What should school lunches include

What about meals and after-school snacks? School food service departments have experience following food safety and nutrition guidelines. The relationship of school breakfast to psychosocial and academic functioning.

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, ;— School Breakfast Program and School Performance. Am J Dis Child , ;—9. Updated nutrition standards have significantly improved the nutritional quality of school lunches and breakfasts.

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I want to get healthier. What's the difference? Brown rice is a whole grain, but white rice is not. Whole-wheat bread contains whole grains, but regular white bread does not.

Sip sensibly. It's not just about what you eat — drinks count too! Milk has been a favorite lunchtime drink for a long time.

If you don't like milk, choose water. Avoid juice drinks and sodas. Balance your lunch. When people talk about balanced meals, they mean meals that include a mix of food groups: some grains, some fruits, some vegetables, some meat or protein foods, and some dairy foods such as milk and cheese. Try to do this with your lunch. If you don't have a variety of foods on your plate, it's probably not balanced.

A double order of french fries, for example, would not make for a balanced lunch. Skip packaged snacks. Many schools make salty snacks, candy, and soda available in the cafeteria or in vending machines. It's OK to have these foods once in a while, but they shouldn't be on your lunch menu.

Mix it up. Do you eat the same lunch every day? If that lunch is a hot dog, it's time to change your routine. Keep your taste buds from getting bored and try something new.

Eating lots of different kinds of food gives your body a variety of nutrients. Quit the clean plate club. Because lunch can be a busy time, you might not stop to think whether you're getting full.

Try to listen to what your body is telling you. If you feel full, it's OK to stop eating. Use your manners. Cafeterias sometimes look like feeding time at the zoo. Don't be an animal!