BOSTON (WHDH) - Experts are warning that too much sugar at school lunches can get in the way of learning.
“Sugar is one of those things that, while it tastes good and we all like it, for some kids it’s going to excite them and give them that sugar rush. But then they’re also going to crash,” Nia Jones said, Dietician at UMass Worcester.
That crash makes kids restless and unfocussed.
“They’re going to be extremely fidgety, probably say inappropriate things, and just not be their normal self,” Jones said. “It makes it very difficult for kids to learn when they’re in school.”
Parents say the hardest part is sorting through all the options.
“We have an over abundance of processed foods in this country and it’s kind of hard to get away from that,” said mother Tracy Cassidy.
“I think that there is not a ton of healthy options that are not very convenient,” said mother Shauna Poirier.
Even small food swaps can make a big difference.
“We took a lunch with 12 teaspoons of sugar and swapped it down to just two,” Jones said.
A “typical” packed lunch, peanut butter and jelly on white bread, yogurt, a granola bar, and a juice pouch, adds up to roughly 12 teaspoons of sugar.
“So if we want to take that same exact lunch and give it less sugar, but for it to still have a nice taste profile, you could do whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, sugar-free jelly, a water-based drink, a different granola bar, and a different yogurt. We took it from 12 teaspoons of sugar down to two,” Jones said.
Healthy options are one thing, getting kids to eat them is another.
“We want to make sure that we keep things healthy every day, but it is a struggle when you know that you have a picky eater at home,” Alyson Barraza said.
That’s where balance comes in. Nutritionists remind parents that the goal is progress, not perfection.
“Every child should be allowed a fun snack a day,” Jones said. “What we want to focus on is portion size and teaching moderation.”
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