Pack a Power Lunch for Your Child

Government nutrition guidelines say kids older than age two should be eating the same good diet as adults: fruits and veggies, fat-free or low-fat milk, beans, eggs, nuts, whole grains and lean meat, poultry and fish.

Packing a healthy lunch for your school-age child — and one that they’ll want to eat — can be a particular challenge. Here are some tips:

Get Your Kids Involved
Have your children help you work out a menu for the week so they can play a role in choosing foods they like that are also good for them. This can also simplify your food shopping.

Get Creative
Sandwiches can be boring. Jazz up your child’s lunch with different kinds of whole-grain breads, like whole-grain pita pockets, tortilla wraps, raisin bread or English muffins. Make kebabs with cut-up fruits and vegetables, and include yogurt or salad dressing as a dip. Toss in a salad with some chicken on top. Pack dry cereal or granola to mix into yogurt, or snacks of pretzels or trail mix. Remember to choose low-fat or nonfat foods whenever you can.

Aim for a Balanced Meal
Here’s a lunch formula for the power and energy your child needs to make it through the day:

  • Lots of fruits and vegetables (such as carrot sticks, celery or apples)
  • Milk or yogurt, or some cheese
  • Small bit of dessert (such as pudding or graham crackers)
  • Some meat or tuna fish, hard-boiled eggs, beans, nuts or trail mix
  • Some whole-grain bread for a sandwich, cereal mix or pasta (such as spaghetti)

A turkey and cheese wrap with lettuce and tomato, plus an apple or banana and some milk would cover all this.

Practice Safe Packing
A packed lunch carries the added responsibility of keeping the food safe to eat. That means keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. One study found that less than a third of parents included a cold pack when packing yogurt, meat and other foods that need refrigeration.

For More Information
For more information about nutrition counseling, please call 619-740-4632. For more information about nutrition support services for patients, please call 619-740-4621. For health, wellness and weight management classes, please call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277).

To learn more about Sharp's nutrition services or to find a Sharp-affiliated physician, search for San Diego doctors or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. To find general information about nutrition, read the Nutrition News archive.