Food: How to prepare a suitable lunch for children?

Every morning, thousands of mothers, fathers, and caregivers in Mexico face one of the smallest, yet most significant, decisions of the day: what to pack in their children's lunchboxes?

In March 2025, the National Strategy "Living Healthy, Living Happy" was implemented. , by the Government of Mexico, which seeks to improve the health and well-being of girls and boys in schools throughout the country.

This strategy restricts the sale of unhealthy foods and beverages within schools, including products with warning labels or labels, as well as unhealthy preparations. While this initiative leads to better child nutrition, It also poses a challenge for caregivers, who must develop appropriate menus for feeding children.

After implementing this strategy, questions that were once taken for granted resurfaced . Is it good to give children the same food adults eat? Is fruit juice really healthy? How much will it cost me to prepare my daughter or son's meal? Is it more expensive to eat nutritiously?

Dr. Patricia Clark, representing the Cochrane Center Mexico of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, explained in a presentation at the Faculty of Medicine that eating healthy should not be a luxury, since, "A healthy diet can be affordable when you choose seasonal and locally sourced foods." .

A gradual change

Roberto García Raya, a nutrition graduate, proposes in his thesis that habits begin at home. Following the implementation of the strategy, it became clear that many of children's habits were a reflection of their parents. "If a child doesn't eat junk food at school, they'll eat it at home, regardless of whether the lunch is healthy or not," he explains. "If you, as a parent, have healthy habits at home, your child will learn them."

If this is the case, the change is gradual. Changing eating habits is not only difficult for adults, but also for children. "Many patients see 'diets' as difficult and find them difficult, because they seem to prohibit everything, when in reality the changes are gradual, like when you exercise. You don't start by gaining a lot of weight, you start little by little," García Raya continues.

Read: How many calories are in a bowl of pozole? How to prepare healthy snacks for kids?

The first thing to know is that, not always the same thing that adults eat is suitable for children. Appropriate portions vary according to size, physical requirements, sex, age, among other aspects.

It is important to consult nutrition experts to have the right portions for each child. Each stage of childhood is different, but, especially for young students, "the stage where we should focus most on nutrition is in elementary school, between the ages of 6 and 12, because that's when habits are formed, although growth lasts until approximately 18, " explains Abril Arreola, a nutritionist.

A suitable lunch for this stage of childhood should have:

• Eat as little processed (packaged) food as possible.
• It should be adequate in protein such as chicken, tuna or cheese.
• Accompany with vegetables of different colors, such as tomatoes, cucumber, yellow pepper, etc.
• Fruit, which will give the sweet touch.
• Quality fats such as peanut butter, almonds, walnuts, or avocado.
• Whole grain, unprocessed carbohydrates such as oats, potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
• Extra protein sources such as legumes, beans, and chickpeas, which are also cheaper.

For drinks, there is nothing better than natural water. If you're used to sugary drinks, the nutritionist recommends "sweet fruit water that doesn't require extra sugar, such as mango or tuna water, and gradually reducing portions to accustom your palate until you prefer plain water."

As parents, we must find what works, without forgetting that habits require consistency and patience, not only from children, but also from caregivers.

What foods can be found in schools?

Families are diverse and organized differently. Some caregivers don't have the time to cook in the morning for whatever reason. In these cases, Schools with kitchen services have also changed the menus at their dining centers.

Within the schools, you'll find fruits, vegetables, seeds, whole grains, and drinking water. There will also be traditional Mexican dishes, primarily those that include natural ingredients according to the region and season; of course, low in salt and sugar.

Some examples of foods authorized for sale in cooperatives include fat-free corn or esquites, natural popcorn, nuts, "alegrías" (sweetened confectioners' cereals) and wafers with seeds, natural yogurt (without stamps), salads, cactus tlacoyos, bean and cheese cakes, steamed vegetables, shredded chicken cakes, corn tortilla quesadillas, and cooked vegetables, among others.

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The reality is that schools aren't just outlets for processed foods; eating habits are formed at home. Even if junk food is no longer offered in schools and educational centers, the home is the cornerstone of children's nutrition.

Obesity and chronic diseases resulting from poor nutrition are not "child's play." Mexico ranks second worldwide in adult obesity and first in childhood obesity. If mothers, fathers, and caregivers don't develop healthy eating habits, the little ones in the home won't either.

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