FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER 916.263.3560 commngr(###)dairycouncilofca.org

Sacramento, CA - August 9, 2004 - As your child begins the new school year, it is time to pay close attention to what he/she is having for lunch. Over 16 percent of children nationwide are overweight and that percentage is on the rise. Parents greatly influence what their kids eat and encouraging healthy eating habits is more important now than ever.

Preparing nutritious school lunches and snacks is a challenge for many parents. Meals Matter - www.mealsmatter.org - is a free website that can help take the guesswork out of what to prepare for lunch. The site's Back-to-School Health Feature contains advice for parents including healthy lunch and snack ideas, nutrition information and recipes. The website also features informative articles, downloadable references, interactive tools and nutrition activities.

"Besides breakfast, lunch is the second most important meal for school-aged children and provides one-third of their daily calories. Yet, parents can often be confused about what a healthy lunch consists of when packing their children's lunch," said Andrea Garen R.D., Dairy Council of California. "The Meals Matter website provides parents with the resources to ensure that what they are giving their child is nutritious and healthful."

Lunches

The quantity of food packed is also important since portion size is another factor that contributes to overweight kids. One snack bag of pretzels may contain two or more servings. Pre-measuring items such as peanuts or cookies into the correct serving size shows kids just how much they should be eating of such foods.

The following are a few healthy school lunch and snack tips from MealsMatter.org:

• Take kids shopping and have them pick out foods they like.
• Have kids help pack their lunch. Teach them how to pack a well-balanced lunch with appropriate portion sizes.
• Pack dinner leftovers for lunch. Use leftover chicken for sandwiches or pasta for a cold salad.
• Make sandwiches different by using pita or focaccia breads.
• Use insulated lunch boxes and refreezable ice packs to help keep foods cold and fresh.
• Send hot vegetable or chicken noodle soup - use thermoses® to keep hot foods hot.
• Choose healthier snacks such as fresh or dried fruit, veggie sticks or string cheese.

To learn other helpful lunch ideas logon to www.mealsmatter.org.

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Meals Matter - www.mealsmatter.org - is a non-commercial website supported by the Dairy Council of California staffed by registered dietitians and dedicated to promoting healthy food choices for families.

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