Child Feeding Programs Head Startafterschool Programs School Lunch others
Kids' School Lunches: Tips, Meal Ideas, and More
Look What I Got!
Remember being a kid and finding something delicious in your lunch box? Or did you take one look and swap with someone else? Now that you're a parent, you're on deck to pack something your child will love. It's simpler, and takes less time, than you might think.
Cool for School
Freezing is a go-to technique. Fill muffin cups with yogurt and/or pureed fruit (no sugar added) and freeze overnight. This is a good way to make child-sized portions of meatloaf and quiche, too. As they thaw, these treats will help keep the other stuff in your kid's lunch box cool at school. Many items -- meat, fish, eggs, beans, cheese, milk, rice, pasta, mayo, and butter -- need to be chilled.
Veggies Made Easy
It's easy to include a few extra veggies. Sandwich in cucumber slices and grated carrots to add color and crunch. Spinach or zucchini, chopped teeny-weeny, are easy additions to tomato sauce you can toss with whole-wheat pasta. Don't hide them all, though, so your child still gets used to eating vegetables that they can see.
Baggage Check
A princess or superhero makes a fashion statement in the cafeteria. But lunch luggage also needs to have form and function. Look for sturdy, reusable bags with ice-pack pockets inside. Test zippers, ties, and easy-open/click-shut containers. You can also look to see if they are BPA-free.
Make Your Own Munchables
Instead of buying packaged items filled with processed foods, come up with your own. It gives you total control over what's in there. Stock up on 100% whole-grain crackers and lots of stuff for your child to stack, such as turkey pepperoni, leftover baked chicken shreds, low-fat cheese, hummus, cucumbers, tomatoes, and sliced olives. The possibilities are wide open!
Keep It Rated PG
Let your kids join in picking, prepping, and packing their midday meal. The more involved they are, the more likely they will eat their lunch. Think "PG" for "parental guidance suggested." Take them along when you shop so they can see, smell, and touch the food. Give them an aisle in the produce section of the store, and then set them free to choose which fruits and veggies they want.
Pack a Lesson In
Loading a lunch box is a way for kids to learn how to make good food choices. Teach them the "My Plate" rule to show what goes into a balanced meal. Fruit and veggies take up half the plate, and the other half splits between grains and proteins. A circle, where their milk glass would go, is off to the side. Have them draw it themselves so it will stick in their minds.
Don't Be BO-RING!
Swap out what's in your child's lunchbox every now and then so it doesn't get traded or trashed. Pack a black bean cake or soup for the main meal. Put PB&J on a cocoa-flavored rice cake or cinnamon-raisin bagel rather than bread. Make an inside-out sandwich by wrapping thin-sliced turkey or ham around a whole-wheat breadstick, pretzel, carrot stick, or low-fat string cheese. Mix up menu items to make them too tasty to swap!
In Their Dreams
Challenge your child to draw a picture of their dream lunch, and give them a big box of crayons. The brighter, the better. Apples, carrots, celery, grapes, tomatoes, beans, greens, oranges, and blueberries -- in any combination -- give kids the colors they crave and the nutrients they need. If they sketch nothing but candy, take the opportunity to inspire them about foods that help them learn and play.
Sweet Success
A little bit of sugar or fat is OK if it means kids eat more foods that are good for them. Try these trade-outs for healthier lunchtime desserts:
- Do: Whole-wheat graham crackers with natural peanut or almond butter instead of ...
- Don't: Chocolate sandwich cookies
- Do: Celery sticks smeared with cream cheese, topped with raisins, instead of ...
- Don't: Fun-size candy bars
- Do: A clementine instead of ...
- Don't: A single-serve cup of processed, flavored applesauce
Last Call for Sugary Drinks
Take a hard line on soft drinks. On average, a 12-ounce soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories. Juice boxes, even 100% pure, are way up there in calories and sugars, too. Leave them out of the lunch box in favor of water and low-fat (1%) or skim milk, which are good gulps for kids.
Source: https://www.webmd.com/children/ss/slideshow-kids-school-lunches
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