Twitter:
www.twitter.com/texaschildrens.
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