Healthy Lunches for the Whole Family

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Healthy Lunches for the Whole Family :

Sep 07, 2007

Providing healthy lunches for your child can be a daunting challenge. At home the task is a bit easier, but what do you do about school lunches?

Although most school lunches today meet USDA guidelines, that still doesn't mean your child will eat the foods served in the appropriate portions. So, you may just want to consider packing your childā€™s school lunch at home.

Start by including your child in grocery shopping. Purchase foods with less than 5 grams of fat and/or less than 15 grams of sugar and teach him how to read food labels. Let him select one fruit and vegetable to try each week and skip the candy, cookie and soda aisle.

At home include your child in lunch preparation. Add bottled water or low-fat milk to school lunch bags, not high-sugar beverages such as sodas or fruit drinks. When making sandwiches, try to use whole wheat bread, which will provide additional fiber and help your child feel full. If she is not accustomed to eating whole wheat bread, try using the "White-Wheat Bread," which is available in the market, and gradually change over to the whole wheat bread. Here are some ideas for delicious and healthy sandwich fillers:

Reduced-fat cold cuts (less than about 5 grams of fat per ounce). Note: Any cold cut tends to be higher in sodium so try to use leftover cooked (fresh -- not processed) poultry beef or lean pork for sandwich fillers.

Water-packed tuna or chicken is fine, but watch the mayonnaise. One cup of regular mayonnaise contains almost 2,000 calories and 200 grams of fat. Use the reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise.

Peanut butter, although higher in fat, is a healthier type of fat called monounsaturated, which will not adversely affect blood cholesterol levels.

Add cheese to sandwiches for additional calcium, especially if your child is not a milk-drinker.

Fat-free toppings include ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, taco sauce and salsa.

For a healthy alternative, try stuffing pita bread with fresh or leftover grilled vegetables (add a little olive oil and feta cheese if desired), cheese and/or other healthy fillers as desired. Or try making homemade wraps using tortillas and your favorite fillings. Hint: Spreading the tortilla with a little reduced-fat (or Neufchatel) cream cheese will give the fillings more "sticking power" and make it easier to roll.

Some wrap suggestions include:

Use leftover BBQ chicken, a little cheddar or American cheese, reduced-fat ranch dressing and your childā€™s favorite vegetables for a great BBQ wrap. Hint: This is also good in a pita.

Use reduced-fat cream cheese, sliced turkey, leftover turkey bacon, a little cheddar or American cheese and salsa to make a tasty and different turkey wrap.