As we enter the last days of Ramadan, many of us boost our spiritual practice to reap the immense rewards promised during these blessed days. We have gotten into a routine of waking up for suhur (pre-dawn meal), being vigilant in our daily ibadah  (religious practice), breaking fast with our family and friends, and then ending the day with more ibadah. But, as mothers and caregivers, we know that our ibadah can extend beyond prayer and fasting. That our ibadah includes providing nourishing foods at suhur and iftar (breakfast) that will sustain and replenish our families both physically and spiritually during the long fasts. It includes the care and thought we put into keeping our children healthy in body, mind and soul throughout the year.

At home, we do what we can to make sure that the meals and snacks kids eat are nutritious. The health and wellness of our children is paramount, but our children aren’t always at home or in our care. It takes a community effort to ensure that kids have healthy options throughout the day to make the best choices possible. This is why I have found MomsRising as a wonderful resource for all women who are focused on improving their health and that of their families.  A collaborative effort has been made to create “A Guide to a Healthy Ramadan”, where Ramadan serves as the impetus to engage holistically in an assessment of our spiritual and physical health that will continue throughout the year.

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One of the issues discussed on the guide that I am personally and professionally passionate about is childhood nutrition and promoting healthy meals in schools.

Proper nutrition maximizes school performance and is crucial for development. Kids need meals that will sustain their energy throughout the day, leaving them satisfied and ready to absorb everything in the classroom. Only a year ago, I was thrilled when the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated nutrition standards for school lunches for the first time in 15 years, ensuring that our kids eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and avoid sugary snacks and foods that are high in fat or sodium. 90% of schools are already meeting the standards and serving healthy choices to the 31 million students who eat school meals every day. However, this summer, some members of Congress are trying to weaken school lunch standards. It’s unfortunate that Congress is even considering blocking efforts to improve the health of the 31 million children served through these programs. By staying silent, Congress may weaken these standards and take our kids back to poor quality, nutrient lacking and processed foods—instead of helping the struggling few schools meet the healthier standards, they want to lower the bar.

Specifically, the proposed measures would allow schools to:

•  Exclude fruits and vegetables from meals
•  Serve meals high in sodium and low in whole grains
•  Sell foods full of sugar, fat and salt in snacks and a la carte lines without having to meet evidence-based nutrition standards
•  Delay or even prevent the implementation this fall of the Smart Snacks standards, which apply to foods and beverages sold outside of meal

What can you do?

1. Add your name to the list of signatures that MomsRising is collecting to deliver to Congress: http://moms.ly/SaveSchoolLunch
2. Talk to other parents and your children about the importance of healthy foods, both at school and home. Teaching children how to eat healthy will enable them to establish a foundation of good nutrition and lifestyle habits with lasting benefits.
3. Try to implement these dietary practices into your meal planning at home and school lunches in the fall:

Choose complex carbohydrates over refined ones.  Complex carbohydrates from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans provide time-released energy, rather than one big rush followed by a crash.  Switch from white bread to whole wheat, from sugary cold cereals to muesli, granola or oatmeal.  Drink only small amounts of 100% juice and eat more whole fruit.

Add protein to every meal and snack: Protein is important for building muscles and growth, and keeps energy stable.  Good sources are eggs, lean meats, soy, low-fat dairy, nuts and seeds.

Add quality fat:  Fat is important for the growing body and immune function.  Fat also slows digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, giving you more energy for a longer time.  Good sources include eggs, nuts and seeds, dairy, fish, avocados and olives.

BREAKFAST

Children who regularly eat breakfast have better test scores, better behavior, and are less hyperactive than children who skip breakfast. But it is important to eat the right stuff; sugary cereals or white-flour pancakes and syrup, will leave your child hungry and tired half way through the morning.

Ideas:

• Concoct a breakfast parfait with layers of yogurt or cottage cheese, fresh fruit, and granola
• Swirl applesauce and raisins into a packet of oatmeal. Serve with milk
• Top whole-wheat toast with an egg
• Sprinkle whole grain cereals with dried fruit
• Roll a burrito with scrambled eggs, salsa, cheese and tomato
• Prepare an omelet with vegetables, cheese and whole-wheat toast.
• Use whole grain English muffins or waffles for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
• Blend yogurt, bananas and fresh or frozen berries with a little orange juice for a smoothie
• Spread a pancake with peanut butter, add sliced bananas, and roll it up.

LUNCH

Ideas:

• Leftovers from dinner
• Sandwiches or wraps with various fillings:
  • Eggs and cheese
  • Beans, rice and cheese
  • Peanut butter and jelly
  • Hummus and grilled veggies
  • Sliced turkey or chicken, cheese, lettuce and tomato
  • Tuna, chicken or egg salad
  • Cheese, avocado, and sprouts
  • Grilled cheese with tomato

• Tuck these in a lunch box:
  • Nuts and dried fruit
  • Whole grain crackers and cheese or peanut butter
  • Vegetable sticks with salad dressing for dipping
  • Cut fresh fruit
  • Whole-grain Pretzels
  • Celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins
  • Yogurt or cottage cheese
  • Fruit leather
  • Tortilla chips and salsa
  • Popcorn
  • Whole-grain granola bars

Drinks

• Lots of water
• 100% fruit juice diluted with plain or sparkling water