It’s that time of year again. School supplies are being bought en masse and the pool is just days away from closing. The end of summer is around the corner. It’s always bittersweet, right? We miss the lazy days but crave a return to the normal routine. (Or maybe you want life to slow down with the kids back in school!) With the start of school means the return of the—perhaps—dreaded school lunch.
Is packing lunch a chore at your house? Maybe it’s so much so that you choose to have your child buy lunch. Maybe you actually like packing lunch for your child, but they want to buy lunch at school. Or, maybe your kid is old enough to pack their own lunch and you aren’t even allowed to send those sweet lunchbox notes anymore. Whatever the case, I’m here to encourage you to stuff as much nutrition into those lunch boxes—if you’re packing–as you can.
First, load up on fruits and vegetables. Try to offer at least two or three options, such as an apple, some berries and carrot sticks. Be sure at least one is a vegetable, and preferably something they like. Fruits and vegetables provide a variety of vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and even fluid. Most kids like fruit, so instead of throwing a bag of fruit snacks (NOT fruit, BTW) in their lunch box, opt of the real thing. Summer’s bounty is still in full swing, so be sure to take advantage of the variety while it’s available.
Protein is important for growing kids, and it helps them feel fuller longer. While meat is the most bio-available source of protein, there are plenty of others if your kiddo is so-so in the meat department. Nut butters, dairy products (like cheese sticks and yogurt), beans, and soy are all examples of non-meat protein foods. Hardboiled eggs are another great option for protein, and egg- or tuna-salad sandwiches are great lunch options packed with protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Make sure something in your child’s lunch supplies a healthy fat, which generally means an unsaturated fat. Good sources of fat include nuts and nut butters, avocado, full-fat yogurts and cheese (in moderation), and hummus. Fat is another food that promotes satiety, like protein.
Make sure the bread, wraps and crackers you’re offering is made with whole grains. Look for ‘100% whole wheat’ on the bag or package. Your kiddo may need to take some time to get used to it if they aren’t already eating whole-wheat bread, but it’s much more nutrient-dense than white bread. Additionally, it’s important to limit (or omit!) highly processed ‘carby’ foods, such as packages of muffins, cookies and crackers. As a mama, I know this is hard—I buy goldfish crackers just like everyone else. But, I encourage you to offer some nuts and sliced peppers or blueberries with those fish!
Don’t forget a beverage! Skip the juice or soda in favor of regular water, flavored (but not sweetened) water, or seltzer water. (Did you see what I did there? WATER.) Maybe milk if you keep it cold with an ice pack. These days, kids are walking around with water bottles, right? That was not a thing in my day…apparently we were all chronically dehydrated.
Here are a few creative ideas from my kitchen for your kid’s lunch box:
Guacamole Roll-Ups: Have a guac fan in your house? Spoon some guacamole onto a single slice of deli turkey, place a few thinly sliced peppers in the middle like a taco and roll it up! Serve with a few blue corn tortilla chips and fruit on the side. This is one of my own favorite lunches.
Tuna Pasta Salad: Cook once, eat all week. Cook a box of noodles, preferably a whole wheat or other higher-in-protein variety, add in some canned tuna and veggies, sprinkle with a little shredded cheese and voila! Lunch for days. Kid not a tuna fan? Sub in some mild pepperonis or cut-up ham. Be sure to use an olive oil dressing as opposed to a mayonnaise-based dressing for maximum nutrition.
Don’t forget the power of the bento box! I wrote about them last year in October, after buying a couple for my family. All foods seem more special in a bento box. What these pre-portioned lunch boxes really do is allow you to provide a variety of options in an easy and visually appealing way. I love to use the large compartments for a half sandwich or cut-up veggies, and then I usually put some cheese, pepperoni slices and fruit in the small compartments. I might sneak in one piece of candy, like a Hershey Kiss, if I’m feeling generous.
Lastly, get your kids involved in making lunches. This might actually be the best way to encourage your kids to choose nutrient-dense foods. Allow them to choose some of the items on the menu each week, such as the selection of fruit. It may take longer, but help your littlest kiddos make their own lunches, even if that simply means they drop a handful of raspberries into a container. Talk to them about what foods do good things for our bodies as you pack lunches together.
The ‘back to school’ theme continues next month, when I’ll be writing about the school lunch program here in East Aurora.
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