When faced with the lunch line in his school, your teen could make unhealthy choices based on what's available to him. If pizza, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and hot dogs are the most popular choices, your teen could gain weight due to fried, salty, fatty and sugary cafeteria offerings. By offering the option to pack lunches, your teen has greater choice and control over what he puts into his body at lunchtime, especially if you present ideas that are both healthy and delicious.
The Case for Packed Lunches
If your teen is concerned about his weight, a packed lunch could help him become more conscious of his caloric intake at school. While your teen might not regularly think about how his lunchtime habits affect him, point out that while cafeterias offer healthy choices, it's difficult to make those choices when less-healthy junk foods are also readily available. Tell your teen that by taking a packed lunch to school, he reduces his overall caloric intake while ensuring that he eats foods that are more nutritionally dense to power his mind and body throughout the day.
Drinks
When it comes to bringing healthy hydration to school, water is king. Water is calorie-free, readily available and is even acceptable in most classes, but check with your teen's school administration first. By sending your teen with an aluminum refillable water bottle, you ensure he always has the best choice on hand. With a water bottle in his backpack, he'll be less likely to make a stop for soda, sugary juice or sports drinks at the school vending machine come lunchtime. Water doesn't add to his caloric intake and helps him stay properly hydrated throughout the day.
Snacks and Sides
The sides that your teen takes with him to eat during lunch do double duty. While your teen might eat them during lunchtime, he can also save them to eat between classes when he needs a snack. Therefore, super-portable snacks and sides are best, such as a packet of almonds, a low-sugar granola bar or a piece of fruit. If he has more time to eat lunch and prefers to eat his sides with the rest of his food, vegetables and hummus or a cheese stick and a few pieces of beef jerky help to keep his calorie count low and his satisfaction and nutrient intake high. With the proper snacks on hand, your teen doesn't need to rely on candy bars and cookies.
Entrees
When your teen is packing a lunch on a daily basis, sandwiches don't always cut it. While a whole wheat sandwich with lean meats and low-fat cheese is a sensible choice, your teen could get bored of the same old and begin resorting to cafeteria fare. Instead, load up your fridge with low-cal, low-fat options that put the choice into your teen's hands. Entrees such as tortilla wraps, soups in insulated thermoses, tuna and wheat crackers and leftovers from the previous night's dinner make lunchtime less boring so he's actually motivated to eat the food rather than trashing it in favor of the fast food many of his peers enjoy.
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