Fuel Up with a Healthy Lunch
Keep your kids fuel up with a healthy lunch. Whether purchased at school or prepared at home, help your children make healthy choices. The midday meal provides energy for the second half of the school day. It’s also a nice time to remind kids how much they are loved!
If your children are regular hot lunch kids or occasionally eat school lunch, train them to make nutritious decisions. Post the school lunch menu. Allow kids to check it out to determine what they will choose. Talk about the lunch options. School lunches have gone through major updates with many healthier choices. Many schools have a standard lunch entree with a la carte items kids can add on if they choose. Discuss what additional items are okay and how much your child can spend on extra food and beverages. It’s amazing how quickly the lunch account can be depleted with extra items!
If your child is a brown bagger, here are a few tips to make lunch quick, easy, and nutritious. They can pack their own lunches or get a little help from Mom or Dad.
Hints for Healthy Bag Lunches
• Have items ready to go for lunch preparations. Keep brown bags and ZipLoc bags in a central location, both sandwich and snack-size. Or have an area for a lunchbox, thermos, containers, and an ice pack that fits into your child’s lunchbox.
• Good choices for lunches are lean meats and sliced cheeses for sandwiches. The old standby peanut butter and jelly is a great choice. (Because of the number of children with peanut allergies, check to see if it is allowed at your child’s school.) Whole grain breads, wraps, bagels, and crackers are healthy alternatives to white flour items.
• Add in fruits and veggies. Make vegetables more interesting by cutting carrots and celery into thin strips. Add spinach, spouts or a slice of onion to give a sandwich or wrap a crunch! Keep in mind, whole fruits are sometimes tough for kids to eat. Slice an apple, place it in a plastic bag or container, and sprinkle with orange or lemon juice to keep the fruit from turning brown. (OJ is sweeter and works just as well as lemon juice!) Clementines, oranges, and grapes are great lunch fruits, not easily squished in a backpack. Apple sauce and blended fruit sauces are healthy choices too.
• A frozen juice box, juice pouch or yogurt makes an instant ice pack. Keep them in the freezer, ready to go.
• Add a sweet ending. I realize dessert is not necessary after meals but a Hershey Kiss or bite-size candy is a sweet way to end lunchtime now and again. And if the treat is small enough, it won’t ruin your child’s appetite if it’s eaten as an appetizer!
• Adding a love note is a great way to connect with your child during the day. It’s nice to know someone you love is thinking about you during the long school day. Stick a Post-It Note® to a juice box or thermos with Bible verse or a message of encouragement. A quick, “I love you! Have a great day!” is sure to put a smile on your child’s face.
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
If you’ve been encouraged by this post, please take a moment to subscribe to the Faith First Parent e-newsletter, join in the conversation on the Facebook page or share the post with a friend.
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
If you’ve been encouraged by this post, please take a moment to subscribe to the Faith First Parent e-newsletter, join in the conversation on the Facebook page or share the post with a friend.
Photo by Michał Grosicki on Unsplash