Here we go again. It’s Sunday night, and you’re staring into the fridge with glazed-over eyes. Ham and cheese? Peanut butter and jelly? You don’t have the energy to chop vegetables for a salad, and you’re not sure they’d eat it even if you did.
You wonder how many school lunches you’ve packed already, and think about all the ones staring you down this school year. Nine months of school means 150 lunches you have to plan, prepare and pack. And on top of that, you’re trying to make sure your kids actually eat healthy food that fills them up, gives them energy and helps them stay focused. Instead of giving up and giving them pre-packaged junk, mix up your routine with some new ideas—kid-friendly food that will be easy to make, and won’t find it’s way back into the lunchbox, or the trash.
Shake-Your-Own Nachos
Kids love nachos, and your pre-teen or teen will get the nutrients he needs with this dietitian-approved setup.
Place chips in a container with a lid. Put salsa in a separate small container, and pack cheese, lettuce and other toppings separately. At lunchtime, pour the salsa over the chips, then shake out the cheese and toppings. Pack extra napkins! Low in fat and sugar, this meal provides vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and calcium.
Source: Registered dietitian Helen Abbott, Perry County Memorial Hospital, Perryville, Mo.
Out-of-This-World Ideas
As a farmer at La Vista CSA Farm in Godfrey, Ill., mom Crystal Stevens understands how important a good lunch is for her two young children, and she has to get extra creative for her vegetarian family. Three-year-old Iris isn’t in school yet, but a typical packed lunch for her 9-year-old son, Cayan, includes an avocado, cheese and spinach sandwich on tapioca bread with Vegenaise, a vegan mayo alternative. “We also like endive boats with hummus, beans and veggies, such as shredded carrots,” Stevens says.
Cayan carries his midday meal in a Planet Box lunchbox (above), a small metallic carrier with segmented containers that Stevens says help with portion control, and organization. “It helps to have compartments,” she says. “There’s no need to search for containers or lids daily.” When sending snacks, Stevens has a few trusty sidekicks:
Nutty Bites
Instead of packaged cookies, try making these coconut chocolate macaroons that are a favorite in the Stevens household.
Mix all ingredients in a food processor until a ball is formed, and spinning inside of the food processor. Roll into bite-size balls and keep refrigerated.
Veggie Noodles
Fresh veggies make this a healthier alternative to boxed pasta salads. There are about 200 calories in 1 cup.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. When pasta cools, add the veggies, dressing and feta cheese. Cover and chill in the refrigerator. Best served chilled, so if taking to school or work, include a frozen drink. When lunchtime comes around, the drink will have thawed and your lunch will be cool.
Source: Registered dietitian Joy Vaught, Lourdes Hospital, Paducah, KY
Gobble Pocket
Stuff a pita pocket for this fun twist on a typical turkey sandwich. This sandwich provides 25 grams of protein, and, at 360 calories for one wrap, has about 100 fewer calories than the average school lunch entree of hot dogs or chicken nuggets.
Cut pita pocket in half. Put two slices of turkey in each half and 1⁄2 of the cheese slice in each pita half. Add 4 cucumber slices, 1⁄2 cup of spinach and 1⁄4 cup of tomatoes in each half. Pair with fresh pineapple and carrot sticks for a complete meal.
Source: Registered dietitian Jessica Off, St. Vincent Hospitals, Indianapolis
What Little Dippers Love
When Cara Ardelean’s two elementary-age children, Grace and Alex above beg for store-bought Lunchables, she sends them to school with whole grain crackers, low-fat cheese and slices of nitrate-free and nitrite-free lunchmeat to assemble at lunch. To round out the meal, the Washington Township, Mich., schoolteacher makes a healthier version of ranch dip for them to eat with fresh vegetables.
