Yeah, it’s September now and that means school is soon upon us. With school comes, homework, practices and of course, lunches. With obesity being such a prevalent problem in America these days, packing a nutritious lunch is the first step in establishing a healthy diet for the rest of their lives.
Consumer Reports recently published a very good article with some tips on packing the perfect lunch. Here are some of them that will get you on the right track. There are plenty of resources available online that can give you more specific menus but these are just some guidlines to start with.
Avoid lunch meats
Most lunch meats contain a lot of sodium and fats. Bologna, salami and pastrami are a good example of these. If you must use these meats, buy the prepacked meats. They can come leaner and with less sodium.
ALWAYS with fruits and vegetables
The average kid does not get their daily supply of fruits and vegetables and it is up to you to make sure that they do. With every lunch they should have at least one serving of each.
- Carrots and celery sticks are an excellent snack item and a perfect source of nutrition. Pack with a low-fat dressing or dip. These can be bought at the store in prepackaged containers or can simply be chopped by hand.
- For sandwiches, add some red or green leaf lettuce. Iceberg lettuce should not be used
- Apples can be so boring. They are the Go To fruit for snacking. Get something different. Try grapes, pineapple chunks, mangos, cherries, something that is different from what you got as a kid (but always wanted).
- Dried fruits are an excellent alternative and can be easier to snack on.
- Nuts provide a good source of vitamin E and omega 3’s
- Muffin recipes can often be altered to include fruits and vegetables, try that for a sneaky source of vitamins in them.
Get rid of leftovers
You know all that leftover pasta, meatloaf or chicken that will just end up sitting in your fridge for days until you throw it away? Well throw it in some containers and put it in their lunch. They don’t always need a sandwich, try some pasta for variety.
No more soda!
Many schools have stopped supplying soda machines all together because of it’s lack of nutritional benefit. Follow suit. If you child can buy soda’s at school, encourage them not to, don’t give them the money, give them juice, water or milk instead.
Portion Controlled Snacks
We all have sweet tooths from time to time and your child deserves something sweet in their day. 100 calorie snack packages of baked or whole grain sweeter treats can be found. This will ensure that while not everything is 100% healthy, they will at least not over eat the unhealthy stuff. Try unsalted pretzels, yogurt, gingersnap cookies, string cheese or some unsalted popcorn.
Packing it
Packaging the lunch is just as important to health as what’s in it.
- Wash your hands before you prepare the lunch and make sure to remind them to wash theirs when it is lunch time
- Keep hot foods hot and cold food cold; if the lunch includes perishable items, make sure that a cold pack is included so the items don’t turn sour. On the flip side, some foods need to stay warms, use insulated containers and bags.
- Wash lunchboxes daily, bacteria and germs can reside in these containers after repeated use.
- Make sure your child doesn’t store their lunch in a warm place to avoid foods turning bad.
Unfortunately if your child buys their lunch in the cafeteria it may be a little harder to make sure they eat properly. But most schools have established a Healthy Guidlines menu and you can hope your child learns to buy the good things.
Soon you will be packing lunches in the late hours or bright and early in the morning, either way, knowing that your child has a nutritious lunch that they will actually eat. I can’t promise that there won’t be a popular items on the trading block though.
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