Getting your kids to eat healthy at home is a challenge; getting them to eat healthy when you are not with them may seem impossible. School lunches offered in the cafeteria are often laden with extra sugary sides, french fries and even soda. Packing your kids lunches with bologna, cookies and fruit-flavored drinks, however, is not much of an upgrade. Fill their lunchboxes with healthy options that they want to eat but that also will provide them with the energy and nutrients they need for growth, optimal performance and energy.
Snack Lunch
Feed into kids' natural love of grazing and variety by packing a lunch of snacks. Put low-fat string cheese, a few slices of low-sodium ham, a handful of whole-wheat crackers, 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries, a small box of raisins and a low-fat pudding cup in for dessert. Provide a small box of milk, and choose flavored milk if your child is more likely to drink it. A study published in the April 2008 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" found that drinking either flavored or plain milk improves children's nutritional intake and does not contribute to weight gain.
Dippy Lunch
Pack a lunch of fun dips to make it fun for your child. Start with baby carrots and baked tortilla chips with a small container of hummus. Kids usually like the nutty flavor of the chickpea dip, and baked tortilla chips have 15 percent fewer calories and 70 percent less fat than fried versions. Include a fruit-flavored, low-sugar container of yogurt with strawberries and apple slices for dipping. Round out the meal with a box of 100 percent orange juice, which provides vitamin C and no added sugar.
Hot Lunch
Just because your child is bringing his lunch does not mean it has to be cold. Invest in a Thermos and fill it with his favorite hot-lunch foods. Purchase whole-wheat ravioli and cook before school. Put the hot pasta in the Thermos with warmed marinara sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. The ravioli provides energizing carbohydrates and fiber, while the marinara sauce is a source of vegetables. Remember to put a fork in the lunch box along with a banana and a few sheets of graham crackers for dessert.
Roll-Ups
Instead of your standard sandwich, pack turkey and cheese roll-ups in your child's lunchbox. Use two slices of whole-wheat bread and remove the crusts. Roll the bread with a rolling pin to 1/4-inch thickness. Place a slice of nitrate-free deli turkey on the bread and one low-fat, string-cheese stick. Roll up the slice of bread and secure with four toothpicks. Cut into four sections, between the toothpicks. The whole-wheat bread provides more fiber than plain white bread, and the turkey is a lean source of protein. The string cheese provides bone-building calcium. Include an unsweetened applesauce -- for sandwich dipping -- and a handful of trail mix made from raisins, dried cranberries and peanuts for dessert.
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