10 Back to School Lunch Tips

 Back to school time! Which means time to pack those healthy lunches for the kids. To ease the monotony of daily planning and to help prevent falling into the possible rut of bologna sandwiches for lunch, I have included the following tips to help your kids get the healthy lunches they deserve.

1. For variation, make sandwiches on whole grain muffins instead of bread. 

2. Save the small containers from low-fat yogurt. They can be used for packing items such as fruit salad or cottage cheese and then discarded. 

3.Pack fresh or dried fruit for dessert. It’s sweet and it’s healthful. 

4. For children who resist whole wheat bread, make a sandwich with one slice each of white and whole wheat bread and call it a "special" sandwich. 

5. Vary the fillings in children's sandwiches. Try peanut butter with raisins, bananas, or chopped apples for a change. 

6. Help children to cut and wrap their own fresh fruits and vegetables. They will be more likely to eat them if they do. 

7. Pack a whole grain muffin in place of a cupcake. 

8. Buy whole wheat pretzels instead of fat-laden potato chips or taco chips. 

9. Let the children help pack their favorite healthy items in the containers. 

10. Core an apple and fill the center with peanut butter. It makes a wonderful lunch box treat.