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Lunch
Back to Meals &
Snacks
Pack a Lunch with Punch!
You are into the school year, and things are starting to set into the
routine. But are you still thinking, "OK, what am I gong to pack in
their lunch today?" Whether you are talking about preschool or high
school, the question of what to send to school for kids always comes
up. Fear not! Helping busy kids eat healthy at school is easier than
you think.
Lunchtime munchies?
Have you ever thought about what is really going in your kid's
lunch? In recent years, we have come to rely more on convenience foods
and pre-packaged meals than ever before. But these packaged foods are
often high in salt, sugar, calories, and low in vitamins and minerals.
Consider this
..
- children typically eat 5-10 times more sodium than they need
- packaged oriental noodles with dry soup mix - are deep fried in
palm oil, which contains saturated fat, high amounts of salt
(sodium?), almost no fibre, vitamins or minerals
- bologna, pepperoni, and other fatty luncheon meats are also
loaded with salt, fat, and have little protein, vitamins or minerals
- some juice boxes that are fruit "drinks", "punch", and
"cocktail" may have no more than 10% real fruit juice and are loaded
with sugar. Think of them as soft drinks disguised as juice.
- pre-packaged "make-your-own sandwich" packs get 2/3 of their
calories from fat and sugar
Short on time?
Pulling lunch together in a hurry is often the biggest challenge.
Try doing a weekly lunch menu. On Sunday night, plan school lunches for
the next week with your child. Children tend to eat healthier if they
have had a say in what is offered to them. This way, you avoid making
last-minute, unhealthy food choices that are low in nutrients. Try
packing lunch the night before to avoid the mad rush in the morning.
So what can you pack in a kid's school
lunch?
- try building your own "make-your-own sandwich" pack - buy a
re-usable foodsaver with compartments and pack it with vegetables,
meat (i.e., sliced turkey, roast beef, or ham), cheese, and include
some whole grain bread. Kids love the compartments and the idea of
building their own lunch
- include at least one serving of fruit in each lunch
- sneak vegetables into sandwiches, such as spinach, green pepper,
and tomato
- pack pretzels, dry cereal (i.e Cheerios, Shreddies, and Corn
Flakes), or breadsticks into lunch instead of chips
- bagels, english muffins, and multigrain bread are great choices
for sandwiches; or you can try soft tortilla shells to "wrap" a
sandwich
- pasta salad and potato salad with added vegetables and cheese
- raw vegetable sticks with some salad dressing or fruit pieces
with some yogurt for dip
- tuna salad, egg, salad, or chicken salad sandwich - or if they
prefer to dip crackers in the filling, that's OK too!
- fill a thermos with casseroles, soups, pasta or other hot dishes
- try putting previously rejected foods in interesting containers
- colorful foodsavers or very small baggies - it may make it seem
like a different food altogether
- don't forget an ice pack to keep cold foods cold, or a thermos
to keep hot foods hot. Short on ice packs? Try an "edible ice
pack" - freeze an orange and use it as the ice pack - by the time
lunch rolls around, the orange will be thawed out and lunch will
still be cold
Lunch Ideas for Children
Lunchtime Survivor: Ideas for Adults
What if my child will not eat what I pack for
lunch?
Sometimes children will not eat an entire lunch packaged for them.
Especially with younger children, a large lunch may seem like too much
for them to handle. If you present lunch as a variety of snack foods
(healthy ones of course!), then children may be more interested in
eating smaller amounts of various foods. Experiment with foods smaller
in size and smaller in quantity.
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