School is back in session, and with childhood obesity on the rise, you’re probably rethinking what to pack in your child’s lunch. Lately you’ve resorted to sneaking some veggies or fruit into her breakfast or dinner, but when it comes to lunch at school, you have no control over what your child will do with the food you packed for her.
The good news is that building a delicious and nutritious lunch that even the pickiest eater will eat doesn’t have to consume a parent’s evening or disrupt the morning coffee. Constructing a healthy lunch is easy if you keep these tips in mind: Aim for a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates, and keep sugar, salt and saturated fat to a minimum. Go for visual appeal with a variety of colors, shapes and textures. Keep foods simple; kids like to eat with their hands.
Following these basic principals will ensure a steady stream of nutrients flowing to the brain, keep blood sugar levels on keel and instill lifelong healthy-eating habits for your child.
Protein Packs Power
Sandwiches blend the all-important trio of nutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. Create sandwiches by using whole-grain breads, low-fat meats and cheeses and use avocados or hummus as a spread instead of mayonnaise.
• Switch out sandwich bread with a small whole-wheat tortilla wrap. You can roll up just about anything from grilled chicken, egg salad, tuna salad, tomato and cheese, and turkey and Swiss cheese. Cut the wrap into small medallions and place on a bed of lettuce in a plastic sandwich container.
• Or, go à la carte with yogurt, hardboiled eggs, chicken or turkey slices, beef or soy jerky, cheese slices or string cheese, bean and low-fat cheese mini-burritos, soy beans (edamame) or mixed nuts.
Choose Complex Carbs—Spare the Sugar
Choose long-lasting energy foods that provide complex carbohydrates such as a hummus dip, perfect with baby carrots, apples, jicama or celery. As the weather cools, try incorporating more legumes and beans by adding hot soups to the lunch. A well-made insulated container will keep soups simmering hot until lunchtime.
• Veggies are carbohydrates, too—make veggies fun! Grape tomatoes are juicy and easy to eat. For a quick, crunchy and flavorful snack, sliced cucumbers, melons or sweet red peppers make a simple and easy snack to prepare, and can be cut into fun shapes for kids.
• A slice of multi-grain or oat bran bread with almond butter spread is filling and loaded with nutrients.
• Pack fruit that kids will enjoy, such as apples, pears, oranges, bananas, pineapple, seasonal berries, plums, peaches and grapes.
• Dried fruit is a treasure trove of fiber, iron and trace minerals. Reach beyond raisins—try dates, apricots, cherries, bananas, papaya and mango. Check out the bulk foods selection at your grocery store for a mix of dried fruits and trail mixes.
Delightful Desserts
Treats that satisfy your little one’s sweet tooth while attaining your nutritional goal is easy, all you need is a bit of creativity.
• Graham or animal crackers (preferably made with whole wheat flour), fruit leathers, fig bars, granola bars, pudding or a piece of chocolate are delicious little treats.
• Transform a fruit salad into a dessert by adding a dash of yogurt and cinnamon, or top with applesauce sprinkled with raisins.
Skip High-Sugar Fruit Drinks
Although Coke, Pepsi, Sprite and other sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugars in most children’s diets, fruit juice follows close behind. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children commonly over-consume fruit juice, which contains mostly sugars or simple carbohydrates that enter the blood stream rapidly, causing a spike in blood sugar levels and calories that can ultimately get stored as fat.
• Dilute high-sugar fruit juices with water.
• Opt for sparkling water infused with fruit essences.
• Low-fat milk is an excellent source of nutrients, including calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins A and D.
Think Small
Some children are overwhelmed by large amounts of food, so make servings small and simple.
• Get out the cookie cutter and cut sandwiches into fun and easy-to-eat shapes.
• Buy in bulk and transfer foods to reusable one-serving containers.
• Cut fruit and vegetables into slices or small hunks.
• Purchase mini-carrots, small tortillas and kid-size crackers and snacks.
Creative Cuisine
Be inventive. Play with your food. Your kids will catch on that eating can be fun. Think your kids hate the taste of asparagus? It’s usually the texture of asparagus that most kids hate. Over-cooked asparagus is mushy and tasteless. However, raw asparagus is delicious and an excellent source of vitamin A, C and K, plus it’s rich in the B vitamin folate. One cup of asparagus supplies approximately 263 mcg, or 66 percent, of the daily recommended intake of folate.
The trick to adding asparagus to your kid’s lunches is all in the presentation. Try using a vegetable peeler and shave asparagus into long strips. Peel carrots the same way, add the two together, throw in some raisins and some soy beans (edamame), toss with a little olive oil and you have a fun tasting, good-for-your-kid lunch treat.
• Introduce new flavors. Nori, a type of seaweed, makes a salty, crunchy snack. Sweet potato or taro chips can be an exotic, yet healthful, change as well.
• Think themes. For a Mexican flare combine a bean and cheese mini-burrito, tortilla chips and a mini-container of salsa. For the outdoor palate, try grilled turkey dogs wrapped in butter lettuce, corn on the cob and slices of watermelon.
• Let your little chef express her creativity by packing the ingredients to a sandwich or side dish. Assembling her meal right at the lunch table may inspire her to eat it as well.
Make lunchtime a memorable affair for your kids with a little forethought, a dash of imagination and a sprinkle of variety. Enjoy.
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Janet Little is a certified nutritionist with Sprouts Farmer’s Market.
