Make Packing Healthy Brown Bag Lunches Easy

School lunches in the United States are regulated by the government and must include one third or more of daily requirements and be consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. These requirements are measured over the course of one week.

That is not a reason to feel comfortable that your child is making healthy food choices at school. Many schools have competition food for sale which provides little if any nutritional value. The American Dietetic Association is working with Congress to get bills passed which should improve the nutritional value of food offered at our schools, ensure that these regulations are enforced, and reduce the socioeconomic nutritional gap.

I pack brown bag lunches for my son to ensure he eats a healthy lunch. This is not an easy task considering the lunch table psychology of our children. Brown bag lunches need to be nutritional yet appealing to both your child and the children around them. My son loves couscous at home but at school he insists that he hates it. Here is my advice for packing easy and nutritional school lunches based on my personal experience.

Make Packing Healthy Brown Bag Lunches Easy

When you are tired and busy it is very tempting to grab a premade lunch. Resist this urge! Plan the basics for your child's brown bag lunches before you do your weekly grocery shopping. Make sure to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. You'll need to vary the fruits and vegetables to keep the school lunches interesting. Once you are home cut up and prepare the fruit and vegetables so they are ready when you go to pack the brown bag lunch.

Pack your child's school lunch the night before. This has made my life so much easier. I usually will pack my son's lunch after dinner during clean up time. I store it in the fridge and stick a cold pack in his lunch box in the morning.

Make Sure you are Packing Healthy Brown Bag Lunches

Always read the label when buying food for your child. Products that are marketed to kids can seem healthy and I have been fooled more than once. I bought my son organic yogurt with live cultures twice before I realized the second ingredient was sugar. When you can you should always choose fresh foods over processed foods.

Check with your child's school to see if they allow 'heat ups' or 'warm ups'. If they do you can pack leftovers. It is a good idea to wait a day before sending leftovers so your child isn't bored with the meal.

Make the Brown Bag Lunch Fun

Cut up fruit instead of packing it whole. Your child is more likely to eat their apples and oranges when they are in pieces. Take advantage of seasonal fruit and farmers markets to include a variety of fresh fruits.

Pack dip or dressing for vegetables. I pack a cup of salad and include a little container of the dressing that my son has picked out. This prevents the salad from becoming soggy and adds some interaction at the lunch table. Let your child pick what dip they want for their fresh raw veggies. I cringe when my son dips his carrots in ketchup but he loves it.

Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into interesting shapes. Don't feel like you need to pack a sandwich every day. Some alternatives to sandwiches are crackers with peanut butter, cheese and meat rolled up within a tortilla, and a quesadilla cut up into slices.

Include a special item. For younger children a napkin with a nice note is great. Other ideas include dried fruit, stickers, beef jerky, and different ethnic treats.

Sources:

1. Karen Ehrens, RD, LRD, Jennifer A Weber, MPH, RD. Making the Healthful Choice the Easy Choice for Students. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Volume 109, Issue 8, Pages 1317-1488 (August 2009).