Commercial fast
food is rearing it's unhealthy head in lunch rooms across America
and excess fat, calories, and cholesterol are a serious concern. According
to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine close to 5 million
children, aged 6 to 17, are seriously overweight, a number that has
more than doubled in the past 30 years. Increasing numbers of children,
often as young as ten years old, are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
This form of diabetes is most often referred to as "adult-onset
diabetes" and frequently found in obese people. It's important
to encourage good eating habits as early as possible because this
will have a positive impact on future health, weight, and medical
expense. As we get ready to send our children back to school, health
conscious parents are looking for healthy options that their children
will want to eat.
Preparing a
wholesome lunch for the family each day doesn't require a great deal
of time. With a little planning you can have a tasty lunch that is
nutritious and economical. Children like to "fit in" and
it is so easy these days to make a lunch that doesn't scream "sprouts
& granola." There are healthful sandwich-stuffers that mimic
the taste, texture, and appearance of traditional deli meats. Look
for plant based alternatives such as, Light life Roast Turkey, Country
Ham, Foney Baloney, Three Peppercorn Pastrami, and Tofurky Hickory
Smoked and Original slices and Jerky. There's Yves Veggie Canadian
Bacon, Salami, and Pepperoni, too. A Healthy Lunch can come together
as quickly as its unhealthy counterpart, and its a real time-saver
to make sandwiches the previous evening. Spread frozen slices of multi
grain bread lightly with eggless mayonnaise, or Dijon mustard, add
slices of Hickory or Savory Baked Tofu, and lettuce and tomato. Include
a piece of fruit, wholesome cookies, and soymilk. Wrap and set aside
in the refrigerator overnight.
Many American
parents are buying prepackaged boxed lunches that typically contain
deli slices, processed cheese and a candy bar for their kids, despite
concerns regarding their nutritional value. The popularity of these
prepackaged "Lunch Boxes" among school children has parents
heading to the stores; fueling a $600 million industry in America.Traditional
lunch boxes have come under fire from the American College of Cardiologists
because of their high salt content. Typically these lunch boxes
include meat, cheese, crackers and a dessert and can contain nearly
three-fourths of the recommended daily salt allowance.
Our Enlightened
Healthy Lunch is made with healthful alternatives that are widely
available in supermarkets and health food stores. And those prepackaged
lunch boxes? You will find a wholesome alternative you can feel
good about and that your children will enjoy. Yves Veggie Cuisine
has introduced two styles of their "Good Lunch." You can
offer a wholesome box lunch that looks and tastes like it's traditional
counterpart but contains less than 300 calories and only 7 grams
of fat ! Widely available and priced competitively healthy school
lunch options have arrived and they are as close as your supermarket
or local health food store.
Enlightened
Healthy Lunch
Servings 1
2 slices multi grain bread
1 Tablespoon eggless mayonnaise
1 1/2 ounces Baked Tofu, sliced on an angle
3 slices fresh tomato
1 leaf Romaine lettuce
1 medium orange
2 Health Valley cookies
6 ounces enriched soymilk.
Enlightened
Healthy Lunch
Nutrition Analysis per serving
Protein 17g
Carbohydrates 63g
Fiber 9g
Fat 6g
Sat Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Calcium 235 mg
Sodium 484mg.
Calories 369
Calories from Protein: 18%
Calories from Carbohydrates: 68%
Calories from Fat: 14%
Traditional
Lunch
Nutrition Analysis per serving
Protein 22g
Carbohydrates 71g
Fiber 5g
Fat 31g
Sat Fat 11g
Cholesterol 77mg
Calcium 323 mg
Sodium 1108mg
Calories 640
Calories from Protein: 13%
Calories from Carbohydrates: 44%
Calories from Fat: 43%
Marie
Oser
is a bestselling author and on-camera chef at www.VegTv.com Her
latest book is More Soy Cooking, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Marie
can be reached at www.veggiechef.com.
