As you know by now, all parents have a different idea of
what is healthy food and what is not. For years, you have had the opportunity to
hand select and monitor what your child eats for lunch. Now it is time to test
their ability. It is only natural for your child’s eyes to wander and notice,
and be envious of, what the other kids are eating. Here are a few tips that may
help your child’s lunch be healthy, fun and get noticed by the other kids.
The lunchbox: It is
important to have the right gear and the lunchbox is an important asset.
Consider letting your child pick out his own lunchbox or purchase one and let
him decorate it with paint or markers. Make sure your child’s name is on it with
a permanent marker or paint. Most schools will not provide a refrigerator to
store lunchboxes, so you should select an insulated one with a re-usable freezer
pack to keep the lunch fresh. Or, instead of using a freezer pack, you can
freeze a bottle of water, and add it to the lunch box. It will keep the lunch
cold and fresh during morning classes and by lunch time it will have thawed and
be ready to drink.
More gear – containers: Those gimmicky, salt, fat
and sugar-filled, “Lunchables” trays are very popular with kids. Not because
they taste so good, but because look so cool. There is no reason a homemade
lunch needs to look dull and unappetizing. Buy colorful containers in different
shapes to pack your child's lunch. They are better than plastic bags and less
wasteful too. If your child is drawn to characters, buy some stickers and
decorate the containers. Put your child’s name on the containers, but it is
inevitable that some containers may not make their way home. Another option is
to purchase inexpensive or “semi” disposable containers that will not disappoint
you if they accidentally end up in the trash.
Offer plenty of choices: Provide small servings and
many choices — variety is a key to healthy eating. Providing your child with
plenty of variety is not hard or time consuming. Many lunch foods can be
prepared, in advance, in large quantities. Each morning, simply fill up small
containers with different foods. Quick lunchbox food suggestions include:
Dried fruit
Nuts
Fresh fruit pieces or a piece of
whole fruit
Applesauce (no sugar added)
Celery sticks filled with cream
cheese and raisins, or white bean dip
Sugar snap peas with Ranch
dressing for dipping
Yogurt or a smoothie
Lunch meat roll-ups with cream
cheese and an asparagus in the middle
Hard boiled egg
Cheese cubes or string cheese
logs
Peanut butter (or sunflower
butter) and apple slices or crackers
White bean dip or hummus with
carrots and mini pita breads
Whole grain crackers or pretzels
Trail mix made from cereal, nuts
and dried fruit
Talk to your child about lunchtime: Don’t assume
that your child’s uneaten lunch is sign that he did not like the food. If you
ask a few questions, you may find that your child does not have enough time to
eat lunch or that he is spending more time socializing with his friends than
actually chewing. Asking questions will give you the opportunity to help him
learn other important skills such as managing his time and selecting times to
socialize.
Simple lunch
box recipes:
Pineapple Kabobs
Ingredients:
Pineapple chunks (1/2-inch
pieces)
Marble cheese cubes (1/2 inch
pieces)
Slices of nitrate-free ham cut
into 1-inch squares
Toothpicks
Directions:
Assemble the mini-kabobs on a toothpick in the following manner: Ham square,
pineapple chunk, ham square and a cheese cube.
Veggie version: Substitute teriyaki-flavored baked
tofu for the ham/cheese. Baked tofu can easily be sliced into small cubes and is
very tasty with the pineapple.
Trail Mix
Directions:
Combine any or all of these ingredients in an airtight container and toss gently
to mix. Store airtight. Lasts for weeks.
Ingredients:
Dry snacks: cereal (low in sugar – under 5g per serving), small pretzels,
graham cracker or rice cake pieces, or animal crackers.
Dried fruits: Cherries, apricots, raisins, mangoes or coconut flakes
(Tip: big pieces of dried fruit can be cut up easily using kitchen shears).
Nuts and seeds: sliced almonds, pecan pieces, cashew pieces, pumpkin
seeds, sunflower seeds or peanut pieces.
Kiwi Wraps or rolls
These wraps can be served as a traditional wrap sandwich or
slice it into pieces (like a sushi roll) for bite sized treats.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut butter or sunflower butter
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/2 kiwi
Tortilla — whole wheat or plain (squared)
Instructions:
Remove the skin from the kiwi and slice it into thin rounds. Spread peanut
butter over half the wrap and cream cheese on the other half of the wrap.
Arrange the kiwi slices evenly over the cream cheese. Beginning on the cream
cheese end, gently roll up the tortilla forming a log shape. The peanut butter
will act as the glue to keep it together. Serve.
About the authors: Cheryl Tallman
and Joan Ahlers
are sisters, the mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby (http://www.FreshBaby.com).
Their goal at Fresh Baby is to make the task of raising a healthy eater a little
bit easier for all parents. Visit them online at
http://www.FreshBaby.com and subscribe to
their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly ideas, tips and activities for
developing your family’s healthy eating habits!
