DOH: Keep children away from unhealthy snacks, lunches

On the first week of classes in the new school year, the government is urging parents not to provide children with sugary and salty snacks for recess and lunch.

Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, health department spokesman, said parents should keep their children’s meals healthy for them to be less susceptible to obesity and non-communicable diseases.

“Let us not give them softdrinks or sweetened beverages as baon. Also, let us avoid junk food and chocolates for their snacks at school,” Lee Suy said in an interview.

Likewise, the health official said it would be preferable for children to bring healthy and nutritious packed lunch instead of receiving pocket money in school.

“Allowing them to buy food, which we are not certain if they are healthy or safe, is also not advisable,” he said, adding that they should bring sandwiches and fruits as their “baon.”

More than 27 million students from both public and private educational institutions went back to school on Monday, June 4, as school year 2018-2019 officially opened. /vvp