The Best Healthy School Meals for Your Child

It is certain, dear mother, that you are always striving to provide the best for your child, but did you know that healthy school meals play a crucial role in ensuring balanced nutrition for the child and ensuring his healthy growth and mental and physical development?

Providing healthy school meals for your child can be the solution to the problem of unhealthy diet, which many children suffer from. In this era of dependence on ready-made and canned foods, providing healthy and safe food has become a challenge facing many mothers.

As we all know children have finicky tastes and prefer delicious and tempting foods, but can we combine health and deliciousness in their school meals?

We are here to help you achieve this, so follow this article with us to learn about some creative ideas for healthy school meals for your child, which you can prepare at home. We will also provide you with a lot of information and advice related to them.

The Importance of Healthy School Meals

Healthy school meals are of great importance in children’s lives, as they constitute a crucial point in meeting their nutritional needs and enhancing their general health in many respects.

We will mention among them:

Obesity and Overweight

Healthy school meals play a crucial role in combating obesity and overweight in your child, as they provide him with a balanced set of nutrients necessary for his growth, such as fruits, vegetables, and healthy proteins. These meals also contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals that enhance the feeling of fullness and meet the body’s needs without increasing calories.

In addition, healthy school meals contribute to enhancing your child’s nutritional awareness, which makes him turn towards healthy food in daily life outside of school hours, which in turn keeps him safe from unhealthy and obesity-causing food.

Focus and Attention

Healthy meals enhance your child’s focus and attention, as the body obtains the necessary nutrients to support brain functions and mental activity.

Here, ma’am, are some of the ways in which healthy food affects focus and attention:

• Providing energy for a long period of the day, thanks to complex carbohydrates found in healthy foods.
• Providing minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids such as omega-3, which are necessary to support brain functions and stimulate focus and attention in children.
• Reducing intake of added sugars and saturated fats, which may negatively affect concentration and attention. Excess sugars may cause fluctuations in blood sugar levels, leading to distraction, while high-concentration saturated fats may affect blood flow to the brain and reduce its neurological functions.

Growth and Physical Development

Eating healthy school meals provides children with the necessary proteins to build the body’s tissues and muscles, and also provides them with essential minerals and vitamins for growth, such as calcium, which plays an important role in the formation of strong bones and teeth, and iron, which contributes to transporting oxygen in the body and promoting mental development.

Immune System

Healthy school meals are an important factor in enhancing and strengthening the immune system in children, thus reducing the possibility of disease and enhancing the child’s overall health.

A study conducted at Harvard University in 2019 indicated that children who eat healthy school meals have a lower likelihood of contracting infectious diseases such as colds and influenza, due to strengthening their immune systems.

Essential Ingredients for Healthy School Meals

In order to prepare healthy school meals for your child, you must know the foods that these meals should include, as the World Health Organization and many nutritional references have clarified the types of foods that should be available in children’s food during school.

Here is a list of the main nutritional ingredients:

• Vegetables and fruits: A variety of fresh fruits and colorful vegetables should be included in children’s school meals, such as carrots, tomatoes, green beans, oranges, apples, etc., as these foods contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals necessary for children.
• Whole grains: It is preferable to use whole grains in school meals instead of processed grains, such as brown bread, brown rice, and oats, as these grains contain minerals and complex carbohydrates that provide long-term energy for children.
• Protein: Good sources of protein should be included in children’s meals during work, such as red meat, chicken, eggs, and chickpeas. Protein is necessary for building muscles and tissues, and it also helps to feel full for a long time.
• Dairy products: Healthy dairy products such as natural yogurt, milk, or cheese can be included in children’s school meals, as these products are a good source of calcium, vitamins, and protein for the body.
• Healthy fats: Healthy sources of fats should be included in school meals, such as olive oil, avocados, and nuts, as they are considered essential for brain and nervous system development and the absorption of some essential vitamins.
• Fluids: Children should be encouraged to drink healthy fluids, such as water, natural juices, and milk, which in turn protects the child’s body from dehydration and keeps him away from harmful drinks.

