By Dr. Kimra Ross,
Freeman Pediatrician
When our kids are at school, we want
them to follow the same healthy eating
examples we set at home. Whether
we're packing their lunch or checking
the school lunch menu online, we can
have a say in the matter.
Foods packed with nutrients —
containing zero or limited sugars,
saturated fats or added salts — are
considered "nutrient dense," and these
foods provide kids with the nutrients
they need while limiting overall calories.
Packing lunches with nutrient-dense
foods and keeping an eye out for them
on the school cafeteria menu can
help set the stage for a healthy and
productive school day.
Aim For More of These
Proteins. Choose seafood, lean meats
and poultry, eggs, beans, peas, soy
products and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Fruits. Encourage your child to eat a
variety of fresh, canned, frozen or dried
fruits. Look for canned fruit that says
"light" or packed in its own juice on the
label – this generally means it's lower in
added sugar. Keep in mind that 1/4
cup of dried fruit counts as one
serving of fruit.
Vegetables. Serve
a variety of fresh,
canned, frozen or
dried vegetables.
Choose peas or
beans, along
with colorful
vegetables each
week.
Grains. Choose
whole grains,
such as whole-
wheat bread or
pasta, oatmeal,
popcorn, quinoa, or
brown or wild rice.
Healthier Dairy Options. Encourage
your child to consume fat-free or low-
fat dairy products, such as milk, yogurt
and cheese. Fortified soy beverages also
count as dairy.
Limit Or Avoid These
Added sugar. These include brown
sugar, corn sweeteners, corn syrup
and honey and are commonly found
in breakfast cereals, sodas and many
drinks marketed to children. When
you select fruit juice, be sure it's 100%
juice, without added sugars.
Saturated fats. Saturated fats come
mainly from animal food sources such
as red meat, hot dogs, poultry, dairy,
fast foods, and desserts like cake and
ice cream.
Salt. Processed foods like pizza and
canned soup contain high amounts of
sodium. But salt also hides in plain sight
in sandwich breads and lunchmeat, for
example.
Encourage snacking on fruits and
vegetables instead of chips and cookies.
Check nutrition labels and look for
products low in sodium.
Visit freemanhealth.com/pediatrics
for more information about pediatric
services at Freeman Health System.
For more back to school tips,
visit healthychildren.org for more
American Association of Pediatrics
recommendations.
www.freemanhealth.com/peds
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Help your child take healthy eating habits along to school each day
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6 • SEPTEMBER 2023 • www.Of f icialKidsMag.com
