Your child comes running up to you after school, her face filled with excitement. She is babbling on about something that has evidently got her overjoyed, and once you calm her down, you find out she has a chance to go on a field trip to an aquarium/park/zoo she has been dying to visit. She says that all you have to do is sign her permission slip and you will be the greatest parent ever.
After getting a few details and talking with her teacher, you see that this will be a great learning opportunity for your child. Unfortunately, just signing the permission slip is not all you have to do, no matter what your child says. It looks like this is going to be an all-day affair, so now you have to put on your thinking cap and come up with a Paleo-friendly lunch and snacks that will keep your child from grabbing a soda, some chips, or other non-Paleo foods and beverages while on the field trip.
Additionally, think about the destination. Consider how you will pack the lunch. Using biodegradable packaging and including food choices that are safe for the environment, such as an apple or banana, reduces the potential negative impact your child’s meal could have on the surroundings. Sweet Paleo treats may be your child’s favorite, but if they could wind up in the bellies of animals that are encountered on the field trip, a dream experience could produce nightmarish circumstances.
Serve a Large, Protein-Packed Breakfast
Plan, prepare and serve a large breakfast on the morning of the field trip. Aside from being a marvelous mental and physical health booster, protein takes a long time to be processed by the human body. This means when protein is the focus of breakfast, your child is less likely to suffer unhealthy food cravings on the morning of the field trip. This could keep your child from turning to a vending machine for an unhealthy sugar rush or hunger appeaser.
Include Plenty of Water
Water is a zero-calorie, zero carbs, no-sugar must for field trips and other forays out of the classroom. Your child may do a lot of walking, and this means staying hydrated is important. Additionally, including a large quantity of water or another Paleo-friendly beverage like unsweetened tea can fill your child’s belly in a healthy way.
Sign On as a Volunteer
Why not volunteer your services as a chaperone on the field trip? This allows you supreme control over what your child eats throughout the day. It also offers you an opportunity to bring along a cooler you can fill with Paleo-friendly foods, snacks, and beverages for the entire class. Your child’s acceptance of your Paleo meals grows when she sees her classmates eating and drinking the Paleo-accepted foods and drinks you have provided.
