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HEALTH
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Bento!
HESSA AL HAMADI
“Bento” is a Japanese word, which means “lunchbox.” Hessa Al Hamadi/DWC
“Bento” is a Japanese word, which means “lunchbox.”
It is very important for children to eat food that is not
only healthy and delicious, but also beautiful to look
at. Therefore, mothers need to create a mom-made
meal that is carefully prepared with a touch of love
and kindness. It will make a great connection to home
and family while the child is away at school, and this is
what Bento is all about.
What do your kids eat
for lunch at school?
Children eat a lot of their food
each day away from home.
Parents should be more aware
of the importance of a healthy
lunch for their children. Dr. Nada
Saadi, clinical dietitian in Al Wasl
Hospital notes, “A healthy and
balanced lunch can help children
concentrate better at school and
it is actually proven that students
who eat healthy lunches perform
better academically than those
who don’t. Eating healthy meals
regularly is an important factor
in preventing excessive weight
gain and obesity.”
Some parents prefer to give their
children money for lunch rather
than packing a homemade meal.
But do you really know what your
children eat from the school’s
cafeteria? Are they eating healthy
or unhealthy food?
Parents should check the
cafeteria’s menu at school
to make sure that it provides
children with healthy food. If the
menu is full of unhealthy food
items, then create your own
healthy lunchbox and send it
to school with your child. Aisha
Abdullah, mother of a 6-year-old
son, realizes that “lunch is the
most important meal that provides
my son with energy, which
gets him through the whole day
including learning and after
school activities.”
Packing a healthy
lunchbox
Remember, the meal that you
prepare for your child should be
well thought through, since what
your child eats will affect his
growth and body development.
Here are the five main items to
put in a lunchbox:
• Starchy foods
Starchy foods or grains are very
important. They include a variety
of bread, rice, and pasta. They are
Is it challenging for you to prepare a healthy lunchbox
meal for your child? Do you struggle to get them to eat
what you have prepared, and enjoy beneficial food as
well? Do your kids come home starving, and tell you
that they couldn’t eat because they didn’t like the food
you prepared? Don’t be afraid anymore! To persuade
your children to eat everything in their lunchboxes
with great appetites, you just need Bento!
the perfect source of energy and
they provide health benefits like
lowering the risk of some chronic
diseases. Kids need five to nine
servings of these per day.
• Vegetables
It is common for children to dislike
eating some vegetables, but en-
courage your children to eat
vegetables by eating them yourself
and using them in different meals
every day. Vegetables contain
many minerals, fiber, and vitamins
that provide children with longterm
health benefits. Kids need
four to five servings of these
every day.
• Fresh fruit
Fruit is also very important for
kids’ health. It contains a number
of vital nutrients, vitamins,