Lunch time at Salters Hill Basic School in John's Hall, St James. - File

Healthy eating fuels brain development and learning; and as such we need to give our children the healthiest variety of foods to induce optimal performance as students. Having a healthy lunch is important to students because it gives them the energy to stay alert in class.

Canteens are a valid option but, packed lunches are a reality for many Jamaicans as more and more parents are opting to do this in an effort to save money, and to ensure that their children get the required nutrients in their meal away from home.

Having said this, many parents still do not know what to include in their child's lunch kit. Packing a variety of healthy foods in your child's lunch kit will help make sure he or she get all the nutrients needed.

Positive Parenting spoke to Dr Margaret Bailey, principal of Rollington Town Primary and below is her don'ts for lunch box inclusion:

1. Instant noodles in powdered soup base (cup soup)

"This soup consists of deep-fried noodles that are high in unhealthy saturated fats and the soup base is very high in salts (monosodium glutamate - MSG). MSG is a food additive used for flavour enhancement and presents health concerns. This is not a healthy choice for your child."

Alternatives: A healthy tuna or chicken sandwich would be preferable.

2. Soda

"This contains a lot of calories, sugars, and in some cases caffeine, but no significant nutritional value.

Too much soda can result in obesity, tooth decay, caffeine dependencies - for sodas containing caffeine, and weakened bones. The students can also become very hyperactive in class, causing disruption."

Alternatives: Natural fruit juice or water.

3. Chocolate and candies

"Sweets contain way too much sugar for the students to have them at lunch. It is not only bad for their teeth, but it can also cause hyperactivity, causing class disruption, which is not desirable in a classroom."

Alternatives: Fruits (apple, grapes), cheese or nuts mixed with raisins.

4. Cheese Trix, Nacho chips and potato chips

" I think they have too much salt and saturated fats, which can be bad healthwise. Much of these snacks does nothing for the child; they only have a good taste and can ultimately cause obesity, due to the high-salt intake."

Alternatives: "If you want to give your child chips for lunch, banana or plantain chips would be preferable. This is because, the banana and plantain that is used to make these chips have a lot of health benefits. This does not mean that it must be in the lunch kit every day."

5. Overnight food

"These foods may be contaminated with harmful bacteria. This is because, even if the overnight food is reheated in the morning, the time between departure to school and lunch, the food could be contaminated. This can cause belly pain, which can result in their leaving class to see the nurse, thus missing valuable lessons."

Alternatives: Have the meal cooked in the morning.

Shanya Connell (left), Shannon Allen (centre) and Peter-John Reid, all of Barracks Road Primary School, St James, are having fun as they prepare to take part in the puppet competition at John Rollins Success Primary School's reading marathon. - FILE