Packing Healthful School Lunches

Do your kids eat healthful foods at school? Too often, students bypass a well-balanced lunch for soda and chips from a vending machine, or choose school-provided hot lunches high in fat, sodium or other bad substances.

Parents can take charge of their child’s nutrition by packing a lunch, at least a few days each week.

To build a nutritious lunch, experts urge you to simply remember “ABC.” Foods rich in vitamins A, B and C should be part of every meal. The “C” in ABC also stands for calcium, another important nutrient.

Foods rich in these nutrients also tend to contain healthy amounts of other important substances, such as vitamin D, iron, protein and carbohydrates.

Certain foods are especially good sources of these nutrients. They include:

Vitamin A. Deep yellow and deep orange fruits and vegetables. These include carrots, apricots and cantaloupes.


Vitamin B. Whole grains, meat, nuts and seeds.


Vitamin C. Citrus fruits and juices.


Calcium. Low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt. As a bonus, foods rich in calcium also tend to provide protein and vitamin D to the diet.
Generally, it is better to prepare and bake your own foods rather than rely on prepackaged lunches, which tend to be less nutritious and more expensive.

Getting Your Child Involved

Despite a parent’s best efforts, some children balk at eating healthful lunches. Your children are more likely to eat a nutrient-packed lunch if they are involved in the process of choosing the food.

Ask about preferred meals and snacks. If your child loves peanut butter and jelly, make it a lunch mainstay. Encourage your child to suggest favorite fruits, soups, vegetables and other foods.

In some cases, you may need to make compromises. For a child who refuses to eat turkey sandwiches without mayonnaise, agree to add a thin swath of low-fat mayo to the sandwich bread.

If your child will absolutely D-I-E without dessert, bake something relatively healthful – such as oatmeal cookies with raisins and sunflower seeds.

Play It Safe

Ironically, the decision to pack a healthful lunch can actually make a child sick if you forget to remember food safety. Taking necessary precautions can help reduce the risk of exposing your child to harmful bacteria.

During preparation, use clean utensils and cutting boards washed with hot, soapy water. Do not slice meats and other unlike items (such as vegetables and breads) on the same cutting board unless you wash it between items.

When packing a lunch, remember to keep items requiring refrigeration cold and hot foods insulated. Cold packs and small coolers can be used to store meats, salad, yogurt and other foods cool. Encourage your child to put cold items in a school refrigerator if it is available.

Meanwhile, use a thermos to keep soup, chili, stew and other foods hot. For extra protection, fill the thermos with boiling water and let it stand for a few minutes before emptying it. Then, immediately fill with the hot food and seal the container until lunchtime.

Items that generally do not require refrigeration or heating include:

Breads
Canned meat and fish
Chips
Crackers
Fruits
Hard cheeses
Jelly
Mustard
Peanut butter
Pickles
Vegetables

If your child uses a lunch box, make sure to wash it in soapy water after each use. Do not use paper bags more than once. A soft-sided, reusable lunch bag is a better alternative.

Finally, encourage your children to watch their hands before and after eating. Providing moist towelettes may make them more likely to wash up.

Via healthysteps.health.ivillage.com

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