Getting healthy food into your child's lunch can be challenge... especially foods that your child will eat.
Here is a few ways to get healthy foods in you children's lunch that they will actually eat.
- Pack fruit instead of vegetables. If trying to get your child to chow down on carrots and celery sticks won't work, try grapes, raspberries, sliced oranges, or sliced apples. Include a dip like vanilla yogurt or a nut butter mixed with honey.
- Buy a thermos. Left over soups, stews and chilis can make great, warm school lunches. Pack these with half a sandwich or whole-grain crackers and cheese.
- Make a healthy PB&J. Use all-natural peanut butter, all-fruit spread and whole-grain bread. This is more filling than the less healthy version. Change up the PB&J by trying different combinations: peanut butter and bananas, peanut butter and honey, or peanut butter and thinly sliced apples. Try low-fat cream cheese in the place of peanut butter.
- Avoid using mayonnaise and other similar dressings in your child's lunch. Besides the high fat and calorie content, they are a harbor for bacteria and could make you child sick.
- Whole grain crackers, cheese and turkey or ham. Healthier than the lunch packs at the store and probably cheaper too. Use a sectioned-off plate with a lid or small plastic containers to keep things separate until your child eats them.
- Make your child part of the lunch-making process. Ask them what they want; do not assume. Take your child to the store to give you input on what he or she would actually eat. Have your child help you assemble the lunches as well. This is a great way to teach your child about nutrition and healthy eating habits.
- Test out new lunch box recipes at home before they make it into the lunch pail.
- Forget drink boxes with sugary drinks. Even so called “100 percent juices” are packed with sugar. Water is the best lunch box drink.
- Add a special treat. If most of your child's lunch is healthy, it is fine to give them a favorite treat to look forward to. Try a snack or fun-size candy bar, pudding, a small cookie or a mini-muffin. If your child likes salty treats instead of sweet, try a small bag of chips, pretzels or roasted nuts.
- Check for allergy restrictions at your child's school. Many schools have banned peanut butter and other nut butters.
- Bonus tip: Research your child's school lunch program. While many kids only want to pack a lunch, school districts around the country (in the US) are revamping their school lunches. Changes such as banning soda and junk food, adding whole grains to pizza crusts, cutting fats, and having a salad bar included with every lunch are just a few changes many schools are making. Talk to your school district's nutritionists. You can usually get the contact information from the school's front office.
For more tips on helping your child eat healthier, click here.
The copyright of the article Packing a Nutritious School Lunch in Nutrition is owned by Samantha Rufle. Permission to republish Packing a Nutritious School Lunch in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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