Now that kids are back in school it is back to the old routine of packing a lunch for your kids. Kids and parents can get bored of the same old lunch of peanut butter and jelly or bologna and cheese sandwich. Give your kids the foods they need to power their body and mind to stay focused in school.
Make sure you children are getting a well balanced diet can be a challenge, but if you take the time to stock up the kitchen and pantry with healthy alternatives to junk food and just leave the junk food at the store you will have better success at getting them to eat right, see WebMD for suggestions on what to buy. If you feel like your kids will starve to death before giving up their salty and sugary snacks, you may be surprised if you give them options in the house but healthy foods. Take the time to check out the selection of fresh produce at store like Sunflowers Farmers Market or Whole Foods. Also these stores also carry healthy snack items that most chain grocery stores don't. It will take time for your household to adjust, but in the end having a healthy child is better than facing childhood obesity and diabetes.
When making school lunch get creative. Instead of making sandwiches day in and day out, make wraps using fun and unique flavors like Thai or Italian ingredients, as suggested by Paul Krantz of Kaboose. Tortillas can come in different colors and flavors now, and one of the main keys in getting children to eat healthy is with bright fun colors. In addition, mix in fruit for added sweetness and crunch. Make brown bag friendly finger foods with dipping sauce for lunches, see Kaboose for more kabob lunch ideas. Try servings salad; check out this fun idea at Kids Feed for fun twist on tuna salad by making a tuna salad turtle. If sandwiches are a must be creative and use cookie cutters to make fun shapes or make a little animal out of the sandwich like a raccoon on Kid Feed blog. In the wintertime pack up soup in a thermos with a side of fruit or whole wheat bread, also, also pack milk or provide milk money so your child won't be temped to have soda with lunch.
If your child eats hot lunch at school you can still take control and make sure your child is getting the nutrition they need. Go over the menu ahead of time and talk with your child what choices will be the best for him or her to eat, says Krantz. Don't tell your child what they will pick out that day, but let them go through the thinking process of balancing out their own daily menu. Helped them to keep in mind all the foods they will eat everyday, and this in turn will help you plan breakfasts and dinners and snacks that fill in the gaps that a school lunch may have.
When packing a lunch for your child keep in mind some food safety. Let your child be involved in this step so that they too can learn the value of keeping their food safe from spoiling. Paul Krantz, suggests that you teach your children to wash their hands before handling food and go over the rules for keeping food hot or cold. Make sure that if your child will be having mayo on their sandwich or wrap or a sauce that you pack an ice pack in their bag to help keep the food from spoiling between school announcements and lunch time. If you are packing soup make sure you follow the manufactures instructions on warming up the thermos before filling it with soup. You can also get warming pads; these pads can be warmed in the microwave and will stay warm for a few hours.
Keep the healthy food theme going at home for after school snack. Provide healthy treats like ants on a log or apples with peanut butter or applesauce. Let you child be involved in planning menus for dinner as well. They will have fun coming up with yummy ideas to feed the whole family and if their idea is a flop, that is ok, letting them try new things and experimenting with food combinations will encourage your child to want to try more new ways of exploring the food they eat.
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