Healthy Lunch Tips For Kids

The foods we put into our bodies profoundly impact our health and well being. Even if you make sure your children eat nutritious meals at home, it can be challenging to pack healthy yet convenient lunches that your kids will want to eat when you're not around.

"Our supermarkets are filled with temping, often expensive foods that are high in fats and salt and low in nutrition," said Rachel Freiberg, a registered dietitian with Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Weight Management Program. "There are easy ways to give your child a healthy, delicious lunch that's not too expensive. It just takes a little advance planning and creative thinking."

Here are some tips for a packable lunch that works great for kids – and even adults – that are nutritious and delicious (as well as quick and economical):

• Make sandwiches using whole grain bread and cut into different shapes with cookie cutters, or use whole wheat pita bread or rolls. Pack lettuce and tomato separately to avoid sogginess.

• Sneak in vegetables by packing baby carrots and cut-up bell peppers or broccoli.

• Include some bite-size fruits such as banana, apple, grapes, blueberries or strawberries, and a small cup of yogurt (preferably low in sugar). Dried fruit, which contains just as much vitamins as raw fruit, is also a great addition to any lunch, especially since it doesn't get squished like raw fruits.

• Don't limit lunch to "lunch-type" foods. Cereal with fruit and yogurt make a very healthy lunch.

• Cook larger meals than you need for your family's dinner, and set aside portions of the leftovers for lunch.

• Make a healthy pizza for lunch using a bagel or English muffin for the crust, and then add tomato sauce, cheese and vegetables.

Freiberg also recommends getting your kids and other family members involved in making meals, such as chopping and prepping the foods, and grocery shopping.

"If your kids have an active role in preparing the family's meals and are part of the decision-making process, they will be more likely to eat – and enjoy – the healthy foods that you're presenting them," she said. "You will be setting them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits."