Think Outside the Box!


The start of school is just around the corner, and along with all the other school preparations, many parents will once again face the daunting task of lunch-making duty.  Of course most parents want their kids to eat a healthy lunch, but even when parents make the time to put together a healthy lunch meal, what guarantee do they have that their children will actually eat it?  Who knows what is traded or just thrown in the trash?  Especially as their friends consume French fries, sodas, and brownies right in front of them?  And, as more moms are now in the workforce than ever before, who has time?  Usually whatever is in the pantry is thrown into a lunch bag with some chips or cookies.  Even when children eat a “hot” lunch at the cafeteria, there is no guarantee that it is a healthy lunch, or that your child actually eats it, either.

The first step is recognizing how important a healthy lunch is for your child.  According to Forbes.com, the percentage of overweight children in the U.S. has tripled since the 1970s as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Nearly 80% of high school students were not meeting minimum daily requirements for fruit and vegetable intake.  Consider what overweight and obesity leads to:  heart disease caused by high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, hepatic steatosis, and social discrimination.   Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to be overweight and obese in adulthood as well.

The second step is to involve your child in the process of menu-planning  and lunch- packing.  Take them with you to the grocery store and let them choose the healthy foods they like to eat.  Encourage them to help in the kitchen during meal preparation and be supportive of their curiosity and natural interest in food.  Children can get more excited about fruits and vegetables when they see where they come from.  Take them shopping at a local fruit stand or famer’s market, or grow a tomato plant in the back yard.  Let them pack their lunches the night before so they can choose what they want to eat the next day.  They are more accepting of the new “healthy foods” diet, if they get to choose the healthy foods they love, instead of just being told to eat healthy.  Having them pack the night before is also a good way to stay organized and avoid the morning rush.

Third, be creative and think outside the – lunch – box.  Lunches do not need to be a daily grind of turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread with some carrot sticks thrown in.  Google “healthy school lunches”, and check out the huge selection of ideas and recipes.   Some of the suggestions:  Use whole wheat wraps instead of bread with lean lunch meat, hummus, or even peanut butter (almond or sunflower seed butter if your child is allergic to peanuts) and jelly or apple butter.   Other ideas are mini burritos with black beans, corn, and salsa.  For fresh veggies, there are sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, or celery sticks with dips made from yogurt.  For added treats, there is air popped popcorn, baked chips or pretzels instead of the high fat potato chips, or trail mix with cereals, nuts, pretzels, and dried fruit.  Single serving size cups of apple sauce or canned fruit without added sugar are also good.  Hard boiled eggs, which can be cooked ahead of time, grapes with low-fat cheese cubes, and low-fat yogurt are additional suggestions.  Try to include some protein, a complex carbohydrate, a vegetable and/or fruit, and some dairy. 

The trick is to keep your children involved in the process.  Plan some “taste testing” times with your child to help discover more likes and dislikes.  Eating healthy may not be accepted right away, but keep working with your child to find out more about his or her food preferences.  As you continue in your efforts, your successes will add up; and, before you know it, you will have accumulated a collection of healthy menus that your child enjoys and eats.  The best reward will be in knowing that your child is eating healthy and forming good eating habits for life.


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