By Michelle Barrett, Freelance Writer
Camille Swapp prepares lunch for her daughters Shara (right) and Anya. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
MY, HOW time has flown! It seems as if only yesterday parents were looking at a number of camps and classes to deposit their little ones to spend their time constructively during those hot summer days. Now, they are seen scurrying around try to find the best prices for textbooks, uniform and other school items to equip their children for the new school year. Not to be left out, in this Back-to-School Shopping List are food items for the lunch kit. This week, Food takes a closer look at school lunches and how parents can make it a healthy affair for their youngsters. Remember, parents, school lunches are not just seen as another meal to children, they are more like adventures often enjoyed during that half-hour lunch break. Some children have even organised themselves into posses where they trade food among themselves, particularly when they find a certain item that is not up to their taste.
However, if some children had their way they would even prepare lunches themselves. Take for instance, Shara Morris, a ten-year-old student who attends Liberty Preparatory School in Kingston. During the recent summer holidays, Shara attended the Grace Kitchen Summer Cooking classes for children and she left with a better understanding of nutrition and some yummy ideas for her lunch pan.
Eager to show us what she learned from her summer cooking class in her mother's kitchen, we had to convince Shara to
settle down and tell us first what she would like to see in her lunch box.
WHAT SHE LIKES
"I would love to have callaloo cups (seasoned callaloo in little bread cups baked in muffin tins) which tastes great. I would also love hot dogs and maybe hamburgers sometime. Jamaican and American apples as well as pineapples are my favourite and strawberries, ooh, I just love them. I would also add Lasco Creamy Malt Drink which I sometimes mix for myself as a treat. I don't want any bananas, because by the time I reach school, they don't look as good as when I left with them. I also like a variety of sandwiches such as ribbon (coloured cheese) ham, bacon, salami, bologna and sometimes lettuce and cucumber sandwiches. Oh, I also like Lunchables which in my case is a treat as my mother doesn't buy them often. For juices, I like orange, apple juice and soda - if they would allow us to carry sodas to school," said Shara.
Shara, who lived in Europe for a while with her parents, noted that she was always given a cooked meal while attending school there but admits that she likes and prefers the freedom to choose what goes in her lunch box now that she is back home.
WHAT SHE GETS
After hearing about Shara's preferences for her school lunch, we heard what her mother, Camille Swapp, a stay-at-home mom and full-time student at the Jamaican Theological Seminary, actually packs for her lunch.
"My husband, Elgin, (a lecturer at the Caribbean Maritime Institute) is the one who prepares lunches for the children. Moreso for Shara as she attends prep school where she has to carry lunches daily. With Anya, our four-year-old, she gets a cooked lunch at her pre-school but we give her snacks to munch on. For Shara's lunch, he prepares chicken tenders, meatballs, macaroni and cheese, Chef Boyardi delicacies, which include ravioli (meat-filled pastas) and lasagne. He also gives her carrots and cucumbers accompanied with a dip made from salad dressing, so it would be a delight for her to eat. As for snacks, we try not to give them Cheese Trix, Cheese Krunches, etc. Instead, we include fruits that are in season. I know that they sell these snacks at school, so I really can't stop the children from eating them, but we try our best to give them healthier alternatives. In fact, these little snacks do add up to quite a lot of money, so we think it much more cost-effective to buy fruits. As for vegetables, we know it is expensive, but we are aware of the importance of including it in their diets."
THE NUTRITIONIST ADVISES
After hearing Shara and her mom's take on school lunches, we asked nutritionist Dr. Heather Little-White for her advice on the ideal lunch for young, growing, active children.
"Nutrition is very important in meals for young, growing children. Also, parents need to give their children a variety of food items when preparing lunches for them. In fact, they should make a food plan for the week taking into account visual appeal, taste, nutrition and value for money.
"Lunch itself can be prepared in various ways. Parents can make a one-pot 'cook up' meal with chicken, sausages and any other meat left over from dinner the night before. Parents can also include canned mixed vegetables in meals such as macaroni and cheese. It's inexpensive and gives the child a balanced diet. Pak choi can also be served with finely cut pieces of meat as a stir-fry meal. Shredded cabbage and carrots with ketchup is also easy to prepare for the children as they would be more inclined to eat vegetables. Preparing lunches just call for a lot of creativity and parents should get the children involved in planning and preparing their meals as they (the children) would have a stake in it and hence will readily consume their lunches."
Dr. Little-White also advises that the best time to prepare lunches for schoolchildren is in the morning as the food is fresher and bacteria has less time to infiltrate it.