Ardelean’s dip tactic is right on, says Kelly Houston, a registered dietitian at Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton, Ill. She says dips pull kids in with an interactive, tactile approach to snacking. “Kids love to dip their food,” Houston says. “So adding a healthy dip like hummus or nut butter can improve their intake of healthful foods, and decrease the likelihood that food will be traded, or end up in the garbage.”
And since they can dip just about any raw veggie—celery sticks, carrot coins, cucumber moons or slices of red, orange or yellow peppers—it’s a chance to give picky eaters a choice when you can: “Would you like carrot sticks or cherry tomatoes in your lunch?”
To create the dip, Ardelean mixes her homemade seasoning with plain Greek yogurt, and says her kids don’t notice the difference. “Using plain Greek yogurt ups the protein without giving up the flavor,” Ardelean says.
Homemade Ranch Dip
Stir 1 tablespoon of this seasoning mix into 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt. Store the remainder to make fresh dip anytime.
Don’t Let Lunch Become a Hot Mess
A kid’s lunch sits for at least a few hours before it’s eaten. A study in the journal Pediatrics found that, even with multiple ice packs, more than 90% of food items included in school lunches were at unsafe temperatures by lunchtime. To avoid food poisoning, follow some basic guidelines.
Chicken Mix-Up
This salad is ideal for teens. The protein in the chicken and yogurt help them feel full longer.
Combine all ingredients. Serve with low-fat crackers, in a wrap or on whole-wheat pita bread.
Source: Registered dietitian Michelle McCormick, Carbondale Memorial Hospital, Carbondale, Ill.
Mix and Match
Kids like creative combos, so swap around their favorites. Try pretzels with peanut butter. Why not turkey and grapes? Apples and hummus. Ask them to come up with interesting mixes, and they’ll be throwing open their lunchbox in anticipation of their unique creation.
Long-ago Lunches
This is a school lunch menu from 1917, as actually served by the School Lunch Committee of the Home and School League (We’re not sure where they got the name, either.) in Philadelphia. Students could buy a “1-cent lunch” or a “5-cent dinner.” For 2 cents more, they could get cocoa or milk.
Source: Foodtimeline.org
Above-board Bites
By most accounts, school lunches are healthier since the USDA initiated school lunch reforms several years ago. According to a 2012 School Nutrition Dietary Assessment study, 85% of all schools offered lunches that met or exceeded the standards for the School Meals Initiative target nutrients—protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron. Grains are now whole grains, and schools must serve a prescribed amount of dark green, red or orange and starchy vegetables throughout the week.
Crunch Up Lunch!
For a quick lunchbox treat, try Strawberry Crunchies, says registered dietitian Helen Abbott, in Perryville, Mo. Dip whole strawberries into yogurt, then roll them in whole grain cereal.
5 Snacks to Stash
Teenagers are unpredictable. They often don’t eat breakfast, and they might even skip lunch. This adds up to bad news for their concentration during class, and it can be doubly troubling for young athletes on their way to practice and other teens staying after school for clubs. Give them some snacks loaded with protein that they can keep in their locker, to grab for quick energy on their way to something fun. Portion them in zipper bags for easy grabbing.
A Pressing Issue: Putting an end to vending machine junk
A sensible diet definitely includes healthy snacks, especially for growing children and active teens who benefit from a between-meals nibble. To encourage better snacking, school vending machine snacks must follow new USDA Smart Snacks in School guidelines, part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Smart Snacks in School standards limit two components—ingredients and calories. A snack must have no more than:
Soda is out. During school hours, all students, regardless of grade level, are limited to plain water, low-fat milk and full-strength fruit or vegetable juices, or full-strength fruit or vegetable juices diluted with water. Older kids can have 12 fluid ounces, while elementary students are limited to 8 fluid ounces. How does this snack swap stack up in real life? Here’s an example: Your kid might now eat a 4-ounce fruit cup with 100% juice, containing 68 calories, instead of a 2.2-ounce package of fruit flavored candy with 249 calories, 177 of them empty.
