When it comes to the mad morning rush, just coaxing your kids to roll out of bed is challenge enough, not to mention hustling them off to school before the tardy bell blares. So obviously it's super tempting to cobble together a hodgepodge of whatever edibles you can grab from the pantry or to simply hand over money for a cafeteria-made meal. Truth be told, though, packing your brood a healthy lunch really is the best bet.
"Left to their own devices, kids at school won't necessarily choose vegetables - they'll choose juice or pizza. They tend to eat what their friends are eating," said Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, a registered dietitian with the Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine program. "If you're packing a healthy school lunch that also tastes good, you're giving your kids the energy they need to get through the day. And if you're giving them things they like that are healthy, they'll eat it."
The key, Goodson says, is basing the meal on a simple framework - a grain, a dairy, a protein, a fruit and a veggie, and either water or low-fat milk to drink - then mixing and matching as desired.
"Ideally you want to have some kind of whole grain, so that could be bread on a sandwich, whole-wheat crackers, pita chips. You want to have some form of protein, which could be turkey or ham or peanut butter on a sandwich. That will help them stay fuller longer," she said, noting the dairy item can pull double duty as the protein as well. As for the fruit and veggie, those are as simple as a carton of 100 percent applesauce, and some dark leafy greens and a tomato slice on a sandwich.
If you have kiddos who balk at sandwiches, you could prep a baggie of turkey, string cheese, carrot sticks, crackers and a Greek yogurt parfait (yogurt, whole grain granola and cut-up fruit in a lidded cup). "So it's a lunch of side items, but you're still covering the basic food groups," Goodson said.
Kids also love stuff they can dip and stir, like carrots and hummus, and apples and peanut butter, she says. Another lunchbox addition that gets raves from kids (and adults): Peanut Butter Protein Bites. "They're good for lunch or for an after-school snack," Goodson said. "And you can easily double, triple or quadruple the recipe and freeze them." (See below for recipe.)
Varying the base of the lunch - a sandwich on Monday, a wrap on Tuesday, a pita on Wednesday - also helps keep things interesting. "That way it doesn't look the same every day," she said.
Peanut Butter
Protein Bites
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk powder
1 cup regular rolled oats
In a bowl, stir together the peanut butter and honey until combined; then stir in the dried milk powder and rolled oats. Roll into golf ball-sized balls; refrigerate. Makes about 20.
