What are kids learning about nutrition?
I learned through the grapevine that PBN is spreading the word about Scholastic’s newly re-launched Parents’ site for kids in school. PBN wants us to spread the word about what our kids are learning in school. I’ll answer this question from a fitness standpoint, and what I’ve observed about my boys at school.
Despite all the battles going on in the school cafeteria over what constitutes junk food, and whether ketchup is a vegetable, my kids seem to know quite a bit about nutrition. They’re learning in their classrooms how to read package labels, and they question me. They want to know if the label says it derives 70 percent of its calories from fat, if that’s good or bad? Is 150 mg of sodium is good? They still eat the junk, but at least they’re thinking.
They’re looking at labels, and they’re thinking. As parents, we need to keep up with what kids learn at school, by staying informed ourselves, about nutrition, and especially foods that can give quick energy.
Despite all of our emphasis on nutrition, diabetes and obesity is still on the rise. Junk food is still too easily available. And the chances of helping your kids stay slim is very much dependent on their friends. Organized sports are great place to start, but there are still chances for injury. We have four organized sport schedules going on this fall. Two in football, and two in soccer. During the game, some of the coaches are asking for parents to bring oranges cut into 8ths, for the players to snack on during the game. After each game, one parent is in charge of bringing snack. As in, chips and juice boxes. But who wants to be the grouch, and bring healthy snacks at the end of the game?
I visited the new Scholastic site, and I am impressed with the emphasis on motivation and building areas of communication between parent and child. You can read an article here from the Scholastic’s Parent Site, on the lunch box overhaul. So, what are your kids learning in school?
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