Tips for packing school lunches

It’s Monday morning, and it’s time to start the week off with a ritual shared by millions of parents all across the country; packing your child’s school lunch.  You want to do a good job, and create a nutritious, well-balanced meal that will be the envy of every child in the cafeteria.  But you also know that your child is a picky eater, and you worry that the lunch may be traded or end up in the garbage can.  What’s a parent to do?  Relax.  Packing a school lunch that your child enjoys and that meets his nutritional requirements is as easy as ABC.  All it takes is a little planning, some imagination, and feedback from your child.

Planning is Key

“The first step in planning any school lunch should always be to ask a child what he or she wants to eat,” says Heidi Kecskemethy, a pediatric dietician.  “Children tend to eat healthier if they have a say in preparing a meal.”  To make the planning process go smoothly for both parent and child, consider employing a weekly school lunch menu.  This avoids the morning panic of “What do I pack today?” and also ensures that you have all the necessary ingredients on hand in your kitchen.  It also prevents you and your child from choosing last-minute, unhealthy lunch choices.

What kids eat for lunch matters to their health.  Federal surveys show that children get about one third of their daily calories at lunch.  And kids raised on sugar, fat, and salt are getting fatter these days.  The percentage of obese children has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, and childhood obesity may be a risk factor for heart, circulatory, and other health problems in adulthood.  Always refer to the Food Guide Pyramid put out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for nutrition recommendations for children ages 3 and older.

Healthy Lunch Suggestions

Some healthy suggestions to include in your child’s school lunches include:

Lunch

• Bagels, rolls, pita pockets, English muffins, raisin or multigrain bread are healthy bases for a nutritious lunch.  You can vary the type of bread you use each day to make it interesting and appealing.  Cut the bread into a fun shape with cookie cutters, such as a star or a triangle, for a change of pace.
• Pasta salad is another option.  Use fun-shaped and colored pasta, such as small shells, wagon wheels, or ABCs.
• Chicken, tuna, or egg salad is packed with protein.  Serve it in pita bread or in a small cup or container (and remember to go light on the mayo).
• Luncheon meats, such as lean cuts of ham, roast beef, or turkey are favorites with kids.  Have the deli give you thick slices instead of thin ones, and then cut them into animal images with a cookie cutter.  You and your child can experiment with making these deli animals the night before.
• Make old standbys with a new twist.  A plain peanut butter and jelly sandwich will excite kids when it’s jazzed up with raisins and granola.
• Raw vegetables can be appealing when served in the right manner.  For example, serve celery sticks cut into small pieces and filled with peanut butter.  Or around the holidays, include slices of green and red peppers.  Try making a crunchy caterpillar by alternating carrot and zucchini rounds on a toothpick.  A radish can be used at the head and round cereal can be used for the eyes (a dab of cream cheese can be used for the “glue” to hold it together).  You can also use “fill” vegetables – lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and peppers – in sandwiches to help your kids get the necessary amount of vegetable servings every day.
• Love goes a long way in making lunch yummy.  Hide a special note or card in your child’s lunch box, telling your child how much you love him and how special he is to you.  It’s a guaranteed self-esteem booster, and it will give your child the extra confidence he needs to get through a test or a difficult subject in school.

 Beverages

When it comes to selecting a beverage, milk is recommended by Kecskemethy.  “It doesn’t matter if it’s white or chocolate milk,” she says.  “When a child drinks milk at lunch, they are getting the proper nutrition.  Fruit juices are OK as a substitute for milk occasionally, but make sure you are serving 100% juice, and not one of those less expensive, high-sugar fruit drinks on the market today.”  Use an insulated thermos or an ice pack in the lunch sack to keep the milk or juice cold.

Snacks

Snacks can be just as important as the main course.  Remember the rule of thumb for packing a school lunch snack: simple, neat, healthy!  Stay away from cookies, cakes, and other prepackaged sweets.  Instead, try some of these great-tasting alternatives:

• Pretzel sticks
• Graham crackers
• Whole-wheat crackers
• Sesame breadsticks
• Naturally sweetened cereal
• Trail mix (dried fruit with nuts and seeds)
• Granola bars
• Applesauce or fruit
• Mini rice cakes
• Air-popped popcorn
• Yogurt
• Pudding

Food Safety Tips

To protect your child from foodborne bacteria make sure his lunches are kept at the correct temperature.  Keep foods fresh by keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot.  Let your child choose an insulated lunch box or sack to ensure the foods stay at the proper temperature.  Refreezable ice packs will keep food fresh and cool, and a well-insulated thermos will keep hot foods hot.  Another way to ensure food safety is to wash the lunch container with warm soapy water each day in order to combat bacteria.

By offering your child a variety of lunch foods, he can help decide what to pack.  When he is in on the decision-making, he will almost always be open to trying new nutritious and healthy foods.

Updates and reviewed by: Kim Rutherford, MD

Date reviewed: June 2001

Originally reviewed by: Steve Dowshen, MD, and Heidi Kecskemethy, RD,CSP