Seven Tips for a Healthy School Lunch

Seven Tips for a Healthy School Lunch

by | Aug 16, 2017

Jazz up traditional peanut butter sandwiches with raisins or carrot straws.

Now that school is back in session, are your struggling to find healthy and safe lunches to pack?  Do you cringe with every peanut butter and jelly sandwich you make?  If you are like me, finding healthy lunch time meals that are packed with nutrition, offer some variety, and won’t end up in the trash requires planning, creativity, and lots of energy!

  1. Get children involved! Even young school-age children can help make their own lunch.  Give children healthy choices and let them decide lunch menus.  Children may be more willing to eat the food you pack if they have been involved in the process.
  2. Dunk it and dip it. Children love finger foods they can dip.  Serve raw vegetables with hummus or fresh fruit with yogurt.
  3. Offer some “fun foods.” Let children choose some low-calorie fun foods.  Healthy or low-calorie options for the sweet or crunchy tooth include pretzels, plain popcorn, mini rice cakes, low-fat pudding, a miniature chocolate bar, or a rice crispy treat.
  4. Jazz up boring favorites. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a nutritious favorite.  Liven them up with carrot straws or raisins.  Add color and nutrition to sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, or sliced vegetables.
  5. Keep lunches safe. Make sandwiches the night before and freeze them.  Freeze juice boxes or water bottles to keep foods cool and for a cool lunchtime beverage.  Experiment to be sure there is enough time before lunch for the items to thaw.
  6. Re-think leftovers. Even if children don’t have access to a microwave to reheat food from last night’s dinner, some leftovers work for lunch, too. Try cold pizza, meat sliced for a sandwich, or pasta salad.
  7. Skip the fuss and sign up for the National School Lunch Program. While some schools may offer free and reduced-price lunches to eligible families, the school lunch program is for everyone.  School lunches provide low cost, balanced meals that follow USDA dietary guidelines.  Take a break from packing lunch and check out your school’s lunch menu.

Turkey Rolls:
2 flour tortillas
2 tsp mayonnaise
2 slices thinly sliced deli turkey
½ cup shredded lettuce
2 Tbsp shredded cheese, any type

Lay out tortillas. Spread with mayonnaise. Layer turkey slice, lettuce and cheese onto tortillas. Roll up and wrap. Makes 2 servings.

One serving provides 218 calories, 9 g total fat, 20 g carbohydrate and 14 g protein.
Exchanges – 1 bread, 2 meats, 2 fats.

Recipe source:  Janis G. Hunter, HGIC Nutrition Specialist, and Katherine L. Cason, Professor, Department of Food, Nutrition, and Packaging Sciences, Clemson University, New 08/08. Revised 09/11. Image added 8/15.  HGIC 4114

 

Are You Packing?

Are You Packing?

by | Sep 6, 2014

Use colorful foods and interesting shapes to make lunches fun! Photo credit: Jen Bradshaw

Use colorful foods and interesting shapes to make lunches fun!
Photo credit: Jen Bradshaw

Lunch, that is. Yes, it’s back to school time. Whether the words “back to school” make you happy or sad, it is that time of year. One thing we can agree on, though, is that a healthy, safe, attractive lunch our kids will actually eat makes everyone happy. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re packing school lunches this year.

Healthy – Be sure to use foods from all five food groups:

  • Fruits and Vegetables – Just like MyPlate, try to fill up half the lunchbox with fruits and veggies. Buy in season to be more economical. Use fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced. All forms count. A variety of fruits and vegetables looks more appealing and adds loads of nutrients.
  • Grains – a variety of breads, tortillas, pitas, crackers, popcorn, rice, etc. – try to make at least half your grains whole to get the healthiest benefits.
  • Lean proteins – turkey breast, tuna in water, peanut butter, and bean dip are all healthy choices.
  • Low- or no-fat dairy – provide everything they need to make a parfait – low- or no-fat yogurt with a couple of drops of vanilla, fruit, and low-fat granola. A thermos of milk or a string cheese stick works great.

Safe – Keep cold foods like lunch meat and yogurt cold by adding freezer gel packs to the lunch box. Keep hot food, like soup, hot by using an insulated container in an insulated lunch box. For more information on safely packing food to be eaten later, check out http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/resource-library/food-safety/packing-food-safely

Attractive and Fun – Create a theme in the lunchbox. Try: a rainbow of colors, a favorite sport, the circus, shapes, animals, things that are crunchy, or all the foods from a certain country. Cut sandwiches into shapes using cookie cutters. Since we eat with our eyes, use fun containers of different colors and shapes to hold food. Put in chopsticks, straws, and napkins with fun designs for something different. Get the kids to help you. They’re a pretty creative bunch if you give them the chance. And most kids who help make their own meal are proven to be better eaters. And whenever you can, include special notes to let them know you care.

Are you getting ready to start packing lunches? Make them healthy, safe, and fun. You and the kids will both be so glad you did. For additional information on packing lunches, contact your local Extension Office.