When your child buys his lunch, he's given the choice to make healthy or unhealthy eating decisions. Although eating unhealthy school lunch foods once in a while is OK, it may cause obesity and health problems if your child is eating foods that are high in calories and saturated fat every day for lunch. Talk to your child's pediatrician before talking to him about making changes in his diet, especially if he has allergies or health conditions.
Soda
Your child may not associate soda, sugary fruit drinks and sports drinks with being unhealthy. They're sweet, brightly colored and may provide your child with a quick burst of energy, but the drinks are also high in calories and sugar. One can of soda contains approximately 140 calories and 39 g of sugar per serving. Although fruit punch contains fruit, it's no better than a soda. Eight oz. of fruit punch contains 120 calories and 28 g of sugar, according to LIVESTRONG.com's MyPlate. Instead, pack a juice box that is 100-percent fruit juice, or encourage your child to choose a container of low-fat or skim milk in the lunch line.
Packaged Snacks
To your child, a packaged snack from the vending machine may seem no different from the snacks you give your her at home. But an oatmeal cream cookie from a vending machine can pack in 170 calories and 7 g of fat, even though your child will probably finish the snack in two bites. Encourage her to buy a piece of fruit at school, or pack some whole-grain crackers with peanut butter to keep her hunger satisfied at school.
Cheeseburger and Fries
Buying a cheeseburger and fries occasionally from the cafeteria probably won't have negative health effects on your child -- but if he makes it a routine, he's adding lots of unnecessary saturated fat and calories into his diet. A school lunch cheeseburger with the bun contains approximately 334 calories and 15 g of fat per serving, while a serving of french fries contains approximately 176 calories and 8 g of fat, according to LIVESTRONG.com's MyPlate. Add a soda to the meal, and your child is consuming 650 calories during lunch alone. Encourage him to eat a cheeseburger only occasionally and to eat fruit and veggies along with it instead of french fries.
Pizza
Pizza is a school lunch favorite, but if your child eats it every day, she's consuming too many calories and not enough nutrients in her lunch. A slice of school lunch pizza contains approximately 530 calories and 21 g of fat -- and if she eats other snacks and drinks along with it, the calorie count increases considerably. Make pizza at home with whole-grain crust, low-fat cheese and lots of veggies, and put it in your child's lunch as a treat, and encourage her to order pizza less often in the lunch line.
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