Ideas for Packing Healthy Lunches

It seems like we are back to that time of year...back to school. In these hard economic times, our budgets can be helped by sending your child to school with lunch from home. This is a challenge, of course, because kids like the option of purchasing power, buying their lunch. After having had five children go through various school systems, grade school, middle school, high school, both private and public, I certainly have gone through more options than I ever wanted to. Lunch... such a simple thing, but oh so complicated for the children who have to eat it while at school.

Buying lunch is so convenient, pick out your food, eat it, and return the tray, done! Lunch brought from home equals a lunch box (and remembering it) filled with food prepared at home, eating the lunch, and bringing said lunchbox home to be cleaned and gotten ready for the next day. It can actually be a fun challenge, though.

When I saw French toast sticks on the school lunch menus, I knew I had to make a decision to help my children eat healthy away from home. Aren't we bombarded with enough fast food, pre-packaged, hormone- loaded, sodium-loaded and very often sugar and Trans fat loaded food items in life? We want our children to pay attention in class, not fall asleep or drowse after a sugar high starts its rapid downward plunge! A lot of schools are taking out soft drink vending machines and replacing them with machines that have choices of juice and water. This is a plus, for sure.

Let's face it, kids are not going to read labels (well, most kids anyway) and I don't believe they supply each child with a napkin that tells calorie content, fat content and other assorted information labels (similar to Subway) on their school lunch program meals. We as parents have to investigate that. What with single parenting, and mothers and fathers working, we don't have the time to evaluate every meal that comes out of the school cafeteria's kitchen.

So, what to do? Talk to your kids, tell them they have to take their lunch either daily or a few times a week, and consider it a privilege or treat to have the school's hot lunch items. (I know taco day was always a favorite with my kids).

Some schools have microwaves, which are a very nice addition to making choices for items to bring for lunch. You may have to check with your local school about that and how easy is it for the child to actually use and the amount of time given to actually eat lunch. If your child has to wait in line for 20 minutes to heat an item, and lunch period is only 25 minutes, of course it is not a good idea to pack food that has to be heated before being eaten. If there is easy access to the microwaves, however, on a cold winter's day a nice hot bowl of chili from home can hit the spot. I often wonder why the kids in schools have so little actual time to eat their lunches. We adults take coffee breaks and don't have to (usually) gulp down our lunches in 20 minutes or less.

Another thing to consider is having your child or children participate in choosing what items go into the lunch box. There is no sense in sending a peanut butter and jelly sandwich if your kid hates peanut butter. Sit down with your child and make a list of their favorite things for lunch. Then narrow that list down to things that are practical to put in the lunch box. My kids like Subway sandwiches a lot, but since they need to be purchased before hand, they are soggy the next day. Unless... you don't have any condiments put on and pack them separately. And, for the most part, Subway sandwiches are healthy with good choices of breads, such as whole wheat.

Most stores carry the convenient cut up vegetables like celery and carrot sticks. If your child likes those with say ranch dip, they are easy to pack and keep cool with a cold pack. There are the good old reliable fruits like apples, pears, grapes, bananas to pack, or home made fruit salad. There are any number of containers made by Zip loc that are just the right size to pack healthy fruits in or nuts, or say, Trail mix. Take fancy cocktail toothpicks and make fruit kabobs, or cheese cube /ham or turkey cube kabobs. Low fat/low sugar pudding packages are a treat. Introduce your child to "wraps". Say for supper on Sunday you bake a turkey or turkey breast. Left over sliced turkey, some shredded carrots, lettuce, perhaps mayonnaise or mustard (their preference), wrapped in a flour tortilla, cut in half, packaged "deli style", and you may have found a great alternative to the school lunch. Starbuck's offers some sandwich wraps, like my favorite - tuna, and they do NOT get soggy.

If room allows in the lunch box, put a small "party" paper plate in the lunch box. Always write a note on the napkin,"Remember I love you" or a riddle, or a joke. This can be such a lift to a child's spirit.

I have found if you keep it interesting, keep it diverse, keep it FUN, you will end up enjoying thinking up little silly or exciting things to do to add a smile to that little lunch eater. I have (when time permitted) printed out on fancy paper or colorful construction paper, decorated with clip art from the computer or my own pathetic artwork, a ""Menu for today's lunch" listing the items in the lunchbox, rolled in a scroll and tied with a ribbon or stuck closed with a sticker (even my teenagers got a kick out of that!). Be sure to add the appropriate plastic fork, or spoon or knife. Don't try to use real silverware, as you will not get it back more than likely. (Believe me on this one). Use your imagination! I would sometimes leave a note saying "Look under your pillow when you get home!" in the packed lunch box. I would tuck a new book or some little trinket for a surprise to look forward to under their pillows. I suppose this could be considered part of mental and emotional health for healthy school lunches!

As far as drink items go, kids can usually purchase milk, or other drinks at school, thus eliminating extra weight and bulk in the lunch box or bag. However, if you live in the warmer climate areas, Capri Sun drinks can be frozen the night before and double as an ice pack to keep the lunch cold, as well as providing a nice cold juice drink. Avoid glass containers. The older kids sometimes like iced tea. There are these neat little plastic bottles you can half fill with tea, freeze, and in the morning add the rest. More than likely, your child can purchase bottled water at school and those little packs of Tea to Go or Crystal Lite individual packets tucked in the lunch box can come in very handy, and offer a variety to choose from.

From Granola bars to green salads, healthy lunches can be as diverse and different as our unique children's appetites ...and our imaginations.