Saturday, September 8, 2012

Back to School, Back to Lunch !


 
By Mary Oleksowicz, MSTOM , L. Ac
Welcoming the children to the school year is always a time filled with memories and hopes. For many mothers, ( including myself) , it is also a time to try and keep the lunchbox not only healthy but exciting . This week, we will look at healthy back to school meal options for lunch, breakfast and dinner !

Diversity in the lunchbox not only makes children more likely to eat lunch but sets healthy eating habits for the future.  As with traditional meal planning , the key to nutritional health is of course portion size and inclusion of fruits, veggies and low-fat proteins.

In addition to the traditional sandwiches , Bento box approached to lunch are great for kids . Bento box lunches and their associated storage boxes are a great way to allow children to have fun as they eat. The segmented containers allow space for appropriate portions of not only  fruits and protein but also dips to prevent sogginess!  Most children enjoy snacking  and this approach allows you to quickly and easily “swap” out one or two items during the course of the week to allow for variety.





Some easy items to try out include:

  • Coring and slicing apples and turning them into “bread”, squirt with a bit of apple juice to prevent browning and fill with your favorite nut butter, semi soft cheese or even tuna salad !
 

  • Fruit kabobs on pretzel sticks . You can either prepare or allow older children to build them themselves. I also include cheese or  curry and cinnamon baked tofu for protein . Fruit yogurt as a ‘dip’ is also an object .

Be sure to involve the children in the decision process ! Next time we will visit easy breakfast ideas.

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