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It's
time to refresh the school lunch bag plans
September 9, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Back
by popular demand, it’s time for the annual school bag
lunch primer. Readers stumped for creative ideas have asked
me to weigh in with tips and ideas to help them get started
this year.
The challenge: What can you pack for a child’s lunch
that’s quick and easy, keeps well out of the refrigerator
for a few hours, is nutritious and – most importantly
– will actually be eaten?
That last point requires ingenuity. We all get into ruts,
and kids get tired of peanut butter sandwiches and apples.
Before I offer my suggestions, let me lay out some ground
rules. Whatever you pack, keep a few simple standards in mind:
* Minimal junk. Chips, fruit drinks, commercial cakes and
cookies, candy-bar-granola bars and cookie-like toaster pastries
don’t belong in the bag.
Manufacturers make these foods very appealing because they’re
often packaged in single-serving wrappers. It’s easy
to grab a bag of chips and a box of juice, piecing together
a bag lunch like a jigsaw puzzle.
Natural often isn’t enough. Organic, all-natural cheese
doodles are still …junk. Keeping these foods out of
the house is the best way to protect against a steady diet
of low-fiber, low-nutrition lunches this year.
* Minimal caloric beverages. Juice boxes, sugar-sweetened
milk drinks, soft drinks and sweet tea are strategic no-nos
because they contribute to problems of obesity in children.
Pack zero-calorie drinks. Your best bet: bottles of plain
water.
* Minimal processed entrees. In addition to jettisoning junky
snacks, go light on packaged entrees including frozen meals
and vacuum-packed cheese and meat ensembles.
These foods are usually high in sodium and low in fiber.
As you think about what to pack, don’t get hung up on
having a focal point for the meal. Lunch doesn’t have
to center around a sandwich.
Keep it tidy and portable, too. Minimize the need for leaky
containers that make backpacks messy and become moldy by the
time they’re finally recovered from the bottom of the
pack.
OK, let’s pack Timmy’s lunch.
Mix and match foods, adjusting portion sizes to meet your
child’s calorie needs. This year, try some of these
ideas:
* Nonfat, Greek-style yogurt. I buy cases of Chobani brand
at Costco. Pack a small bag of granola for adding to yogurt
cups.
* Cut up fruit. Pack big slices of plums, nectarines, apples,
oranges, or whatever looks good in season. Grapes and berries
are also good finger foods.
* Cut up veggies. Pack cucumber and bell pepper slices and
baby carrots. Salad dressing and salsa are OK for dipping,
or keep it neat by just packing veggies plain.
* Popcorn, trans fat free and lightly salted or plain.
* Tossed green salads. Make them more substantial by including
a small bag of trail mix that can be sprinkled over the salad
at mealtime.
* Other substantial salads. Make your own or buy deli salads
such as pasta salad, bean salad, potato salad, cole slaw,
carrot raisin salad and couscous salad. Pack a few whole wheat
crackers, too.
* Cheeseless pizza. My kids eat the roasted vegetable pizzas
sold in natural foods stores and at Trader Joe’s. Bake
them the night before and pack slices for lunch.
Pack what works this week, knowing you’ll need to find
something new to make it interesting again next week.
Keep trying. Keep changing.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
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