Believe it or not, school is about to start again! No matter how busy you are preparing for the new school year, you’ll want to take time to think about what your child will be eating for lunch.
Regulated by the USDA, the school lunch program with its stringent nutritional requirements is a great benefit to children nationwide. Even with all the things the program has going for it, however, your child still may not want to eat what’s on offer at school.
Breakfast is often titled “the most important meal of the day,” but lunch also plays a critical role in children’s health and school performance. If children skip lunch, they are likely to have trouble concentrating, lack energy and then over-eat less nutritious after-school snacks.
Packing a healthy lunch is a great alternative if your child is a picky eater, has a food allergy or other medical condition requiring strict ingredient monitoring, or just prefers lunch from home over school food. There is something about Mama’s leftover lasagna that does a soul good.
Once the decision is made to pack your child’s lunch, there are a few more things that need discussing.
Food Safety
Children are at a higher risk of developing food-borne illnesses if food is not handled properly and kept at the correct temperatures. Practice food safety at home when packing the lunch, including washing hands, keeping the prep space and lunch box clean, separating raw foods from ready-to-eat and cooking foods to proper temperatures.
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Hot foods: If packing hot foods such as soup or leftovers, heat and store in a well-insulated, tightly sealed container until ready to eat. A small thermos works well.
- Cold foods: If the lunch contains perishable items that need to be kept cold such as milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs or meat, include frozen icepacks to keep them below 40 degrees F. Juice boxes or tubes of yogurt can also be frozen and used as ice packs.
Involve the Child
The goal of packing a lunch is to provide a nutrient-rich meal to fuel kids’ brains and bodies. The trick is to meet this goal while also appealing to their tastes. Fancy, nutritionally balanced meals are not going to be of benefit unless they are actually eaten. Letting kids assist in planning their menus and physically packing their lunch themselves will encourage them to eat the lunch instead of trading or discarding them or bringing them back home.
Plan Ahead
See what works best for everyone. Create a chart or checklist of foods from each food group that your child likes. Using the MyPlate graphic with its color coding system can be helpful. Variety is the foundation of well-balanced nutrition. But don’t get discouraged if your child gets stuck on a favorite for days in a row. Be creative and rotate in alternatives as you can.
Make it Fun
We all eat with our eyes first, and kids are no exception. Work around fun themes or holidays with shapes, designs and color schemes. For example, on Saint Patrick’s Day, pack green fruits and vegetables and green yogurt or juice; cut a sandwich into the shape of a four-leaf clover; and add a gold or rainbow-colored treat. Think outside the box [no pun intended] and pack nontraditional lunch box items such as fruit kabobs, veggies with dip, mini muffins, assemble-your-own taco salad, mini bagel sandwiches, etc.
Use a Bento Box
A bento box is a rectangular lunch container with multiple single-portion sections. Having several different items in small portions can be a fun way to add variety to your child’s meal. Inspiration for these lunches and places to purchase a bento box can be found through an online search.
All of these tips and tricks can be applied to adult lunches as well! If you need more inspiration, check out Eatright.org. Happy packing!
Interested in improving your eating habits? Start by speaking with your primary care provider or one of our registered dietitians.