School lunches are a never ending challenge for many of us moms. That is why I am so pleased to share this guest post from nutritionist Joy Bauer. This week she released a new cookbook Slim and Scrumptious: More Than 75 Delicious, Healthy Meals Your Family Will Love. It is focused on helping moms prepare easy, healthy and affordable meals. Since my biggest meal challenge is preparing Michael’s school lunch, I am especially grateful for this guest post. Enjoy!
Lunch Box Perfection!
I give my kids the option of buying lunch one day per week (they usually choose pizza day…), but the rest of the time the Bauer kids leave the house with lunch bag in tow. Unless, of course, it’s one of those not-so-infrequent days when everyone leaves their lunch hanging out on the kitchen counter, and my husband or I have to make a sunrise trip to school and drop it off (always a viable excuse for being late to an important meeting, right?). My son Cole is the easiest to pack for; he’s happy to take any dinner leftovers (stir-fry, pasta, turkey chili, you name it) for lunch, or a turkey sandwich on whole wheat with bbq sauce if there’s nothing good in the fridge. My younger daughter, Ayden, also loves a good turkey sandwich—and she, like Cole, typically pairs it with an apple, bell pepper sticks, or baby carrots, and a fun food like a few cookies or a bag of soy chips. My teenage daughter, Jesse, is a bit trickier. We finally found a lunch she enjoys—a bag of whole grain cereal, a cheese string, purple grapes or a plum, and a treat. Though it’s a little lower in protein than I’d prefer and doesn’t exactly match the “model lunch” I describe below, it just goes to show that you have to be flexible and work around your kids likes and dislikes to find a healthy, balanced meal everyone can live with.
If you’re struggling with what to pack for your own kids, here’s my foolproof guide to building the perfect lunchbox. Aim to hit each of the four main areas outlined below, but keep in mind that some of the categories may overlap (for instance, your protein entrée may also be loaded with veggies, or your fun food may be fruit-based, so these foods will do double duty). And you can never have too many vegetables, so feel free to add extra anywhere you can! Don’t forget an ice pack (or frozen water bottle) to keep everything cool.
1 Protein Entrée
Choose a main entrée that delivers a good amount of lean protein. Choose from lean meats like sliced chicken or turkey breast; beans or lentils; reduced-fat cheese, low-fat yogurt, or other dairy products; or nuts and nut butters.
Some of my top picks for kids:
-Smarter PBJ: Peanut butter (or other nut butter)* and sliced strawberry sandwich on whole grain bread, pita, or sandwich thin.
-Pinwheels: Whole grain tortilla rolled around slices of lean ham, turkey or chicken; reduced-fat cheese; and lettuce, tomatoes, mustard or light mayo. Slice the rolled tortilla into 1-inch pieces (they look like sushi!).
-Pita with Hummus: Whole grain pita stuffed with hummus (or bean dip/spread) plus any veggies your kids enjoy (lettuce or spinach leaves, tomato, cucumber slices, olives, etc.).
Cheese Sandwich: 2 slices reduced-fat cheese on whole grain bread, with veggies if your kids will eat them!
-Yogurt Parfait: Nonfat plain, flavored, or Greek yogurt layered with healthy whole grain cereal and fruit (you can pack the cereal in a separate container so it doesn’t get soggy).
-Tuna/Chicken Salad with Crackers: Light tuna or chunked chicken breast mixed with low-fat mayo, served with whole grain crackers and crunchy bell pepper sticks for dipping.
-Pasta Salad: Whole grain pasta combined with diced chicken or turkey breast and any preferred veggies, lightly tossed with reduced-fat vinaigrette dressing.
-Hearty Soup: Thermos of reduced-sodium minestrone, lentil, chicken noodle, vegetarian chili, or black bean soup with whole grain crackers.
-Baked Chicken Nuggets: Look for healthy, baked brands made with white meat.
2. Produce
No lunchbox is complete without at least one produce pick. This can be raw or cooked veggies or a fruit (or both!). Vegetables are always unlimited—and if your kids only like two or three kinds, it’s perfectly fine to repeat.
Some of my top picks for kids:
Vegetables
-Baby Carrots
-Pepper Strips (especially sweet red bell peppers!)
-Sliced Cucumbers
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Cooked String Beans
-Cooked Sugar Snap Peas
-Cooked Edamame in Pod (soy beans)
Fruits
-Apple
-Banana
-Grapes
-Berries
-Peach
-Plum
-Nectarine
-Clementine
-Fruit cup (packed in juice)
-Natural, unsweetened apple sauce cup
3. Beverage
Keeping your kids well-hydrated helps them think, move, and perform at their best. That said, you don’t want to send them off to school with sugary-sweet beverages loaded with empty, liquid calories that spike blood sugars. Fortunately, there are several smart, refreshing options you can feel good about giving your kids.
Best choices for kids:
-Bottled water (use a fun, reusable water bottle and add a wedge of lemon, lime, or orange)
-Naturally-flavored, zero-calorie seltzer or waters (without sugar or artificial sweeteners)
-Skim or 1% low-fat milk
Other good choices:
-Blend of 100% fruit juice and water or seltzer (at least 50% water/seltzer)
-Skim milk with up to one tablespoon chocolate syrup
4. Fun Food!
Anything goes! The key is to watch portions and keep this treat around 150 calories. Bonus points for mom and dad if you can find a fun food that excites your child and offers up some nutrition, like low-fat pudding with calcium, light popcorn with fiber, or baked vegetable chips with vitamins and minerals.
Best choices for kids:
-Low-fat pudding cup
-Homemade trail mix (healthy cereal, dried fruit, nuts*)
-1 small bag soy crisps, veggie chips, or baked potato chips
-4 cups or 1 snack bag low-fat popcorn
-¼ cup roasted soybeans
-1 granola bar
-1 homemade, whole grain muffin
-Homemade oatmeal cookies
Other fun, calorie-controlled choices (sans nutrition!):
-Fun-size candy bar
-100-calorie pack
-2 small (or 1 large) cookie
-5 Hershey kisses
-1 ounce pretzels
-1 serving Goldfish crackers
-1 serving animal or graham crackers
-Rice Krispies treat
-Tootsie pop
*These meals and snacks are not appropriate for schools that maintain a nut-free environment.