Lunch crunch always a struggle for parents

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This article was published 05/09/2023 (1106 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kevin Culliford has a lot on his plate.

September is a busy time of year for the registered dietitian, med student and father of two young kids, making nutrition and lunches top of mind.

“I always recommend planning ahead,” he says of getting back into the routine of packing lunch. “A lot of people will do it last minute and then it’s just a whole bunch of things thrown together and it feels like a whole bunch of things thrown together.

“When you plan ahead, it makes for a more balanced lunch and it’s easier to just grab it and go, because mornings are always kind of crazytown.”

Culliford is heading into his second year of medical school while continuing to run his private practice, Relatable Nutritional Consulting. He sees clients for a range of dietary reasons, but has found a niche in family nutrition.

Lunch can be a common stumbling block for parents.

“When they’re eating lunch, it’s usually in a structured environment at school and kids do well in a structured environment. Where it can be a struggle is when kids go to school and they see their friends that have cookie packs and Jell-O and all the sweet processed snacks we know and love from our own childhood,” he says.

To avoid lunch envy, Culliford suggests offering a variety of colourful foods that children are invested in. Using ice packs can also keep lunches at the right temperature, making them more appealing.

As a parent, he tries to get his kids involved in the grocery shopping and meal-planning process.

“We’ll sit and look through the flyers together and we’ll select different fruits and vegetables she might like to try,” he says of his eldest daughter. “Harnessing their interest in those moments is really important in getting them to try new things because they’re naturally very curious.”

The way meals are approached at home can also make a difference in the cafeteria. Taking a page from his own childhood, Culliford aims to have his family eat meals together around the table.

“It helps with teaching the right balance of food. And it helps them practise mindful eating, rather than what I call mindless eating,” he says.

As a dietitian, he uses Canada’s Food Guide as a reference when coaching clients on balanced meal planning. The national nutrition guidelines now make use of a plate method, which recommends dedicating half a plate per meal to fruits and vegetables and a quarter of a plate to proteins and whole grains, respectively.

To encourage curiosity (and preserve his sanity), Culliford serves his kids the same foods he and his wife eat.

“If you’re serving them something different all the time, it makes them think you’re a short-order cook. You don’t want that,” he says.

At lunchtime, bowls can be a good way to achieve nutritional balance while appealing to multiple ages. A family favourite is a Mexican-inspired black bean and rice bowl that can be served as dinner and then packed as leftovers for lunch the next day. If chicken’s on the menu, he’ll make extra to be sliced up and used in sandwiches or added to bowls — a more healthful and economical alternative to deli meats, he says.

As a student, Culliford also keeps his own lunches in mind. Leftovers often make it into his lunch bag, along with plenty of snacks.

“A lot of my friends call me Bugs Bunny because I always have carrots with me,” he says with a laugh.

With snacks, he aims to hit two different food groups — such as protein-rich hummus served with veggie sticks, a granola bar and yogurt or fruit and nuts. Pre-cut fruit and vegetable trays can make snack assembly more convenient.

If eating out at school or the office is unavoidable, Culliford suggests taking nutritionally dense snacks to round out the day.

“When we eat consistent meals during the day — like breakfast, lunch and supper — it keeps our energy steady instead of having that early afternoon crash,” he says. “It also prevents overeating later on in the evening because our body will get the food that it needs one way or the other.”

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @evawasney