Community Corner
Fighting the Back-to-School Lunch Box Blues
Want to get and "A" in lunch-packing at school this year? Fill your kids' school lunchboxes with lower-fat meats and cheese, whole grains snacks and interesting bread choices.
Lindbergh, Fox and the Northwest School Districts are all back in session. It's time for local parents to tackle the yearly lunch box challenge: how to pack a lunch that’s healthy and one kids will eat.
According to FDA Senior Nutrition Policy Advisor Shirley Blakely, there are plenty of healthy lunch box options beyond peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat bread. She recommends adding fruit and veggies to the lunch box.
Easy and fun munchies can include foods such as as sliced apples, grapes, baby carrots or grape tomatoes. Add in a low-fat dressing or yogurt for a veggie or fruit dip.
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Also, make an effort to cut fat and lower sodium. Select lower sodium foods and leaner cuts of lunchmeats and cheese. Incorporate whole-grain breads and pretzels and crackers into lunches and after-school snacks. Also, when buying chips, consider baked chips.
To make lunch more fun ask your kids to get involved in food shopping and making their own lunches. Kids love to cook, even if it’s something as simple as making a sandwich.
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The test cooks at suggest cutting sandwiches into fun shapes using cookie cutters, which could encourage your child to finish the entire sandwich. Also, think beyond sliced bread. Build a sandwich on pita, biscuits, or use tortillas for wraps.
While the retro tin lunch box might be cool, insulated lunch boxes and bags are the best way to keep food at a safe temperature until noon. Try nestling a frozen juice pouch or ice pack inside the lunchbox to help keep sandwiches cool.
At school, kids should store their lunch boxes out of direct sunlight and away from radiators or other heaters if possible. Sandwiches made with refrigerated items such as luncheon meats, cheese and tuna salad should be carried in an insulated lunch bag with an ice pack, which should keep the food safe to eat after two to three hours.
No matter what you pack in the lunch box, you’ll score an A+ when you can set a healthy example for your kids by eating healthy yourself.
To learn more fun lunch box ideas, visit www.boarshead.com or Pillsbury.com. To learn more about the President's Task Force on Childhood Obesity, visit LetsMove.gov.