(file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Food For Thought

Healthy eating key ingredient to classroom success

Sep 1, 2019 | 10:21 AM

From rickety school bus rides and homework assignments, to making new friends and meeting teachers; for students, there is a lot that comes with a new school year.

Perhaps a bit lost in the shuffle can be nutritious lunches and a sustaining breakfast to help students be at their best to excel with the new sights and sounds.

Professor of nutrition in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), Dr. Gordon Zello said as kids head back to class for the new school year, it is important to think about how they are going to get their nutrition during the day.

“There are certainly a lot of studies that show that a child’s performance at school is elevated or much better if the child is nourished during school,” he said. “They don’t get as tired, and they pay more attention, so it is very important that they start the day the day with a good breakfast. Then throughout the day [they need] either snacks or a sufficient lunch that will provide the nutrients they need.”

Zello said one thing parents can do that can be of great value to their children is to involve their kids in lunch preparations at an early age. He said it is important to introduce kids to healthy foods early on, to help them develop a foundation for a healthy lifestyle.

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“One of the most important things a parent or caregiver has to realize is that with children, their food-patterns are met early in life,” he said. “Basically what you learn to eat early in life is what you tend to continue with.”

Back to school season can be a hectic time for families, but Zello said there are easy ways to get the children involved in taking an interest in their diet.

He suggests taking the kids along to go grocery shopping, and having them help out with cooking dinner or making lunches for the next day. He said having them play a part in these activities can have a great effect on helping to make them familiar with the grocery store and kitchen environments.

The 2019 Canada Food Guide suggests half of a balanced diet should be made up of fruits and vegetables, along with one quarter proteins and the final quarter whole grains.

To assemble a nutritious lunch for the new school year, Zello said parents can get creative with protein-rich foods like eggs and legumes being an easy snack to pack. Using whole wheat bread for sandwiches or sending rice serves as an easy way to ensure students are getting the benefit of whole grains.

While vegetables and fruit may seem like a bit of a harder sell to some children, Zello said there are ways to make even produce something the kinds can really begin to enjoy over time.

“Even if the kids are finicky, if you allow them to choose the foods, and expose them to new foods, they will tend to choose different varieties as they get older,” he said. “We often think fruits and vegetables are things kids won’t like, but on a plate they give colour so that is an advantage.”

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Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: MartyMartyPxP1