The Garden School Tattler

I had a talk with one of my favorite parents last night and she asked me about making dinner for the kids. It's really tough to go home at a late hour and "begin" some marathon cooking event. Besides, the kids probably won't eat it because they're tired.

At the GS, our program includes something called a nutritional plan. Everything your child needs, he is getting at school. He's getting all his milk, his bread, his vegetables, his fruit and his protein. That means when you take him home, if he has eaten, he doesn't need a big dinner. He only needs the kinds of things that will enhance his food day. A plate of good real cheese - not the cheese food - or a good small bite sized piece of meat, a couple of pieces of fruit - 1/2 a banana, 1/2 a pear or a couple of strawberries or a 1/4 cup of grapes, or the same amounts of carrots and dip, broccoli and dip, or some other vegetable he likes and some whole wheat bread or crackers makes an outstanding "dinner" for kids who are tired and who have eaten through the day. They will eat more of this than anything hot, and you've covered all the nutritional bases.

If you buy your child dinner out, try to minimize it and offer these better foods at bedtime. Part of the problem with eating out is that although it may satisfy mom's check list, the child rarely eats it, so what's the point?

If you buy freezer prepared foods, just check the ingredients to know why that's just a waste of time and effort and money. Half an apple and a piece of buttered whole wheat toast probably has more nutrition.