Kids' Lunch- Make it Healthy AND Fun!

Help kids achieve and maintain a healthy weight- make school lunch Healthy AND Fun! 

As a follow-up from last week to our introduction to Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, today we are going to talk about how to help kids eat healthy by sending them to school with a healthy lunch they are more likely to actually eat. There are 2 important points to keep in mind- 1st, it's important to give kids healthy food choices and 2nd, they need to eat it!

Give them a choice

Our kids have few choices in life. Most of the time they are told what to do and are not always involved in making that decision. When they choose, they are more likely to eat healthy. The key: make ALL the options healthy! They may not like fruits or veggies, but let them make the choice- carrots or celery; orange or apple; cucumber or tomato.

Add dip

Not all dip options are great, but if the only way we get them to make a healthier choice is letting them dip it something more appetizing to them, then maybe a little is okay- but only a little! The better option is to find a healthy dipping option- perhaps one you can make with them at home! Just as allowing them to choose helps with follow through on eating healthy, getting them involved with food preparation can do the same thing. Find simple dip recipes that include healthier ingredients like plain non-fat yogurt and get the kids involved in making it- maybe give them recipe options to choose from too. It can be a quality time experience for the whole family!

Make it special

Creating special lunch-time options can help kids eat healthier too. Try mini-kabobs by cubing low-sodium deli chicken or turkey and cheese- fruits and vegetables like grapes or grape tomatoes. Also use different types of bread, like pita or tortillas. With whole-wheat options, unique food choices can be appealing to kids too. Using hummus and fresh vegetables can be added to improve taste and nutritional value too.

Presentation Counts!

Kids are more likely to eat things in smaller, bite-size pieces or slices. Whether it's a sandwich or fruit-medley, making it "kid-size" makes it more appealing, which increases the likelihood it will be eaten. Create fun shapes or designs on sandwiches or with fruit to keep things fun as well.

Warm their hearts- with hot lunch!

Using a thermos to periodically add warm options to their lunch menu. Again, just make the warm options as healthy as possible. If macaroni & cheese is their favorite, make a homemade version using whole-grain pasta options and even add some small broccoli florets. Or, try 3-bean chili with carrots and zucchini- whatever they like at home, try to put a healthy option on their lunch menu.

Quench their thirst- with Water!

Water is a much better choice than sugary fruit juice or soda-pop. The health benefits of water are many and the negatives from juice or soda are also MANY! Stick with water, but try to keep it tasty by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime to add some natural flavor.

Size Matters- Teach them portion control!

It is becoming more clear that the type of calories we consume is important, but still debated. What isn't debated is the simple math that weight control is highly influenced by the balance between calories consumed  and calories used. That being said, portion control might be the single most important factor in maintaining healthy energy balance. Make sure kids know how much they should be eating- good or bad, if we're still eating too much we're still going to battle obesity.

Now what?

Before you start packing lunches for Johnny and Jill, check with their school's policy about sack lunches. Many schools no longer allow peanut butter or other foods due to potentially lethal allergic reactions (yes, that means no PB&J). Next, find a go-to-resource for healthy recipes and make your shopping list. Include kids in this part of the process by giving them a choice from some of the healthy recipes you find. Next, ask your friends and family for ideas- share your ideas- share the information you just read- and share with us! What suggestions do you have for helping kids eat healthy?