As kids head back to the classroom, many parents are already dreading the tedious task of packing lunches. The challenge: coming up with a healthy meal your kids will actually eat.
That doesn't mean you have to default to a turkey sandwich and juice box day after day. With a little planning and creativity, it's entirely possible to pack a healthy lunch that delivers on flavour.
A balanced school lunch should include building blocks from all four food groups to help sustain a child's energy and alertness throughout the day. Lunch should offer whole grains for carbohydrate (energy), protein to help slow digestion and keep kids feeling full longer, fruits and vegetables for fibre and vitamins and a drink for hydration.
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees children will eat their packed lunch. If kids don't like what was packed or are bored of the same items, parents are more likely to see lunch return home barely touched.
To get your kids to eat a healthy lunch, consider the following suggestions:
Work with your kids
Children who help select and prepare their lunches are more likely to eat them. Take your kids to the grocery store and have them identify healthy foods they like from each food group. Involve them in the planning and preparation of school lunches.
Positive discussions about lunches can promote a child's natural interest in food.
Plan in advance
Trying to figure out what to pack on a busy morning often results in a lacklustre meal tossed into a lunch box. Have your child help prepare his lunch the night before for a less hectic morning.
Have nutritious foods on hand that your child will eat. Prepackage snack foods in snack-sized bags such as whole grain crackers, dry cereal, air-popped popcorn and vegetable sticks.
Make a little extra dinner and send your child off to school with leftovers for lunch.
Don't overpack
Parents are often so worried as to whether their child will eat their lunch, they overpack the quantity and selections of food. Kids tend to fixate on eating the snacks and treats, leaving the sandwich and vegetables as a last choice.
Pack sparingly so kids will eat every bite. Pack three components in every lunch: grains (wraps, bread, crackers, pasta, whole grain muffin), protein (lean meat, chicken, tuna, cheese, hard-boiled egg, edamame, milk, yogurt, soy beverages), and fruit and vegetables.
Think outside the (lunch) box
Include variety to prevent kids from getting bored with their lunch. Instead of a whole sandwich, pack half a sandwich along with crackers and part skim milk cheese.
Make sandwiches with mini whole wheat pita pockets, mini bagels, whole grain crackers or whole wheat tortillas instead of regular sliced bread.
Alternatives to sandwiches included baked chicken strips with honey mustard, pasta salad, pita and hummus, and mini burritos made with rice and low fat refried beans.
Or pack a homemade bento box. Fill a reusable container that has individual compartments with an assortment of foods such as homemade mac and cheese, baked chicken nuggets, sliced fruit, carrots and celery with hummus or cheese.
Warm lunch ideas to send in a thermos include pasta with meat sauce, chili and hearty chicken noodle soup.
Include fruit and vegetables
Bite-sized fruit and vegetables are often more appealing to kids because they're easier to eat. Pack cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, broccoli florets, red pepper strips or cucumber coins with a small container of hummus or low-fat ranch dressing for dipping.
Instead of the usual apple, try grapes, berries, dried cranberries or cherries. If fresh fruit gets boring, pack individual fruit cups (canned in 100-per-cent juice or water) or unsweetened applesauce.
Pack water
Rather that sugary drink boxes, pack water. Pack whole fruit instead of fruit juice to add fibre to your child's diet. If you do opt for juice boxes, choose 100-per-cent fruit juice and limit your child's intake to one cup a day.
If you're the parent of an overweight child, keep in mind the calories kids drink don't fill them up. So they will consume more calories without the benefit of dampening their appetite.
If lunch is light on protein (e.g. a bagel with cream cheese is your child's favourite), consider packing a single serving of unflavoured soy beverage for extra protein and calcium.
Include snacks
Growing, active kids need to refuel every two to three hours to sustain their blood sugar and help them concentrate and learn in class. A snack at morning recess can prevent kids becoming overly hungry before lunch.
Healthy snacks include nut-free granola bars, air-popped popcorn with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, homemade trail mix (e.g. dried cranberries, raisins, shredded coconut and Shreddies), cheese and crackers and yogurt drinks.
If children go straight to extracurricular activities after school, they'll need an after school snack too.
Limit treats
Make a rule for how often you'll pack cookies, candy, chips, sugary drinks or other treats. Kids need to understand these are not everyday foods, but rather once in a while treats.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.
Leslie Beck