The minute we get relaxed and comfortable with our summer schedules, including late lunches on the porch or at the park, it hits again.
Back-to-school means parents must think about lunchboxes instead of sandboxes.
For the children who like to take lunch to school, parents must plan to make sure that what goes into the lunchbox provides children with the vitamins and minerals they need to grow and develop.
But if the child won’t eat it, it doesn’t matter how nutritious the lunch is. Parents have to make the two work together.
The key to packing a successful lunch is to allow the children to help pack, or let them pack within some parameters, said Sandra Bastin, associate extension professor at the University of Kentucky.
Bastin, a food and nutrition specialist, tells her children James, 12, and Victoria, 11, that they must include one fruit and vegetable (dip is permissible for fresh veggies), one dairy product (yogurt, cheese, milk) and a source of protein (peanut butter, meat, meat sticks, cheese).
“No sweets without prior approval. Consequently, they get really creative,” Bastin said.
“Of course, my responsibility is to have foods available, so I have a cabinet full of ravioli, soups, canned and dried fruits. The refrigerator has whatever fruits and vegetables are available. I always send extras of blueberries, cherries, homemade fruit roll-ups (flavored applesauce), kiwi, oranges, because invariably the other kids want to try them.
“My kids get tired of sandwiches, so we do a lot of wraps, whole-grain crackers, lettuce leaves. If I do a wrap with turkey, there’s either chopped-up lettuce, tomatoes or spinach. Any way I can add those fruits and vegetables, I do,” she said.
It’s important to have the right equipment to pack a lunch, she said. “If you send soup or spaghetti, it needs to be hot. If you send something perishable, it needs to be on ice. I spend a lot of time every year finding the right thermos or ice pack.”
Registered dietitian Tina Thompson said, “Children tend to eat their own lunches and are less likely to ‘swap’ if they are involved in the planning stages.”
Thompson suggests:
Take children to the grocery store and let them see, smell and feel new fruits to try. Consider dried foods as an alternative to fresh (plums, raisins, berries).
Allow children to help make their lunch by giving them two choices for each food group.
Allow a “treat” on occasion, but keep portions in mind. Serving sizes are based on adults rather than children.
Teach kids to look for color in lunches. “The more color, the more nutrients, usually,”
Thompson said.
Add a small note saying, “I love you,” or “Have a nice day.” For treats, pack stickers rather than candy, cookies or other foods with empty calories.
Use 100 percent fruit juice or water. Fruit “drinks” or “cocktails” are usually flavored sugar-water with few nutrients.
Let your children help make homemade cookies and muffins to include in lunches.
Try different breads to vary the sandwich: mini-bagels, whole-wheat tortillas, whole-wheat English muffins, pita pockets.
Thompson said there are several new products that are healthful choices when you need something quick to throw into the lunchbox.
“New products that I would consider healthier than other similar products are Meijer Lunch-Umms tuna wrap ($3.49), and Oscar Mayer Lunchables Chicken Dunks or BBQ Chicken Shake-up ($2.49 each),” she said.
The main ingredients in the lunch bag should be whole-grain products and fruits and vegetables, Thompson said.
According to the USDA, fewer than one in three consumers, especially children, meets daily intake goals for whole grains, based on the new USDA dietary guidelines and MyPyramid consumer food guide program.
Here are a few quick suggestions to liven up lunch fare:
Choose fruits that are easy to eat and not messy. Peel fruits that need it, and cut them into finger-sized pieces for younger children.
Vary the bread from plain sliced bread to raisin bread, pita pockets, dinner rolls, flour tortillas, or mini-bagels.
Rice cakes are a fun addition. Pack tuna salad, peanut butter or cheese spread in a separate container to be spooned on at lunchtime so the cakes don’t get soggy.
If your child likes cold pizza, send it for lunch. Pizza is not a bad choice.
Mini-muffins are the perfect size for kids’ lunches. Use your favorite recipe, but use smaller tins.
A thermos of hot soup is perfect for cold days.
Cut sandwiches into diamonds, triangles, rectangles or other fun shapes.
Make your own trail mix using your child’s favorite cereal, raisins, nuts and mini-pretzels. Toss in a few fruit gummies.
Send along naturally sweetened fruit cocktail in a container to mix with yogurt.
Mix cream cheese with raisins and a dash of honey to spread on graham crackers.
You don’t have to make a sandwich. Pack string cheese and ham sticks with a honey-mustard sauce for dipping.
Finger foods always go over well. Look over your favorite cold appetizer recipes with your child’s lunch in mind.
Granola bars and Fruit Newtons will satisfy a sweet tooth, but be sure to read labels. Some are not as healthful as you might think.
Mix shredded carrots with raisins, unflavored yogurt and a bit of honey for a crunchy salad.
Make fruit kabobs of cubes of favorite fruits using thin strips of celery for skewers.
Cut veggies into finger-food sizes, and accompany with seasoned cream cheese for dipping.
Low-fat microwave popcorn can be popped quickly and sent along.
Source: homecooking.about.com
Lunch pack lineup
Nitrite-free sliced deli meat (or meat alternative)
Organic or nondairy cheese slices
Small square or round crackers without hydrogenated oils (or rice crackers)
Organic fruited apple sauce or organic raisins
Substitutions:
Soy chocolate pudding for the applesauce
Grapes, sliced peaches, pineapple chunks or other fresh fruit for the applesauce
String cheese for the slices
Carrot sticks for the pickle
Grilled chicken chunks for the deli slices
Sesame sticks for the crackers and hummus dip for the applesauce
Little cookies for the crackers
Cherry tomatoes for the pickle
Celery sticks for the pickle and natural ranch dip for the applesauce
Supplies:
Square shallow “large sandwich size” resealable plastic container
Small “condiment size” resealable plastic container
Plastic spoon (if using applesauce)
Colorful cocktail-size napkin
A fun personal note or a joke or cartoon on a slip of paper
Cut a deli slice and a slice of cheese each into four squares of equal size.
Stack deli meat in one corner and cheese in another corner of the square container. Stack 4-6 crackers in a third corner. Place the little cup of applesauce or raisins in the final corner. If there’s room for a pickle in a zipper bag, put that in the middle. Add the spoon, then top with the colorful napkin. Place the note or joke or cartoon on top. Seal and refrigerate.
