Lunchbox guide
Planning nutritions meals that kids will eat — and staying in a budget — isn’t always
easy! Buying a school lunch is a simple solution, but if you’re packing a lunch, here
are some handy tips to help us keep our school cafeterias Body Smart.
Mmmm Main Dishes
Keep it...
Fruit and cheese plate. Fill a divided plastic container with
assorted cubes or slices of reduced fat cheese, easy-to-eat fruit such
as apple and pear slices, grapes, berries or melon and whole-wheat
crackers.
It’s a Wrap! Wraps are a nice change of pace from the usual
sandwich. Use a multigrain flour tortilla, and spread on mustard,
hummus, light mayo or salad dressing, or even pesto. Then fill’er up
with chicken Caesar salad or lean meats, cheese, tomato, cucumber,
and shredded romaine lettuce. Just roll it up and wrap in foil. At lunch,
kids just unwrap it from one end and work their way down!
Everything is better on a mini bagel. Whole-wheat bagels are
a great base for hearty sandwiches that can stand up to being in a
backpack or locker all morning. Top one regular or a few mini bagels
with tuna, sliced turkey breast or roast beef. Finish it off with reducedfat cheese and fresh tomato, onion, and romaine lettuce or sprouts.
Peanut butter fun pack. Spoon two tablespoons of natural-style peanut
butter or other nut butter in a reusable plastic container and include whole
wheat crackers or pita pocket wedges and raw vegetable sticks, such as celery,
zucchini, or jicama.
Use smart substitutes. Is your child hooked on PB&J? Use whole grain bread
and natural peanut butter or reduced sugar jelly, and you’ve already made some
great changes without sacrificing their favorite tastes!
Mix and match sandwich choices (just remember to keep the sandwich thin
enough to eat, or it likely will end up in the cafeteria garbage). For a special
treat, cut a favorite sandwich into a fun shape with a metal cookie cutter!
Bread: Pita pockets, mini bagels, wraps, a hoagie roll, English muffins or
French bread. Choose whole wheat products whenever you can!
Spreads: Hummus, light cream cheese, nut butters, honey, all-fruit jams
Toppings: Sliced lean meats and reduced-fat cheeses pair great with
tomatoes, shredded lettuce, shredded carrots, or pepper rings. Dress up
a nut butter sandwich with sliced bananas, apples or raisins for variety and
added nutrition.
COLD! For safety’s sake, include a reusable ice pack
in the lunch. Better yet, freeze a small water or 100%
juice. Your child will have a slushy drink to enjoy at lunch
without having to remember to bring an ice pack home.
WHOLE! Include more whole foods and less processed
foods. Look for higher amounts of fiber and nutrients
children need, such as calcium, protein, and vitamin C.
FUN! Pack items that kids can stack or mix up to their
liking. Cut food into shapes with cookie cutters.
super sides
Fruit or applesauce cups — choose varieties packed in
juice or without added sugar
Shelled nuts or seeds (if age and allergy appropriate),
such as walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, or sunflower seeds
Cheese sticks — 2% cheddar, part skim-milk mozzarella
and pepper jack are some great options.
Don’t forget the veggies! Carrot sticks are a good standby, but also try dried veggies, broccoli salad, vegetable juices,
sliced peppers, jicama sticks, celery with peanut butter,
shredded cabbage, or even a small tossed salad.
A few chips or favorite crackers are fine if you keep the
portion small — these products are full of sodium and fat.
Kids like to dunk and dip! Save plastic containers from
sour cream, yogurt, to pack dips or tender fruits for the
lunch box! Your child can dispose of the container, or maybe
if you’re lucky, it will make it home to be used next time!
The natural sugars in fruit — fresh and dried fruit — can make it a nice sweet end to a meal!
Individual container of yogurt. Keep it cold by packing it with a reusable ice pack or a small
bottle of water that has been frozen.
Pack a homemade treat, when possible, instead of a processed snack cake. Even if you can find an hour or two to bake each month, tuck that batch
of brownies or cookies in the freezer, and it’s just as easy to pull one out for the lunch box each morning.
Individually wrapped snack or granola bars, especially those with 3% or more grams of fiber, can be a sweet treat.
A small 8 oz. water bottle is usually sufficient for most kids.
If your child likes juice boxes, be sure to pick those that are 100% fruit juice. Or fill an 8-ounce water bottle with 100% juice you mix at home.
Make it simple with milk. Just include 50 cents for your child to purchase a cold low-fat milk in the cafeteria!
desserts & drinks
Find school menus, tips and more at www.eudoraschools.org/bodysmart