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Packing a Healthy Lunch
Make it Fun, kids can help or do it themselves. Put in fun little notes, holiday napkins, and let them be a part of the healthy choices.
Always put a vegetable serving in the lunch. Some options are: carrots with ranch, celery with peanut butter or cream cheese, cucumbers and cream cheese, broccoli and hummus dip, grape tomatoes and mustard, make it fun with dips and be consistent.
Keep talking about how fun and good for your body it is. Children who don't eat vegetables over time will start. Have faith in them and keep putting it in their lunch. Most importantly model eating vegetables yourself.
Always put a fruit serving in their lunch. This tends to be an easier one for kids to be willing to eat. Don't count a juice box as your fruit serving. Children need the fiber. Keep all fruit applesauce in the cupboard and fruit leathers or dried fruit . If you run out of fresh you always have some in the cupboard.
Always put a source of protein in the lunch. Great options are hard boiled eggs, turkey rolled up, nut butters with whole grain or rice crackers, low sugar yogurts, leftover chicken, steak, or dinner meat, fermented tofu strips, turkey jerky. There are many fun options and make it lots of variety so your child gets a balanced menu.
Seeds and nuts are great for older children and children that don't have nut allergies.
The best drink for children is water and the most affordable. Other options are %100 juice, organic lowfat milk, rice milk, almond milk, herbal ice teas,and water with lemon.
Leftovers are always great. Keep a thermos for hot items and a cold pack for cold items. Most leftovers always taste better the next day.
Make portions small. Most children have too much in their lunch or not enough time to eat it all. Remind children to eat the body building foods first and don't give or greatly minimize sugary snacks. You can let children know you love them with a note of how incredible they are!
Think quality when your purchasing items for your Childs lunch. Meats without Nitrites and Nitrates, antibiotics and lots of preservatives, Buy breads with unbleached flours, preferably sprouted grains, rice breads or multi grains. A great brand for sprouted grain bread is Alvardo. If it is different it might take time to get children use to it. Repetition is the key and consistency.
Most importantly have fun when making your Childs lunch and try to include them so you can discuss what is going into their bodies and helping them to grow strong and smart!
Please email me any nutrition questions you might have or topics you would like me to write about.
My Body Balance
Noelle C. Stanley BA, CHNE
Certified Holistic Nutrition Educator
480-720-7424
