Packing Healthy Lunches Kids Will Actually Eat by Jill Shaffer RD

Packing Healthy Lunches Kids Will Actually Eat

by Jill Shaffer RD

Sounds like an easy task, but many parents struggle to find the right mix of foods their child will actually eat and not throw away or bring back home. The goal is to provide some healthy nourishment for your child every day at school while preventing “meal fatigue,” and continuing to build healthy eating habits.

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, call for increasing intake of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, and choosing a variety of protein foods, as part of a healthy eating pattern. These foods are referred to as nutrient dense and all can be incorporated into the brown bag in three easy steps.

The first step is packing what your child actually likes to eat. If you’re unsure, simply ask. Having your child accompany you to the grocery store helps them come up with their own ideas and prompts conversations about food preferences and good nutrition. This method is especially good for a child who usually shrugs their shoulders when asked what they want for lunch.   Another insightful question is who they would like to receive a lunch trade from and why.

The second step is to construct a few different lunch menus. It’s important to think out of the box a bit when choosing foods. As long as you have some healthy ingredients don’t stress about not making complete “meal sense.” Sending in a piece of fruit, a nut butter, whole grain crackers and some money for a carton of milk and a snack works just fine. Wrapping up the chicken fajita filling from last night’s dinner with some blue corn chips and a yogurt with some granola to crunch might have some appeal too. The third step is to carve out some time to pack the lunch. Our household packs our lunches in the evening after dinner. This avoids the time crunch in the morning and eliminates the potential lateness, drives and drop offs to school. When my kids were old enough and ready to make their own lunches, I let them with some gentle supervision.

Here are some tried and true ideas and a guide to planning some healthy lunches. Mix and match to create new options.

Jill Shaffer RD is nutrition therapist in private practice in Pennington New Jersey. She treats children, adolescents, and adults with eating and weight problems, including eating disorders. Contact Jill at 609-818-0020 or jifs411@aol.com.

Also visit her website at www.changethemessage.com                                     

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