Chief Dietitian at Tzabar Refuah Offers Practical Guide for Healthy School Meals

As children return to religious schools and other educational frameworks, parents face the daily challenge of preparing nutritious breakfasts and snacks that support alertness and concentration. Luda Nevo, the chief clinical dietitian at Tzabar Refuah, Israel's largest hospital, provides a practical guide to help parents navigate this transition. She warns that many convenient or seemingly healthy products, such as cereals and flavored yogurts, contain high amounts of hidden sugars. For example, a typical 30-gram serving of cornflakes contains about one teaspoon of sugar, but children often consume more, reaching four to six teaspoons before adding sweetened milk or chocolate milk. Similarly, small cups of sweetened yogurt can have three to four teaspoons of sugar, whereas natural yogurt with fresh fruit offers fewer calories and natural sweetness with fiber.

Nevo also cautions against energy bars, which often resemble candy in sugar content and calories. Instead, she recommends packing seasonal fruits like apples, pears, or bananas alongside cut vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, or peppers to gradually increase children's acceptance of vegetables. The central component of the mid-morning snack should be a sandwich made with whole wheat or white bread combined with protein, healthy fats, and vegetables. Suggested fillings include cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, hummus, tahini, avocado, tuna with cucumber or tomato, and natural peanut butter without added sugar. These combinations provide sustained energy and help maintain focus during lessons.

To save time and reduce morning stress, Nevo advises parents to prepare a weekly sandwich menu. This planning tool streamlines shopping, reduces costs, ensures dietary variety, and involves children in choosing their meals, increasing the likelihood they will eat them happily. Nevo emphasizes that replacing sugary cereals, yogurts, and snacks with a well-planned lunchbox containing a nutritious sandwich, vegetables, and fruit offers peace of mind for parents and supports children’s health and academic performance.