Healthy School Meals Ideas

After we learned about the basic ingredients that should be included in healthy school meals for children, we will now present to you a set of ideas for preparing healthy and complete meals:

Hearty and Filling Meals

1. Vegetable Pasta

Vegetable pasta is considered a balanced and healthy meal because it contains healthy nutritional ingredients that contribute to strengthening the digestive system and creating a feeling of fullness for a long time.

Ingredients

• 200 grams of pasta
• Salt as needed
• Water
• Olive oil
• 2 Peppers, cut into thin slices
• 1 Medium onion, cut into thin slices
• 1 Medium carrot, cut into thin slices
• 1 Medium zucchini, cut into thin slices
• Teaspoon dry thyme
• Teaspoon dried parsley

How to prepare:

1. Boil water in a large pot, and add salt to it as desired.
2. Add pasta to boiling water until done.
3. Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
4. Add the pepper and onion slices to the pan and stir it until it becomes soft.
5. Add the zucchini and carrot slices to it and stir until cooked.
6. Place the boiled pasta on the vegetables in the pan and stir for a minute or two.
7. Add more olive oil, then add parsley and thyme and mix well to distribute the flavors.

2. Potatoes Stuffed with Meat and Cheese

This meal is a good choice for children who are looking for a hearty and filling meal, as it is considered a meal with high nutritional value thanks to it containing a lot of protein in addition to carbohydrates.

Preparing this meal is not difficult, but it requires advanced preparation and storage in the refrigerator to put in the child’s school lunch box later.

Ingredients

• 4 Large potatoes
• 250 Grams of minced meat
• 1 Medium-sized onion, chopped
• 2 Crushed garlic cloves
• ½ Cup of grated cheese
• ¼ Cup of milk
• Salt and pepper as needed
• Olive oil

How to prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
2. Wash the potatoes well, then make holes in them.
3. Place the potatoes on a baking tray in the oven for 45-60 minutes.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, then add the onions and garlic and stir well.
5. Add the minced meat to the pan and stir well until it turns brown.
6. Add salt and pepper to the meat and stir well.
7. Cut the baked potatoes in half lengthwise, then remove a little of the potato flesh.
8. Mix the cooked minced meat with grated cheese and milk.
9. Fill the potatoes with the meat and cheese mixture.
10. Place the stuffed potatoes in a baking tray and put them in the oven for 10 minutes.
11. Wait until the potatoes cool, then put them in the refrigerator until needed.

Sandwich Meals

1. Vegetable Tortilla

It is one of the famous and loved recipes by many children, as it is considered a light and healthy meal that combines delicious flavors and important nutritional elements.

Ingredients

• 4 Eggs
• ¼ Cup of milk
• ½ Teaspoon of salt.
• ¼ Teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 Cup of chopped vegetables (as desired)
• ½ Cup of grated cheese (optional)
• Olive oil

How to prepare:

1. Whisk the eggs with the milk, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until the ingredients are mixed.
2. Add the chopped vegetables and grated cheese to the mixture, and stir gently.
3. Heat the pan over medium heat, then add a little olive oil.
4. Pour a quarter cup of the mixture into the pan and spread the mixture until it covers the bottom of the pan.
5. Flip the tortilla to cook the other side until the eggs are set and turn golden.
6. Cut the tortilla into pieces and serve it to your child.

2. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The grilled cheese sandwich is an easy-to-prepare meal that takes little time to prepare. It is also suitable for children who prefer simple and delicious meals.

Ingredients

• 2 Slices of bread (preferably tortilla or brown bread).
• 3 Slices of cheese (any type of cheese your child prefers).
• Soft butter

How to prepare:

1. Place the pan on medium heat until hot.
2. Grease the outside of the two slices of bread with butter.
3. Place the cheese slices on the inner side, then close the two bread slices together.
4. Place the sandwich in the pan and flip it until it turns golden.
5. Cut the sandwich into portions and serve it to your child.

