Healthy School Lunch Tips and Ideas:

Tips for packing a school lunch:

1.   Include foods from each food group

• Use lean meat (chicken, turkey) or fish (tuna, salmon).

• Pack colorful vegetables such as cucumber, carrots, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, celery, or sugar snap peas.

• Include fiber rich foods- legumes, lentils, beans (garbanzo, kidney, black, or pinto).

• Choose 100% whole wheat – (tortilla, bread, bagel).

• Add at least 1 fruit with your lunch (apple, banana, orange, berries, kiwi or mango).

• Include dairy, milk - 1% or 2%, cheese, or yogurt.

• Make sure juice is labeled 100% juice.

• Pack water for hydration.  Add frozen fruit into their water for flavor.

2.   Get your kid involved – Kids are more like to eat what they pack

• Give your child food options from each food group and let your child choose what they would like in their lunch.

• Take your child grocery shopping and let them pick a new fruit or vegetable or snack food to pack in their lunch.

• Invest in an insulated bag or Bento box to organize their meal.

3.   Make it fun

• Use cookie cutters to make shapes out of bread or cheese or make melon balls.

• Make colorful food kabobs.

• Get creative and make ethnic or themed lunches such as steamed wontons for Chinese New Year or chocolate covered strawberries for Valentine’s Day.

• Include a fun snack such as our no bake energy bites (Go to our vegetarian recipes on our website for our German Chocolate Date Bites’ recipe) or Ants on a log or yogurt covered raisins.

• Remember to include a love note or an inspirational quote to put a smile on your child’s face.

Check out our recipes for more ideas.