School Lunch Fun

Summer Vacation Ends at one time - New Clothes - School Supplies - Going to Bed Early - Alarm Clocks - Rushing Around the House - Packing Backpacks - Heading Out Door - Hurrying to Catch the School Bus - New Beginnings - Moving On - First Day of School. I always said I would dread the day to pack a lunch every day...However, I refuse to let my daughter eat school lunch. So to make packing lunches fun, affordable, and healthy, here are some ideas! I've started thinking now!!!

Do school cafeteria's really provide healthy lunches?

If your child is among the '26 million children each school day' that eat the 'nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches' provided by the National School Lunch Program, you may think that they are eating healthy. But did you know that the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and the Healthy School Lunch Campaign say that the 'menus served in school lunch programs are too rich in saturated fat and cholesterol and too low in fiber- and nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes'? That is a whole different blog I could write on. Bottom line, from what I see as a teacher, kids do not have healthy options. Why do we have so many obese kids today? Look at what they are eating!

Let Them Choose Their Own Lunch Box
Making decisions help make children more confidant. Even better than choosing a lunch box, why not have them help you make one

Labels and Notes

http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/fruitlabels.pdf
These are some cute notes you can put in their lunches...preprint them and have them handy by your lunchboxes.

These notes below can be found at http://www.skiptomylou.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/customlunchboxnotes.pdf



Often lose a lunchbox? Check this out
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/pdf1/0904_lunchlabels1.pdf




It's easy to accessorize paper lunch bags. Photocopy or print designs onto precut stickers, or print onto sheets of sticker paper and cut out. Affix to a lunch bag for a fun midday surprise. Read more at Marthastewart.com: Lunch Labels and more creative crafts projects, templates, tips, clip-art, patterns, and ideas on marthastewart.com

Healthy Lunch Ideas


Packing your kids' lunches for school is a great way to monitor the nutritional content of their meals. Sometimes kids don't want to bring their own lunch to school because their friends don't bring theirs, or they would prefer to eat the lunch the school serves. One fun thing to do is to put a note in your child's lunch. The note can be an encouragement for an upcoming test, congratulations for doing well on a project, a cute little drawing, or simply "I Love You." Another idea is to buy some plain bags, and use stamps, markers and crayons to have your kids decorate their own lunch bags, or they can personalize their siblings' lunch bags.

Sandwiches are a popular choice for a school lunch. Remember that meats, dairy products, and eggs are perishable, so be sure to use a freezer pack to keep them cold. Choose whole grain bread, wraps, or pitas. If your child resists whole grain breads, use bread that is made with some whole grain but still has the flavor and texture of white bread. Each sandwich should have a healthy protein source and healthy toppings. Some suggestions:

•Tuna sandwich wrap with light mayonnaise, lettuce and tomatoes
•Egg salad sandwich on whole grain bread
•Peanut butter, cashew, or almond butter with a 100 percent fruit spread on whole grain bread (a healthier PB&J)
•Sliced turkey, lean roast beef, or chicken from the deli--or left over from last night's dinner--with light mayonnaise, mustard, and a slice of cheese
What should you send along with the sandwich? A piece of fresh fruit is healthy but can get a bit boring after a while. Skip the greasy chips and choose from these healthier ideas, just remember to keep perishables cold:
•Send a salad in a small plastic container. Keep the dressing on the side in a separate smaller container.
•Cheese sticks go well with sandwiches and are a good source of calcium.
•Whole grain snack crackers add a nice crunch and lots of healthy fiber.
•Make a fruit salad with grapes, melons chunks, and blueberries.
•Dried fruit, like raisins, dried cranberries or banana chips
•Nuts like almonds, cashews, or walnuts
•Pack a cold pasta salad, cole slaw, or potato salad.
•Baby carrots with a small container of vegetable dip
•Crunchy raw green beans with a small container of ranch or french onion dip
•Prepackaged, flavored low-fat yogurt

Some other lunch suggestions:

Invest in cool lunch equipment. Let your kids choose a lunch box, insulated lunch bag or even a plain brown paper lunch bag to express their style. A word to the wise, moms: The Lunchables(TM) Lunch Combinations Lunchroom Monitor Survey revealed that older kids (age 11 to 12) prefer brown bags, while younger kids (age 8 to 10) prefer lunch boxes. Snack-size plastic baggies also are a great tool to have on hand to help teach kids about portion control and offer an easy way to stash kid-friendly snacks in knapsacks.

Cold pack. Keep refrigerated items such as low-fat yogurt, cheese and lean deli meats fresh by including a frozen ice pack or freezing 100 percent juice boxes that you plan to include. Remember that the containers are likely to sweat while thawing, so wrap them well in plastic wrap to prevent your child's lunch from becoming soggy.

Include their favorites. Pack your child's favorite foods in their lunch every now and then, whether it's cold pizza, pasta or chips. Just keep an eye on the portion size: All foods can fit into a healthy diet if eaten in moderation and in the right portion.

Dip or dunk. Kids love to dip their food because it gives pizazz to regular items, such as carrots and apples. According to Lunchroom Monitor Survey, vegetables are second only to chicken nuggets when it comes to the favorite foods to dunk. So for dunking appeal, pack low-fat dressings and sauces with lunches.

Celebrate special days. Plan lunch menus around a special event. For example, pack an all-red lunch in celebration of Valentine's Day, include a fortune cookie to celebrate Chinese New Year or a cupcake on your child's birthday.

Transform healthy foods into tasty treats. Add variety to your kid's lunch by sending items, such as vegetables, in a new way. If you are trying to get your child to eat celery, spread peanut butter on it.

How it stacks up. Kids like foods that are fun, interactive and tasty. Oscar Mayer® Lunchables(TM) Fun Fuel® Pile-Ups not only provide four of the five food groups moms look for, they also allow kids to stack and eat their lunches any way they want.




Have fun!!! Before you know it you will be packing lunches again!!!