As summer comes to an end, children are getting back to school and the big dilemma isn’t how your child is going to spend their time, it’s what they are going to eat for lunch.
Most parents want their children to eat healthy, nutritious food that fuels bodies and brains. Surprising this is a difficult task when children are craving unhealthy sweet and salty foods.
Most lunches sold by schools aim for nutritious options but should be treated with caution. Many of the meals are loaded with carbohydrates and sugar and lack healthy vitamins and protein. Many children choose the pancakes, cereal and pizza over fruit, yogurt and protein options. Few children ever choose the hummus and vegetables, but mini pancake and French toast days are a hit.
Knowing that your child is going to choose an unhealthy lunch at school means parents should limit the number of times your child eats a school lunch; perhaps no more than once a week.
But don’t fret. There are many healthy, tasty food choices for parents to pack in lunches. Since school lunches can cost up to $3 per day, making your own lunches can also save you money over the long haul.
The key to filling bellies is to offer your child lots of choices and combine small parcels of food to make a complete meal. Each meal should have a main course, side dish and snack for either the morning or afternoon or both.
Depending on your child’s tastes, preferences and allergies, there are a variety of main dishes you can choose.
- Peanut butter/peanut butter and banana sandwich
- Cheese stick/ crackers
- Ham sandwich/roll up ham with no bread
- Whole wheat frozen waffles toasted with plain cream cheese.
- Pita pocket stuffed with grilled chicken/lettuce/shredded cheese/tomato
There are lots of side dishes to choose to highlight your main dish. This is the opportunity to include vegetables and fruit. Chop up in-season fruit even in the winter.
- Cucumber/celery/carrot with ranch dip
- Grapes/chopped melon/peach
- Orange slices
- Apple sauce
Snacks are essential to a kid’s diet. In many classes a mid-morning snack will have to consist of a fruit or vegetable, so choose from the side dish menu. But there are other snacks that are tasty and fun to eat.
- Skinny Pop popcorn
- Mixed nuts/pistachios
- Raisins/dried fruit
While your child will be thirsty throughout the day, she’s often hard pressed to find a water fountain. Have your child bring a water bottle to class so that she’s well hydrated while she’s learning. At lunch, students can buy milk or chocolate milk at the cafeteria, but parents are often sucked into giving their children drink/juice boxes, which are the equivalent of eating a candy bar or drinking a can of pop when the amount of sugar is considered. Instead, choose flavored water in small drink bags that fit comfortably in a lunch box.