Start the School Year Off Right with Healthier Lunches

Back-to-school is a time to start fresh – and that includes rethinking kids’ lunchtime routines. With childhood obesity affecting nearly one in five children in the U.S., you may be concerned about keeping your young ones at a healthy weight. “Packing their school lunches is a great way to keep their nutrition on track,” says Christopher Raab, MD, with LVPG Pediatrics–Easton.

As you’re filling their lunch box, aim for veggies and fruits to make up half of the meal. For the rest, use whole grains and proteins such as lean poultry or beef, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, and tofu or other soy products.

The pediatric experts at Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital offer this advice to help parents and caregivers teach the importance of good nutrition for kids of all ages.

Try these tasty treats and tricks in your child’s lunch:

• Tweak kids’ favorites. Instead of using white bread, try whole wheat or whole-grain bread, English muffins, tortillas or pitas as the base of a sandwich. Get creative with the fillings, too. Swap out jelly in a PB&J sandwich and replace it with apple slices, banana slices or raisins. (Be mindful of peanut or nut allergy guidance at your child's school.)
• Skip the salty snacks. A handful of homemade trail mix (made of unsalted nuts and seeds, and dried fruits like cranberries, apples, cherries and raisins) is a great substitute for potato chips, pretzels and other salty snacks.
• Think small. Cheese, grilled chicken, fruits and veggies are easier to eat if you cut them into slices, cubes or small chunks. No plastic knife work means your child will have plenty of time to enjoy these healthy foods.
• Try tasty dips. Spice up a sack lunch with salsa or hummus. Both go well with raw veggies, apple slices, whole-grain crackers, cubed foods and other healthy treats.
• Be imaginative. Want to make lunch feel interesting, fun and full of love? Make square sandwiches into fun shapes (using cookie cutters), write a note on their napkin or decorate the bag with colorful stickers.

Once you have lunch ready, make sure it’s packed properly. “When lunches with perishable food aren’t kept cold enough, harmful bacteria can multiply quickly,” Raab says.

These tips will help keep your little one’s lunch at the right temperature:

• Prepare the food the night before and pack lunch bags right before leaving home.
• Send lunch to school in a soft-sided lunch box or insulated bag that’s made for keeping food cold.
• Pack at least two ice sources (such as an ice pack, frozen water bottle or frozen 100% juice box) with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box.