Sep 03 2011
It's the last week before school starts. Many of you probobly have already started the back to school routine; earlier mornings, regular bed times , after school activities, homework and packing school lunches. If you are not packing a school lunch because it seems time consuming and you don't know where to start think again. School lunches and for that matter brown bag lunches for work can really be quite simple. In our house we follow these simple guidelines for building in better nutrition and ensuring that the lunches are actually eaten and not thrown away or traded off.
What makes a healthy lunch? Start with the basic's:
- A balance of good quality fat, protein and carbohydrates, these should come from WHOLE FOODS. (think avocado, beans and legumes, lo fat animal protein, brown rice, whole grain breads, pasta,
- Add in at least 2 vegetables
- Add in a serving of fruit- fresh whole fruit is best
- An additional "treat" can be included, but should not be the focus or the biggest component of the lunch box meal.
- Always include a bottle of water, we pour our own into reusable stainless steel water bottles or recycled glass bottles and add a few ice cubes and maybe a wedge of lemon or lime.
Get your kids involved in the lunchbox basic's! A few weeks before school starts, (of a few days, depending on how organized I am), the kids and I sit down and make up a list of possible, "these are things I will eat" list (that fits into our guidelines). As is goes each kid has their own favorites , dislikes, etc. Yes, it's a bit of an effort and sometimes challenging, but if they eat a good healthy lunch at school I know it's worth the effort because they focus better and have more energy to learn!
Divide your list into catergories with suggested items below- (you can add your childs initial next to each item if you want). I use these lists for weekly shopping, menu planning and dirrect the kids to take a look when they are trying to decide what to pack into their lunch. Yes, you can have your kids pack their own lunch,, (depending on their age) or at least help with part of it. Have your kids pick the treat and/or fruit part and put into their lunchbox the night before.
Here's our lunchbox list for the fall season- (yes you can do seasonal lists to coincide with what is available locally and the types of foods you tend to serve)
Main: (usually include healthy fat, protein, grains- (carbohydrates) and vegetables
- Mixed greens, chickpeas, shredded cheese, shredded carrots, tomato, with salad dressing
- hummus, avocado, cucumber and lettuce on whole grain wrap
- roasted turkey, mayo, spinach leaves, tomato on multigrain-walnut bread
- macaroni and cheese with broccoli and peas
- chicken salad served on salad greens- (or tofu salad)
- Raw veggies: green beans, cucumber, carrots, others with whitebean/pesto spread or hummus
- Cheese and broccoli or cheese and shredded chicken quesadilla serve with tomato salsa
- Vegetarian chili served on brown rice and topped with shredded cheese
- Peanut or Almond butter and banana or homemade peach jam on soft oat bread.
- Homemade soup- (if the weather gets cold)
- Leftover homemade fried rice with veggies and tofu or chicken
- Leftovers from dinner
Fruits:
- no sugar added applesauce or other fruit sauce
- In season whole fruit or cut up fruit salad; peaches, apples, pears, berries- (don't worry about getting too fancy just pack them so they don't get crushed or mushed)
Treats:
- homemade or store bought cookie- (1 or 2)
- homemade brownie or bar
- raw nut/fruit bars
- trail mix with dried fruit, nuts , some chocolate chips
- Homemade rice krispie treats- (very easy to make)
- Storebought treat with low amount of sugar- (look for under 10 grams per serving) and good quality sweetener, maple syrup, rice syrup or honey if its a raw bar.
I'd love to hear about your favorite lunchbox fixes! It's worth the extra effort and you can find something to fit even the pickiest eater....here's to a Happy and Healthy School year!
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