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Not your mother’s brown bag lunchToday, healthy options for bag lunches abound and choosing foods your school-aged kids are sure to eat and enjoy is elementary.There was a time when a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, apple, cookie and carton of milk, purchased in the lunch line, were the staples of most brown bag lunches. In today’s world of mass media, mixed messages and bright advertising, options for sack lunches change daily and are as varied as the kids eating them. While variety is indeed a good thing when it comes to developing healthy eating habits, so is understanding that good nutrition starts with the basics – meat, fruit, vegetables, bread and dairy. Medical Center dietician Sue Schommer, RD, LD, said one of the most important things parents can do to make sure their children enjoy and will eat the items in their bag lunches is to plan them together. “That way, the child has a choice over what they’re eating and are able to pick for themselves something from the major food groups,” Schommer said. “It’s best when parents can ask, ‘What are your favorite fruits? What are your favorite vegetables? What would you like to have?’” Just because Johnny doesn’t like bananas, doesn’t mean there are not one or two other fruits, such as a cup of peaches or bag of grapes, that he won’t enjoy. Or if Janie doesn’t like carrot sticks, perhaps she’d be more excited about eating broccoli spears or cucumbers slices with dip. Other ways of keeping kids interested in their foods is by buying different kinds of lunchmeats; adding mustard, light mayo and other condiments; and using a variety of breads, such as wraps, pita, rolls, wheat, multi-grain or marble rye. When parents know what foods their youngsters are most likely to eat, they’re able to plan ahead and put together the lunch with little thought in the busy morning rush. “It’s just like planning any meal, it takes a little extra preparation, but by finding out what the child wants and keeping that list at hand when you go to the grocery store, you will have everything you need,” Schommer said. While children may insist on wanting processed foods, such as Lunchables, fruit-snacks and certain cheeses, their non-processed cousins are just as tasty, less expensive and much healthier. For instance, instead of buying the pre-packed cheese and crackers snack, try putting together cubes of real cheese, fresh turkey or chicken slices and wheat crackers. Or, rather than the sugary fruit snacks, buy dried fruits, like raisins, apricots or cherries. Other healthy options include a small bag of nuts or a granola bar, with brands such as Nature Valley, which has less sugar than chewier varieties, being the healthiest. Of course, most children appreciate a sweet snack in their lunch bags, and it’s completely acceptable to include a cookie or piece of candy, Schommer said, adding that healthier dessert options include a small container of pudding or yogurt. “But just have one small cookie, not four or five cookies,” Schommer said. “Keep the dessert small, otherwise they might fill up on that first and not want the rest of their lunch. “Those foods are important, all of us love them and we don’t want to cut them totally out of our diets. It’s important to learn how to eat those foods in a responsible way and we can teach our children about that by giving them a little of those foods, but not all of the time or as the main part of the meal.” Almost as important as packing the right sorts of foods are packing them in the correct way. “It’s really important to have an ice pack in with the lunch,” Schommer said. “There are not a lot of foods you can pack that are shelf stable, even cheese is not recommended to go without refrigeration.” Insulated lunch bags can be re-used daily and are sold at virtually all discount departments stores, such as Target or K-mart. Additionally, small ice packs are very inexpensive and can be purchased in multiples, so one can always be kept in the freezer and ready to use. “With a little bit of planning, you can pack a meal for your child to take to school that is healthy and fun to eat,” Schommer said. |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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