School And Nutrition

Lunch is important, but watch what you eat.

L

unchtime: 25 minutes to buy
your lunch, find a table and
scarf down your food.
The school cafeteria is anything
but a healthy environment. Some stu-
dents bring lunch from home; some
students are allowed to leave school
to eat; and others avoid the process
entirely and wait till school ends to eat
their meal.
Hadas Corey
The experts say that an inadequate
Teen2Teen Writer lunch leads to inadequate grades.
School-age children who don't receive
a well-balanced lunch often have
trouble focusing attention because their blood sugar levels
drop during the day. Nutritious foods at lunch can help kids
maintain concentration levels throughout the afternoon and
prevent fatigue, irritability and headaches.
And eating too fast during a short lunch period can cause
indigestion or even weight gain.
Now that you know the lunchtime dangers, the Web site
Kidshealth.org offers quick tips and snacks that provide stu-

Martha Burnstein

dents with healthy substitutes:
1.Remember your fruits and veggies. Students who add
color to their plates eat meals high in vitamins and fiber. For a
snack, grab baby carrots or some celery with peanut butter.
2.Whole grains are GREAT! Brown rice, pasta, cereal; all
of these are healthy choices that give you more energy than
refined grains do.
3.Nix the soda. They should be considered sweets instead
of just drinks. Time magazine reports, "In 2004, the average
American drank 37 gallons — 60,000 calories — of "liquid
candy." These products are high in sugar and carbohydrates.
Instead, choose water, milk or iced tea.
4.Vending machines do not provide healthy meals. The
salty and sweet packaged snacks that come from school vend-
ing machines are unhealthy and fatty.
5.Listen to your body. Lunch is a busy time. You sit with
your friends and gossip about the hottest guy and, before you
know it, you could have consumed more food than your body
can handle. Pay attention to your stomach!

Hadas Corey, 16, the JN's T2T summer intern, attends Birmingham

Seaholm High School.

Outstanding
Services For
Jewish. Seniors

Active retired seniors stay sharp by
performing meaningful volunteer work
at JVS. Guided by two gerontologists,
the seniors assemble mailings for
synagogues and other non-profits. The
work is rewarding. The professional
supervision of their well-being is
important.

The camaraderie, friendship and
kibitzing? Priceless.

Need meaningful volunteer work?

NS can help.

17

_

P D V (ts-,4

••••,

-

.

1

29699 Southfield Rd.
Southfield, Ml 48076

(248) 559-5000

www.jvsdet.org

90

September 13 • 2007

iN

.
_
Josh Loney is in 10th grade at Bloomfield Hills Andover High School.

. 94 lc
tti loSt$ C(05

Reci

V. 1.