School lunch

Our kids NEED quality food.

What we feed our kids is critical for countless reasons, from their general physical and mental welfare, to promoting healthy (or unhealthy) habits, to aiding in optimal growth. If you ask any parent, they want their kids to be healthy, yet they don’t know what to feed them so they resort to relying on school breakfasts and lunches for the bulk of their kids’ nutritional intake and then feeding them convenient, cheap, rubbish in the evenings. IF they pack their kids’ lunches for school, they may be even worse than the school lunch, which is really saying something.

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School lunches miss the mark.

The USDA, whose wholly unhealthy guidelines we wrote about at length, sets the minimum nutritional requirements for school lunches. Aramak, Compass, and Sodexo, for profit corporations who provide food for both prisoners and students, only meet these garbage minimum requirements 40% of the time. When they DO meet these requirements by incorporating meat, dairy, and eggs instead of the 2 most consumed foods (seed oil-laden french fries and something that slightly resembles pizza), these foods are typically from factory farmed, corn and soy fed cows and chickens. Read why that’s problematic here. We could go further in discussing the vilification of red meat in schools and the detriments of meatless Mondays and vegan Fridays pushed on an already underfed population of food insecure children. We could tell you how these meat-free meals have ZERO DHA, K2, B12, D3, choline, creatine, carnitine, and carnosine which are ALL brain critical nutrients, but it’s likely you already know that school lunches aren’t the best choice for our children.

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But…

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If you look in the average backpack of those who bring their lunch to school, oftentimes it’s even WORSE than the pile of garbage the schools are feeding kids. Processed, boxed, bagged, and pouched convenience foods dominate the space and it’s a tragedy. 

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It’s no wonder that the latest generation is the first in history with a life expectancy shorter than their parents. It’s no surprise that they have diabetes at record levels, obesity at insane ratios, and mental health diagnoses like we’ve never seen before. Their brains and bodies are being fed nutritionally void, seed oil rife garbage by both the schools AND their parents when all they crave are the necessary nutrients that serve as building blocks for a happy, healthy future. 

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The Solution

At the Fittest, we’re parents, so we understand the plight of trying to figure out just how to feed our kids a portable, nutrient-dense lunch, and to do so economically and without spending our whole morning cooking when we have so many other tasks to tackle. We’ve had to figure out how to do it and we’re here to share that knowledge with you so you can feel confident that you’re sending your kids to school with a delicious, nutrient-dense meal that sets them up for success in the classroom and in life; so they can have the adequate energy and mental fortitude to tackle every challenge that presents itself. So what do we pack for our kids?

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• First and foremost we send them with water. We use stainless steel reusable bottles because glass containers are frowned upon by many schools, especially for the drinks they carry with them all day from class to class and on the playground. We like Mountain Valley Spring water and if you splurge economically on any item, quality water is our recommendation. 
• When it comes to food, we love pork rinds. They’re high protein, high fat, and nutrient dense. You can make your own after making an economically friendly pork belly or get them from a reputable source like a local farm. If you don’t know where to find a local farm, check out Eat Wild. If that’s not available to you, check out Epic Provisions. 
• We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Liver King Bar. What’s more convenient AND delicious than the nutritionally sound snack we designed for just this purpose?
• If your kids tolerate dairy, milk, yogurt, and cheese are excellent so long as they’re organic in nature. We also really like yogurt mixed with The Whole Feast. 
• Beef jerky, also from Epic Provisions, or homemade is an excellent choice. Just make certain that it’s free of additives like soy and garbage preservatives.
• Hard boiled eggs are another kick ass selection. We sound like a broken record but make sure those eggs are from chickens that are not fed corn and soy. These are easy to make in bulk and easy to package for your kids’ lunches.
• Fruit. Any fruit. Seriously. What kid doesn’t love fruit?
• Last night’s leftovers. We hate letting food go to waste. We eat the animal nose-to-tail and think you should too, and what you don’t eat can likely and easily be put in a container and sent to school for your kid to devour the next day. We’ve got quite a few recipes in our blog and will always be adding more, so if you need ideas for healthy meals that won’t break the bank, check back often. 

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You wouldn’t feed your dog Oreo cookies, Pop Tarts, and Cheetos, so why would you feed those things to your precious kids when you could just as easily feed them foods that will give them the nutrients they need and deserve?

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We can help.

For more suggestions, email our performance experts who know what it looks like to send kids off to school prepared to feast!

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