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Posted on:3/16/2006
Packing a Healthy Lunchbox
by Karen Kassel, MS, RD, MEd
Whether your child totes Dora the Explorer or the New England Patriots to the lunchroom, those 36 cubic inches provide a great opportunity to supply your little sweetie with good nutrition for the school day. And filling the lunchbox every day doesn’t have to be a chore. Make time on the weekend to make a list of your child’s favorite foods, stock your shelves, and clean fruits and vegetables (cool water and gentle brushing does the trick). Store these foods where little hands can reach, so he or she can put lunch together from the healthy foods that you provide. (You may also want to stock up on Ziploc bags, small Tupperware containers, and plastic forks and spoons.)
A healthy lunch should include protein, carbohydrate, a fruit or vegetable (or both!), and water or low-fat milk. Designate one drawer of the fridge and a basket in the pantry for lunch foods. Show your child how to pick one from each column:
Whether your child totes Dora the Explorer or the New England Patriots to the lunchroom, those 36 cubic inches provide a great opportunity to supply your little sweetie with good nutrition for the school day. And filling the lunchbox every day doesn’t have to be a chore. Make time on the weekend to make a list of your child’s favorite foods, stock your shelves, and clean fruits and vegetables (cool water and gentle brushing does the trick). Store these foods where little hands can reach, so he or she can put lunch together from the healthy foods that you provide. (You may also want to stock up on Ziploc bags, small Tupperware containers, and plastic forks and spoons.)
A healthy lunch should include protein, carbohydrate, a fruit or vegetable (or both!), and water or low-fat milk. Designate one drawer of the fridge and a basket in the pantry for lunch foods. Show your child how to pick one from each column:
Protein | Carbohydrate | Fruits and vegetables | ||||||
| · Low-fat cheese, whether it’s string, chunks, or slices · Peanut butter, almond butter, or soy butter · Hard-boiled egg · Hummus, black bean dip, or other bean spreads/dips · Lean meats: chicken, turkey, roast beef, & low-fat versions of others · Soy cheese, many varieties from mozzarella to pepper jack · Low-fat cottage cheese · Salmon, canned or in a pouch with water Low-fat yogurt cups or yogurt smoothies | · Whole grain or oatmeal breads, pitas, tortillas, or English muffins · Light microwave popcorn (try fun flavors, like jalapeno pepper) · Whole grain crackers: Triscuits, whole-grain Wheat Thins, Wasa, & others · Dry cereals: Cheerios, Wheat Chex, Oatmeal Squares, & others (look for < 8 grams of sugar per serving) · Baked pita chips, tortilla chips, or bagel chips · Low-fat granola bars (Nature Valley, Quaker, or Barbaras) | · Pineapple chunks · Cucumber wheels · Baby carrot sticks · Cherry or grape tomatoes · Clementines (easy for little hands to peel) or mandarin oranges · Canned peaches · Mini can or cup of fruit cocktail (with the peel-back top) · Red, orange, and yellow pepper slices · Mixed berries · Grapes · Melon wedges or balls (use a melon baller) · Applesauce cups · Dried papaya or pineapple · Snow peas · Yellow squash sticks | ||||||
| Combinations and Fun | ||||||||
| · Peanut butter and banana sandwich · Trail mix: dry cereal, nuts, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and chocolate chips (make ahead and fill containers for the week) · A colorful fruit salad (make ahead) · Almond butter and apple slice sandwich · Salmon in a pita pocket with thin cucumber slices · Fruits & veggies with a fruit dip and low-fat ranch dr
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