3. Miniburger Sandwich

The miniburger is an ideal choice for a delicious and fun meal for children, as it provides them with the opportunity to enjoy a delicious and filling meal, in addition to meeting their basic nutritional needs.

Ingredients

• A small piece of meat.
• Small bread chips.
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Cheese Slices
• Mayonnaise sauce
• Vegetable slices (as desired).

How to prepare:

1. Prepare the hamburger meat in the form of small discs after adding salt and pepper to them.
2. Heat the pan over medium heat.
3. Cook the meat in the pan until completely cooked.
4. Toast the bread slices in another pan or in the toaster until golden.
5. Place the hamburger meat and cheese on the toasted bread slices.
6. Add mayonnaise sauce and your child’s favorite vegetable slices.
7. Cover the sandwich with other toasted bread slices, then serve it to your child.

Dessert Meals

1. Healthy Apple Cake

Apple cake is one of the meals that all children love, and it is also one of the relatively healthy recipes if healthy ingredients are used instead of the harmful ones that are commonly used.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups peeled apples and chopped into small pieces.
• 2 Cups of whole wheat flour.
• ½ Cup of honey.
• ½ Cup of melted butter.
• 2 Eggs.
• 1 Teaspoon of cinnamon.
• ½ Teaspoon of vanilla.
• ½ Teaspoon of salt.
• ½ Teaspoon of baking powder.
• ½ Cup of milk.

How to prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and prepare a cake pan by greasing it with butter to prevent sticking.
2. Mix honey and melted butter in a large bowl until combined.
3. Add the eggs to the previous mixture and whisk the mixture well.
4. Add flour, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and baking powder to the mixture, and mix them together until a homogeneous dough is formed.
5. Gradually pour the milk over the mixture and continue mixing until the dough becomes smooth and homogeneous.
6. Add the peeled and chopped apple pieces to the mixture.
7. Place the mixture in the prepared mold, then place them in the oven for 45-55 minutes.
8. Pull the cake out of the oven and leave it to cool, then decorate it and serve it as a snack for your child during work.

2. Healthy Cakes

You can provide healthy cakes for your child to eat during school as a healthy school meal, as these cakes contain natural and nutritional ingredients that meet your child’s nutritional needs and preferences.

Ingredients

• 1 And ½ cups of whole wheat flour.
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder.
• ½ Teaspoon of baking powder.
• ¼ Teaspoon of salt.
• 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil.
• ½ Cup of honey.
• 2 Eggs.
• 1 ملعقة صغيرة من الفانيليا.
• 1 And ½ cup grated apple.
• ½ Tablespoon of raisins (optional).
• ½ Teaspoon of cinnamon.

How to prepare:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, and prepare a baking pan by greasing it with butter to prevent sticking.
2. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour with the baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk the mixture of eggs, honey, oil, and vanilla until the ingredients are combined.
4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and mix until combined.
5. Add the grated apple, raisins, and cinnamon to the mixture and mix.
6. Place the mixture in the prepared baking pan, then place it in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
7. Take the mold out of the oven and let it cool, then cut it and serve it to your child.

Light and Healthy School Meals

1. Energy balls with dates and walnuts

Date and walnut energy balls are an ideal meal for children at school, as they contain a variety of nutrients, such as fiber, protein, and healthy fats. Dates are also a natural source of sugars that give sustainable energy to the body.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup chopped dates
• ½ Cup chopped walnuts
• ½ Cup oats
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla

How to prepare:

1. Mix all the previous ingredients in a large bowl until combined.
2. Turn the previous mixture into small balls after it is combined.
3. Dip the balls in oats or chopped walnuts, as desired.
4. Place the balls in the refrigerator for at least an hour until they cool and firm up.

2. Yogurt with cherry jam

Yogurt with cherry jam is a delicious and refreshing combination that can be eaten as a snack. Yogurt contains calcium and protein, which support bone health and enhance the feeling of fullness, while cherry jam provides vitamin C and antioxidants necessary for general health.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of natural yogurt
• ½ Cup of cherry jam
• ½ Cup of cherry jam

How to prepare:

1. Whisk the yogurt in a large bowl until combined.
2. Spoon one or two spoonfuls of cherry jam over the yogurt.
3. Garnish with some nuts or oats.
4. Place the mixture in the refrigerator as desired until it cools and becomes refreshing.

