Getting that school lunch bag ready for your child can prove to be more of a challenge than you think. The menu has to be portable, nutritious, appealing to kids, easy to prepare and safe to eat. It also needs to be different from day to day. You can’t keep bagging the same stuff.
A recent survey of 2,000 households in Port Washington, N.Y., found that 74 percent of all box lunches for school include a sandwich. Peanut butter and jelly tops the list. The survey also found that 70 percent pack chips or pretzels, and that 59 percent include a fruit, such as an apple, and a fruit drink.
Sounds pretty boring doesn’t it, you can shake things up and improve your chance of not having your child’s lunch traded or tossed by including your child in the lunch-making process. Children should get involved in preparing their school lunch, yet you the parent and your child should agree on what goes in it: Protein, grains, at least one fruit and vegetable and a dairy or non-dairy food, if your child doesn’t drink the school’s milk.
Having your children get involved serves two purposes. When your child is involved in the lunch packing planning and process, they will be educated as to what goes into preparing a balanced meal and are they are more likely to eat it because they helped make it. To avoid processed high calorie/high fat foods, do not keep them in the house so they will not be an option. For a hot lunch, fill a Thermos with soup or leftovers.
How can we jazz up kid’s lunches?
Finger foods are the most kid-friendly, like sandwiches, sandwich wraps or even cracker sandwiches. It is important to incorporate whole grains when choosing breads, tortillas and crackers, or even the “white” breads that contain whole grains.
Include lean sliced meats like turkey, ham, chicken, roast beef and a slice of 2 percent milk cheese or a non dairy cheese slice if your child is lactose intolerant. Limit the lunch meat due to salt and fat. To keep the sandwich moist use mustard instead of mayonnaise as it decreases the fat content.
Add more protein to keep children sustained during the afternoon classes. Peanut butter, sunflower butter or almond butter and jelly is an old standby, but it does provide good protein.
Always wash fruits and vegetables before packing them in a lunch. Try apples, “easy to peel” clementines, grapes, raisins, bananas, or the unsweetened individual fruit cups like peaches, pears and mandarin oranges all provide good nutrition. A large can of unsweetened fruit can be repackaged into four small servings. Pack a vegetable, even if it’s only a few baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, red pepper slices or celery sticks.
If your child doesn’t drink the school milk, then include a yogurt or cheese sticks or non-dairy cheese stick; these too are good sources of calcium. Whole grain vanilla wafers or graham crackers are good if a dessert is needed. Other lunch ideas are cottage cheese, plus or minus fruit, cheese cubes and fruit, low-fat yogurt or yogurt smoothie, baked chips or pretzels or popcorn.
What foods should be avoided?
Foods that need to be hot or cold without adequate storage, avoid regular chips, soda pop, mayonnaise, fried foods, candy and high-calorie desserts, such as cake, pie and cookies.
Perishable foods shouldn’t be left out of refrigeration more than two hours. It’s always a good idea to use insulated lunch bags with an ice pack to keep foods cold. Using a frozen bottle of water can double as an ice pack and a cool drink later. If no refrigeration or ice pack is available, stick with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, fresh or dried fruit and dry cracker/trail mix snacks.
How can we make fruits & vegetables fun?
A small container of peanut butter or ranch dip may entice your child to eat more fresh carrots or celery. If your child was involved in growing a garden with tomatoes, cucumbers or broccoli, it provides a fun option to include those vegetables in their lunch. Kids enjoy different shapes and sizes. Try cutting up carrot sticks with a French fry cutter for a zig-zag shape. Make faces and designs with vegetables and fruit.
Take the child shopping and let them pick out some vegetables. Plant a garden and let the child help. Keep a plastic bag with carrots, celery and green/red pepper slices at eye level in the fridge. Add vegetables to casseroles, pasta dishes.
Try rolling a banana in peanut butter and cereal. Serve celery with peanut butter and raisins. Make a veggie pizza or a baked potato with broccoli and cheese, or their choice of topping.
Make a homemade trail mix that includes dried fruit, nuts, seeds, and dry cereal.
Have fun and get creative when children and adults eat whole foods they have more energy, they are more focused and less stressed out.
References:
- Dietitian, Heather Boline, with Freeman Health System
- Dietitian Laura Vinyard, with St. John’s Regional Medical Center
- Joplin Globe, Joplin MO
Follow Us