Gear Up this Fall with Easy and Healthy School Lunches and Snacks

By Dennette Bailey

Whether you already pack your child’s lunch and snacks, or you are looking to incorporate a few healthy meals from home in your child’s school lunch and snack regimen, these easy healthy school lunches and snacks are sure to be a winner.

Research published by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health (2012), the Journal of Nutrition (2009) and the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience published in 2013, all show that healthy meals and snacks aid in children’s ability to focus, think, and improve in their behavior, physical development and even test scores.

Although this method of improving your child’s cognitive abilities might impact your budget, you can alleviate some of those costs by eliminating some of the sugary and processed foods you may already have on your grocery list. 

In addition, making these healthy meals and snacks can become a great bonding pastime for you and your children.

How To:

Presentation

A major part of enjoying our food is all about the presentation. As a preschool teacher and certified nutritionist, I have persuaded my share of children to try a fruit or vegetable simply by putting a sticker on it or putting it in a pretty dish (proof the degrees and certifications don’t always outweigh creativity).

You can get imaginative and have a fancy dish day, a fun dish or even a character dish to display the food in. Children love bright colors. They can also relate to having takeaway dishes that resemble the ones the adults in their lives use.

Start Slow

Start out with 5 easy meals and snacks. You can rotate these and get a grasp for what your child likes. Try not to put more than 1 new food item per day in these school lunches and snacks to ensure your child is not hungry throughout the day.

Healthy School Lunches and Snacks

These all hold well in a lunch bag with an ice pack. It is important that the food stays at the right temperature so that the risk of food illness is low. 

1. Boiled Egg, celery sticks w/ranch, Strawberries/blueberries, Whole Grain bread or tortilla   Snack: whole grain cereal & banana (whole fruit item)
2. Deli turkey (consider a brand that has no added sugar/nitrates etc., also this is processed so let this be a once or twice a month treat), Lettuce/tomato w/dressing, mandarins/oranges, whole grain tortilla or bread   Snack: Wheat Thins & pears
3. Black Beans, Salsa, Corn, whole grain tortilla   Snack: graham crackers & yogurt 
4. Shredded roasted chicken, sweet potato, pineapples, whole grain bread

 Snack: whole grain Ritz crackers, Almond butter, & apple sauce (no sugar, instead add cinnamon for flavor)

1. Shredded cheese or cheese sticks, carrots, peaches, whole grain bread 

Snack: whole grain Saltines & grapes

Consider packing water instead of Juices as they have high sugar content. If your child drinks milk, consider saving those for breakfast and dinner meals at home to avoid a temperature that is not healthy to keep in a lunch box. Children need to drink lots of water, and they are likely to take advantage of drinking water during the school day when they are using a lot of energy.

Food is certainly a love language. Making healthy meals and snacks for your child is a way to say I love you to your child in a way that benefits them today and for the rest of their lives’.

If you are looking for more ways to help your child benefit from healthy eating check out this blog on sweet summer treats for children with little to no sugar at  https://triadmomsonmain.com/my-blog/sweet-summer-treats-without-the-sugar/

Or if you want to make sure you waste less of the healthy food you buy, check out this blog at https://triadmomsonmain.com/my-blog/april-24-is-stop-food-waste-day-try-these-activities-at-home-to-use-more-trash-less/

Some other fun ideas from Modern Honey