Conditions for Maintaining Healthy School Meals

When you prepare healthy school meals, there are some conditions that you must follow to maintain the safety of the meals and ensure their health.

Here are some basic conditions:

1. Personal hygiene: You must adhere to personal hygiene standards, such as washing your hands well with soap and water before and during meal preparation. Your clothes must be clean and your hair must be covered.
2. Kitchen cleanliness: The kitchen should be clean and tidy, and the spaces and tools used should be cleaned regularly.
3. Proper storage: Food ingredients must be stored in a correct and safe manner to prevent contamination or spoilage. Appropriate temperatures must be maintained for fresh foods and avoid exposing them to extreme heat or cold.
4. Use appropriate food containers: Food containers free of harmful materials such as non-BPA plastic, glass, and stainless steel should be used. In addition to the need to ensure that food containers are clean on an ongoing basis.
5. Avoid reheating food: You should avoid reheating school meals prepared at home several times, as this can lead to the proliferation of bacteria and deterioration of the condition of the meals.

Foods to Avoid in School Meals

There are some foods that are preferable to avoid in children’s school meals, for health and nutritional reasons, including, for example:

1. Soft drinks and juices: These drinks contain large amounts of added sugar, and these drinks also lack important nutrients that children need.
2. Fast food and canned meals: These meals contain high levels of hydrogenated fats, sodium, and added sugar, so it is recommended to avoid them or reduce their consumption.
3. Manufactured sweets and pastries: Manufactured sweets and pastries contain sugar in very large quantities, in addition to a lot of unhealthy fats, so it is better to avoid eating them and switch to homemade sweets and pastries with healthy content.
4. Preservatives and added colorings: It is preferable to avoid foods that contain preservatives and added colorings, as they can cause allergic reactions in some children.
5. Nuts: Some children may be allergic to nuts, and therefore it is preferable to avoid foods containing nuts before ensuring their safety.

Tips to Encourage Healthy Meals

Children are increasingly facing the challenges of avoiding unhealthy diets, and while dietary diversity and trying different foods is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, eating unhealthy foods in large quantities can negatively affect children’s health and development.

Therefore, there are tips to encourage children to eat healthy diets and enhance their awareness of the importance of good nutrition, including:

• Providing healthy foods at home: Always buy and provide fresh fruits and vegetables at home, and serve them as snacks or as an option within main meals.
• Promoting healthy ideals: Being a healthy example for your child can have a great impact, by eating healthy meals in front of them and avoiding unhealthy foods frequently, without forgetting to talk to them about the importance of healthy foods to maintain their health.
• Participate in preparing food: Let your child participate in the food preparation process, as they may be more willing to try healthy foods if they feel that they are involved in the preparation process.
• Promoting healthy alternatives: It may be helpful to provide healthy alternatives to unhealthy meals. For example, you can serve homemade burgers instead of fast food or offer natural juices instead of soft drinks.
• Turn the dining experience into fun: Turn the eating experience into fun, by presenting food in innovative and fun ways. This may encourage your child to try healthy foods, especially healthy school meals.
• Participate in physical activities: Encourage your child to engage in physical activity regularly, as this helps him enhance his general health and his desire to eat healthy foods.

In conclusion, we find that paying attention to providing healthy school meals is extremely important, and by taking advantage of the tips and recipes presented in this article, you can turn the experience of preparing healthy school meals into a fun and innovative adventure, and you should not be satisfied with preparing these meals, but rather you should enhance the nutritional awareness of your child too.

Be a role model for your child, and start today to make healthy decisions and provide healthy school meals for your child, and give them the best possible start to their success and healthy happiness.

Frequently Asked Questions about Healthy School Meals

Sources:

NHS

Better Health