PACKING PUNCH IN LUNCH
By Jane Smith
The success of a school lunch is not difficult to measure.
A success: Nothing comes home.
A failure: a soggy mess squashed in the bottom of the school bag, or possibly feeding seagulls from the school rubbish bin.
The Heart Foundation has come up with another yardstick. It is recommending lunches not only be healthy and balanced, but varied as well.
“It can be surprisingly simple to prepare nutritionally balanced school lunches. A lunch comprising a bred-based item, a piece of fruit and a flavoured milk drink draws on each of the four major food groups in roughly the right proportions,” Heart Foundation education setting manager Anna Lindroos said.
She recommended alternating between different breads, like pita, naan, or French sticks, cutting up raw vegetable snacks or adding fresh fruit to yoghurt, and using leftovers to vary school lunches.
Liberton Christian School principal Nel van’t Wout said sandwich “recipes”, of unusual fillings like cream cheese and dates, handed on to parents after a school topic on nutrition, were still being used.
“It’s so easy to make healthy sandwiches and our parents are very good at doing just that.”
The school’s 30 pupils ate their lunch together and teachers made sure nothing was thrown out.
“If they really don’t want to eat it they have to take it home so their parents know what they are eating and what they aren’t. If they throw it away like they do at so many schools, parents won’t have any idea what is being eaten and what isn’t. We are pretty adamant about that.”
The children, who seemed to all have a sandwich, drink, crackers or biscuits, and a piece of fresh fruit, gave their lunches the thumbs up.
“I like it when there is yoghurt,” Jourdain (10) said.
“I like apples, I’ve got a big red one,” Matthew (6) said.
Otago Daily Times, February 2, 2002
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