Raise your hand if you grew up on the school lunch program. Don't be ashamed, my hand is up. My three sisters and I were on the school lunch program throughout all of our school years. It was okay with me back in the 80's & 90's because the cafeteria workers cooked like they were cooking for their own children and grandchildren at home. I remember getting to school early and getting a tray (yes a tray, not a plate) full of grits, scrambled eggs, beacon, a fruit cup and a biscuit with jelly. Mmm, Mmm, I can smell it now. I would sit down with my friends to eat and talk about how hard the homework was and then head off to class.
Now for lunch the school would serve home style meals like meat loaf, mashed potatoes and corn with a side of peaches on Mondays. Tuesdays we would have baked chicken, black eyed peas, rice with gravy and pears, but Friday would be the fast food day, hamburgers and French fries for everyone. But not those fried hamburgers, oh no, these hamburgers were grilled and the French fries were baked in the oven. Oh right, and don't forget the fruit cup.
Meat Loaf
As a kid growing up in the 80's I didn't know this food was actually good for me and prepared in a way that would keep me healthy. All I knew is that I was on the school lunch program and it was the same type of food that I was used to eating at home. Now I am sure a lot of you saw the TV program that aired last fall about how our school lunch programs have changed in America. I saw it and was shocked. My husband and I don't have any kids so we had no idea that children were being served pizza for breakfast. I'm guessing things have changed in schools since the airing of that program, but have we adults thought about how our eating habits have changed over the years. Are we getting the nutrients and vitamins from our foods that we used to get with the old school lunch program? I took a hard look at what I eat and decided to do a little research to find out how I could get more vitamins in my system naturally.
Did you have a good breakfast this morning? Did you pack your lunch today? If you answered yes to both of these questions then you might be headed in the right direction. We all know that we should eat a good breakfast to get our metabolism jump started in the morning, but what ARE we eating is the next question. Studies have shown that pairing up certain food items will help us get more nutrition out of our food. For example, the vitamin C in fresh strawberries will help your body absorb almost twice as much of the iron in your toast when eaten together, than if you just ate the toast by itself. People who drink milk with their oatmeal are on the right track. The magnesium in the oats assist your body in absorbing the calcium in the milk. For lunch try having cantaloupe with your egg salad sandwich. The fat from the eggs will help your body drink in the vitamin A and antioxidants from the cantaloupe. After reading my food labels I knew what foods I needed to eat to increase my iron and calcium levels, but I had no idea that foods could work together like this.
In today's economy I'm sure most of us have realized that making your own breakfast and packing your own lunch will save you money, but it can also help us pack in the vitamins we need every day. The next time you go shopping, check the label for the vitamin percentage on your favorite foods and combine them with fruits and dairy products that you love. Your body will thank you for it and you may even drop a few pounds.
School Lunch Program - Packing in the Vitamins
Felicia B. White is a photographer, song writer and poet. She graduated from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale and moved to Georgia with her husband 12 years ago. Felicia and her husband found a church home at Berean Christian Church in 2005 and they have been using their ever growing faith in God to lose weight and build a better marriage. Felicia is writing poetry and weight loss articles to help her win her battle with weight. Hope you enjoy the articles. To read more articles by Felicia visit http://healthylivingdietplans.com/category/weight-loss-tips
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