Back to School Lunch Tips

It’s that time of the year — the kids to go back in school and parents to return to “normal” schedules.  School, afterschool activities, filling lunch boxes, and grocery store trips are on the agenda.  Don’t let these extra steps in your day interfere with making healthy food choices and getting regular exercise and physical activity.  Some parents may feel like they struggle with choosing healthy and tasty foods for the kid’s lunch boxes or whipping up a quick, simple and nutritious dinner for those busy weeknights.  Parents: don’t forget your lunch too!  As parents, we must model healthy choices to set an example for our children because they are watching you.  Smart food choices can be made with a little creativity and help from the following ideas for kids and adults.

Make sure you fill your lunch box with a combination of lean or low-fat protein along with fiber from whole grains, beans, nuts, vegetables and/or fruits that will provide your body with fuel for the afternoon and keep you full and satisfied until dinner.

For those who access to a refrigerator and microwave, leftovers make a perfect cost friendly and time-saving lunch.  Just make a couple extra servings for dinner and keep refrigerated in an air tight container for the next day.

Packed lunch ideas:

• 2 slices of avocado, 3 ounces of deli turkey, and fresh tomato slices on 2 slices of whole grain bread or 6 inch tortillas (whole wheat or corn)
• 1 Whole grain pita pocket filled with tuna salad made with low fat mayo (or plain Greek yogurt) and fresh tomato slices and lettuce leafs
• Make your own “lunchable”: whole grain crackers, fresh deli meat, and low fat cheese
• 1 cup baby carrots and ¼ cup salsa
• 1 stalk of celery filled with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter (add raisins for “Ants on a log”- fun for the kids)
• 1 cup of raw broccoli and cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of hummus
• ½ cup low fat cottage cheese with ½ cup of fresh fruit
• 2 tablespoons of dry roasted nuts
• 1 cup of low fat yogurt or greek yogurt
• 1 ounce of low fat cheese stick and ½ cup of fresh fruit
• 1 small apple and 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• ½ cup applesauce (no sugar added)
• ½ cup fat free (or sugar free) chocolate pudding

Over the past three decades, the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children ages 2-5 years and adolescents’ ages 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children ages 6-11 years. Along with the rise in obesity is also the rise in Type II Diabetes which used to be unheard of in young children. Now kids between 10-20 years old represent a very high percentage of the new cases of diabetes being diagnosed.