In a recent ABC-TV healthy news segment, personal chef and culinary nutritionist, Diane Henderiks, R.D. put a creative spin on healthy back to school lunches for kids. She also gives advice to parents on nutritious foods to fill your child’s lunchbox.
Here are some foods for thought. For lunches at school, some of Henderiks suggestions are: peanut butter or sunflower butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread, carrot sticks, lowfat milk; veggie or turkey chili, whole grain tortilla chips, lowfat shredded cheddar, cucumber slices and water; tuna salad, whole grain crackers, grapes, lowfat milk; or hard boiled egg, cheese square, trail mix, applesauce, whole grain crackers, string beans and/or grape tomatoes and water.
For a creative new spin on after-school snacks, Henderiks offers these tasty treats: pizza snack wrap, hummus with cucumbers, shrimp with cocktail sauce or creamy dip, whole wheat pancake roll with lowfat cream cheese and jelly, whole grain waffle with sunflower or peanut butter and slices fresh fruit or veggie, chicken or shrimp dumplings with low sodium soy sauce.
And, if you know in advance that you cannot prepare your child’s lunch box, you can order a Boxed Kid’s Lunch from Sickles Market in Little Silver. The lunch includes a kid-size sandwich, pretzels or cheddar goldfish, a red delicious apple and Mott’s apple juice. Call Sickles 24 hours ahead and they will deliver right to your child’s school.
Henderiks advises that in planning and preparing these healthy lunch foods, parents should be warned to take sanitary precautions, as these lunch boxes will sit for several hours before the contents are consumed.
The New York Times Health Editor, Jane Brody, advises parents about using insulated lunch boxes that can help keep food safer. She says the best box (hard-sided or soft) has an insulated lining and a pocket in which to place a thin freezer pack to help keep the contents cold until they are consumed. Using an insulated thermos that has been heated first with boiling water can keep soup or chili hot until lunch time.
Brody advises that foods like peanut butter and sliced cheese can tolerate room temperatures without spoiling, especially if insulation is lacking. If peanuts are forbidden in your child’s school, try almond butter or, as Henderiks suggests, sunflower butter. Also consider pantry-safe foods packed in easy-to-open containers, like tuna that can be eaten out of a flip-top can, with or without bread. Another safe option is boxed milk or juice that is sold unrefrigerated. Brody suggests that you can freeze these - or a water bottle - ahead of time and use them as cold packs; as they defrost, they’ll keep the rest of the lunch chilled.
A number of sandwiches - those made with lunch meats, hummus, tuna or egg salad - can be made the night before and frozen; they’ll defrost by lunch time. If your child likes lettuce and tomato, pack them separately to be put on the sandwich before eating. If you include cut-up vegetables, be sure they are washed first and packed in a clean container.
Dried fruits and whole fruits like apples, bananas, oranges and grapes can round out the meal and can be kept safely at room temperature. But all fresh fruits, even those that will be peeled, must be washed before they are put in the lunch box.
Henderiks, who is the mother of two growing boys in Ocean Township, says she is on a mission to teach America how to cook and eat well. She has raised the culinary bar for healthy cooking and is renowned for her expertise in creating wholesome cuisine that is both delicious and nutritious. She is a cookbook author and regular on-air contributor for ABC’s Good Morning America Health. In addition, she is chef/RD for Prevention Magazine and go-to food and nutrition expert for national television, print, on-line media. Diane travels the country sharing her expertise and engaging audiences at the nation’s top food & wine festivals and women’s events.
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