Childhood nutrition is difficult, because there are so many factors that help contribute to poor eating habits: busy schedules; high tech, costly ad campaigns for junk food; as well as food preferences - maybe you have a finicky eater in your family? Healthy food habits can be difficult to achieve because each individual's metabolism is different. Successful nutrition involves the whole family, whether your family is working toward thinner bodies, combating specific medical problems like diabetes, or just working to expand the palette of a picky eater.

Organic foods are especially great choices to help improve the whole family's diet, and they do wonders to keep kids going through those long school days.

Starting the Day
Giving your child a breakfast that contains fiber (such as oatmeal, shredded wheat, berries, bananas or whole-grain pancakes) should keep adrenaline levels constant and make the school day a great learning experience! Many cereals are packed with sugar and/or white flour, which are thought to contribute to diabetes and obesity. Look for whole-grain cereals: there are many available in the organic market, but they can be found in the conventional aisles as well. Keep an eye out for oat, wheat and bran based cereals. Oatmeal is a good choice, too.

The Organic Lunchbox
Lunchtime can prove to be one of the trickiest meals, since parents aren't with their kids to see that they're eating properly. Many send their kids to school with lunch money or tuck high-fat, preservative-laden lunchmeat sandwiches into their kids' backpacks. Even the best of lunch efforts can be thwarted by kids who trade foods with other kids, or simply don't eat certain items that are packed. Many nutrition experts are working to improve the school lunch area, and one idea is called The Organic Lunchbox, a relatively simple idea that involves including organic items in children's school lunches.

Three main reasons to promote an organic lunchbox:

1. Taste. Many of us remember the overcooked, flavorless meals from the school's cafeteria. Sending kids to school with an organic lunchbox provides tasty alternatives to the wilted mush dished out by the lunch ladies.
2. Childhood Obesity. Many school boards are looking to remove the salty, sugary, fatty, chemical and preservative-based fare currently offered by many school cafeterias but that change can take an entire school year. These junk foods contribute to childhood obesity, and other far-reaching, lifelong health problems like diabetes and heart disease. While the school boards tackle the problem of junk foods in the schools, you can help change and/or shape kids' tastebuds by encouraging parents to pack organic lunches for their kids.
3. Other health concerns. A recent study conducted by the University of Washington tracked a group of preschool children - 18 with organic diets, and 21 with conventional diets - and analyzed their urine for exposure to five different kinds of toxic pesticides. Researchers found that pesticide exposure was six to nine times higher for children with conventional diets, than for children with organic diets.
Furthermore, the Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, manganese and mercury have been associated with learning disabilities, aggressive behavior and delinquency. Other studies show that violent criminals have elevated levels of heavy metals and other toxic chemicals, compared with prisoners who are not violent.

• A Serving of Organic Fruit: Once available only at certain markets, organic produce is now available at many grocery stores, and there are many fruit options from which to choose.
• A Serving of Organic Vegetables: A small bag of carrots, celery, snap peas, or sliced cucumbers. Some kids like veggies better if sent with a dip. Be creative: yogurts, dressings, and peanut butter make great dips.
• A Serving of Organic Whole Grains: The easiest way to include the organic whole grain is to send along bread, cereal or crackers. Haddon House carries a huge assortment of organic breads, cereals and crackers, so be sure to check the Creative Merchandiser listings!
• An Organic Calcium Source: Studies show that two out of three kids in the US don't get enough calcium. Include a small cup of organic yogurt or a bit of cheese in the lunch box. For lactose-intolerant kids, there are many other calcium options, like enriched juices and dark green veggies.
• An Organic Source of Lean Protein: These days, people think protein is in and carbs are out. However, people - especially school children - really don't need very much protein. If yogurt or certain vegetables have been included in the lunchbox, chances are the protein requirements will have been met. If you haven't included a protein source, consider a hardboiled egg, organic beans, or a sandwich with lean organic meats.

Healthy Mealtime at Home
One of the best ways to ensure that children eat a healthy lunch at school and keep them away from the junk food counters and vending machines is to serve nutritious meals at home. Optimally, good nutrition should begin in infancy, but realistically, that doesn't always happen. So, if you see that your child has developed some bad eating habits, here are some tips to help bring them back around:

1. Make it fun! Remember, you're competing against multi-million dollar ad campaigns. You're competing against fast food establishments who include toys with their meals for children. You're competing against peer pressure. Preschool children love food that's shaped like something: a face, a clown, a dinosaur, etc. Whole-grain pancakes can be made in fun shapes, and topped with fruit slices; sandwiches can be cut into fun shapes; be creative with vegetables: broccoli are trees, corn on the cob is a rocket ship, etc.
2. Imitation. If kids see you eating vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, they'll most likely do the same thing. And by having tasty choices in the house, learning by example can be easy!
3. Sneak it in. The ancient Greeks defined children as short humans who don't like vegetables. This simple statement is unfortunately often true, but try not to push kids too hard. Entice them, persuade them, teach them about good nutrition, and if all else fails, sneak it in! Zucchini bread, for instance, is delicious, and looks nothing like its original form! Add fruit or vegetable shavings to nearly any baked good. Dried fruit, like cherries or cranberries are a great source of hidden vitamins, too. Smoothies (rather than juices which are very high in sugar) are also a great way to get kids to eat their fruits and veggies. A blender, some yogurt and some produce can make delicious and healthy snacks.

Studies show that Americans would like their supermarkets to take a more active role in providing nutrition information. Essentially, this means that people are looking to their stores to be active parts of the community; they're looking to their stores to help them make the right food decisions. With childhood (and adult) obesity at epidemic levels, as well as food-related health issues like cancers and health diseases, it's obvious that the request for more information is a cry for help. The organic industry can be of great service to help address food-related health problems for your customers. It also can provide a grocery store with an arsenal of information - the information that your patrons want. If you're in the food business, take a more active role in your organics: organic companies and agencies are there to help you help your customers.

For more information about pumping up your organic program, or if you'd like to learn more about the environmental benefits as well as the personal, human benefits of a strong organic program at your store, feel free to contact your Haddon House sales representative.

Photo by Gwen Hauser.