The ABCs of a Healthy Lunch

Section: Food

Dannon® Danimals

(Family Features) - If your kids received a grade for the lunches they not only take from home, but actually eat at school, what do you think it would be?

When kids eat packed lunches that are healthy and flavorful from foods they've chosen, everybody goes to the head of the class. But, as in any other subject, getting an A+ in lunch involves a little homework.

Approach the lunch box as a chance to help kids learn to make smart food choices. "Involve them in the planning," says Roberta Duyff, registered dietitian and author of the American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide. "As a parent, it's up to you to decide what foods to offer and when. Let your children choose foods from what you offer - and the amount. For example, offer two to three choices for their packed lunch. You might ask, `Which fruit would you like with your lunch: a banana, an apple or a tangerine?'"

With so many portable food options, there's plenty for you to offer. Kids' lunches can be healthful, fun and taste good too. For more fiber, make sandwiches with any whole-grain bread your kids enjoy, suggests Duyff. For an easy-to-eat sandwich, roll up turkey and chopped lettuce or peanut butter and banana slices in a flour tortilla. Fruit juice is a great take-along beverage choice; for better nutrition, make sure it's real juice and not a fruit-flavored soda. If your kids choose juice, offer them other milk group foods as a source of calcium; for example, cheese in a sandwich or a yogurt.

Finger Foods

Kids of all ages like finger foods that are easy to pick up with their hands. Sandwiches or tortilla roll-ups are great - just cut them into small pieces. Raw vegetables are colorful, crisp and healthful. Let kids decide what veggies to take: sticks of crunchy cucumber or green zucchini, "coins" of summer squash or orange carrots, small grape or cherry tomatoes. Include a small container of ranch dressing, yogurt dip or salsa for veggie dipping. Whole grain crackers, cheese cubes or string cheese and small whole fruits are easy to handle too.

Portion Control

"Be sensible about portions for kids. Adult-size portions aren't right for younger children, whose stomachs are smaller," adds Duyff. "Let your child's appetite guide how much to pack. If a child tosses or brings home part of his or her lunch, talk about why. Maybe you packed too much. The `clean plate' (or empty lunch box) expectation may lead to overeating. Your child doesn't have to finish everything - if he or she feels full and is growing properly."

"Young children about 3 to 5 years old follow their internal cues to know when they're full," says Duyff. "After age 6 or so, children start eating in response to external cues, such as parental or peer pressure or bigger-than-needed portions. Overeating can become an issue when kids no longer follow their own cues of hunger and fullness," adds Duyff. "Parents are wise to be good role models for portion size and perhaps relearn - and follow - their own satiety signals to avoid overeating."

Set up a lunch center in your home that's low enough for kids to reach. Even the smallest kids can put animal or graham crackers in plastic bags and put whole fruit in their lunch boxes.
Have kids help you plan and prepare lunches the night before if mornings are hectic. Keep packed lunch boxes in the refrigerator overnight.
Offer variety. Besides a sandwich, yogurt or leftover chicken, include a fruit and a raw vegetable. Snack foods like chips or cookies provide little nutritional value; offer them only once in a while and make the portions small.
Include a good-tasting source of calcium - cheese in a sandwich, yogurt or a packaged pudding. Dannon Danimals Lowfat Yogurt, a good source of both calcium and protein, is a great lunch or snack food that kids and moms can agree on.
Pack a dip like peanut butter for celery or carrot sticks, ranch dressing or yogurt for raw veggies. Use small, disposable plastic containers with lids, available at party supply stores.
Help your child keep perishable lunch foods safe to eat. Keep small chill packs in your freezer to tuck into the lunch box to keep yogurt, milk, sandwiches and other foods made with meat, poultry, fish or eggs cold.
Think outside the lunch box. If your child loved the tomato soup or bean chili you had for dinner, heat it up in the microwave the next morning, and pack it in a thermal container so it stays hot for lunch. Avoid heated, portable foods with meat, poultry, fish or eggs - they may not stay hot enough for food safety.
Encourage exercise with a handwritten note that says something like, "Now that you've enjoyed your lunch, go play catch!"
Practice food safety. At school, remind your kids to store their lunch boxes in a cool and clean place, out of the sun. Teach your kids to wash their hands with soap and water before eating; tuck in a moist hand-sanitizing wipe with their lunch. Together, make sure your kids' lunch boxes and food containers are washed with soap and water after every use.
Investigate more creative ways to get your kids to eat healthy foods. Browse kids' cookbooks at the library or the bookstore for great ideas.