According to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, the problem seems to lie in the fine line between what children should be eating, and what they will eat.
Conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Third Coast Research and Development of Galveston, Texas, the study found that sack lunches sent from home may not regularly provide adequate nutrients for the growth and development of young children.
Less than minimum
The study included 74 three to five-year-olds attending full-time child-care centers that required parents to provide lunches. Researchers tracked lunch content for three consecutive days.
They found that more than 50 percent of lunches provided “less than minimum amounts” of calories, carbohydrates, vitamin A, calcium, iron and zinc.
In addition, 96 percent of lunches provided less than minimum recommended amounts of dietary fiber, said the researchers. They also found that the lunches contained 114 percent of the recommended amount of sodium.
Kid appeal
Parents were asked about the role played by their children’s lunch in their overall diet. All parents agreed that lunch was an important opportunity for their children to receive nutrients, however 63 percent said they pack only foods they know their child will eat.
The researchers concluded that, even though parents understand the importance of lunch, they may not know how to consistently pack a nutritious sack lunch for their children.
However, as more child-care centers start to require parents to provide lunches as a way to cut costs, the researchers highlight the importance of making sure these lunches deliver necessary nutrients.
Currently, around 13m children in the US eat three or more meals and snacks each day at one of the country's 117,000 regulated child-care centers.
"When parents do not consistently pack a nutritious sack lunch they miss an opportunity to teach and reinforce good dietary habits to their children. As child-care centers shift the responsibility for providing meals and snacks to parents, they must address the practices that affect the long-term health and well-being of the children they serve," the researchers said.