{"id":18602,"date":"2018-09-24T15:45:47","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T21:45:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=18602"},"modified":"2024-08-16T09:38:54","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T15:38:54","slug":"choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing healthful school lunches and snacks"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Students have been back to school for a few weeks now, but families may still be discussing whether children should take a brown-bag lunch to school or purchase a meal at the school\u2019s caf\u00e9.<\/p>\n

\"A
Healthy school lunches should include lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, fruit and some kind of dairy like milk, yogurt or cheese. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

School lunches, improving in recent years, may offer some healthful options and some not-so-healthful ones.<\/p>\n

Given the choice, many kids will choose the latter \u2013 like pizza every day, no veggies and high-sugar chocolate milk, said Anita Wolfe<\/a>, a nurse practitioner at UCHealth\u2019s Lone Tree Primary Care clinic in Lone Tree<\/a>.<\/p>\n

With 24 years of professional practice, specializing in women\u2019s and children\u2019s health, and nine years as a mom under her belt, Wolfe is a good person to ask about creating healthful lunches for kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really all about those choices,\u201d she said. \u201cAt school, they may have a healthy option, like a salad bar, but the kids still choose pizza or a hamburger and french fries every day. I think all <\/em>their options should be healthy options. I send my own kid\u2019s lunches because given the choice she may not choose the healthy option.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also, homemade lunches are usually better because a parent can tailor the meal to the child\u2019s needs and tastes. If your child has a food allergy or dietary issue, for example, you can address that, she said.<\/p>\n

Also, school lunches tend to be repetitive. They serve the same things over and over.<\/p>\n

With a homemade lunch, \u201cyou can have variety and make it healthy and what your child likes and will eat,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Ideally, a healthful lunch \u2013 one-third of your child\u2019s daily intake of nutrition \u2013 should include some form of lean protein, a whole grain, a vegetable, fruit, and a source of calcium, like milk, yogurt or cheese.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe protein should not be fried. Chicken tenders are OK if they\u2019re white meat chicken strips that are baked. But not so much if they are a processed chicken product that is heavily breaded and fried,\u201d Wolfe said.<\/p>\n

The same dish served at school may not be nutritionally equivalent to the one made at home. Mac and cheese, for example is likely made from white pasta and processed cheese at school. At home, she uses high-protein pasta and natural cheese.<\/p>\n

But homemade lunches don\u2019t have to be that elaborate,
\nWolfe said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread,\u201d she said. Her own daughter doesn\u2019t like jelly, so Wolfe dots the peanut butter with a few semi-sweet chocolate chips as an alternative treat.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll kids love sweets, so it\u2019s OK to throw in a bit of sweet,\u201d like a chocolate kiss or a mini candy bar, she said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with a little sugar if you eat healthy otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what are some healthful things a parent can pack for a kid\u2019s lunch?<\/p>\n

Sandwiches and wraps with whole-grain bread or tortillas, lean meat and veggies are a good standby.<\/p>\n

Raw veggies, such as carrots, celery, jicama and grape tomatoes \u2013 with or without dip \u2013 are a good choice. (Be sure the dip is low-fat.) Or look for baked veggie straws or baked potato chips in single serving pouches as a side to a sandwich.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of kids love those little seaweed packets,\u201d Wolfe said. I don\u2019t like seaweed, but my daughter does, and all of her friends love it, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kids also love string cheese, she said, and that\u2019s an alternative source of calcium. You could also add a mini yogurt (check the sugar content) for a calcium boost.<\/p>\n

For fruit, she likes to send fresh strawberries, apple slices or Clementines, which she peels because most kids\u2019 lunch breaks are short and they don\u2019t have time to peel fruit.<\/p>\n

Wolfe also recommended buying high-protein, low-fat milk (like 1 percent or skim) and noted that some milk products are also lower in sugar.<\/p>\n

Instead of buying those ready-made lunch packs in the grocery store, make your own with chunks of turkey or low-sodium ham, natural cheese and whole-grain crackers.<\/p>\n

Leftovers from home can make good lunches, too. Leftover chili or soup (or a good canned soup with veggies or beans) are ideal for winter-time lunches, but you may need to invest in a Thermos to keep them warm.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn some elementary schools, kids can\u2019t use the microwave,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n

There are lots of new, creative recipes that incorporate healthful foods into treats \u2013 like brownies made with avocado, or muffins made with applesauce and protein powder. They can make a nice addition to a lunch sack.<\/p>\n

Some good protein bars are also healthful. Some taste like a cookie or even a candy bar, but are high in protein, she said. Just read the labels to watch for high levels of sugar.\u00a0 Wolfe says protein bars often have enough calories to satisfy a child at lunch. She uses them once in a while for her daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf she\u2019s tired of sandwiches, I\u2019ll give her a high-protein bar with some string cheese and some veggies, like baby carrots or celery with peanut butter,\u201d Wolfe said. \u201cShe even likes raw broccoli \u2013 dipped in ketchup.\u201d<\/p>\n

What things should you avoid in lunches?<\/p>\n

Wolfe said to limit high-sugar treats, at least in any quantity. She also recommends avoiding juice boxes \u2013 \u201ctoo high in sugar.\u201d<\/p>\n

If your child drinks milk, that\u2019s the best option as a beverage, but if not, try good old water, or one of the flavored (but not sweetened) bottled waters. If they don\u2019t drink milk, opt for one of the calcium replacements already mentioned.<\/p>\n

One issue with brown-bag lunches is food safety. Wolfe suggested putting a freezer pack in your child\u2019s lunch to keep everything cool until lunchtime. Milk can be purchased in containers that don\u2019t need refrigeration, too. The freezer pack will cool it down for palatability.<\/p>\n

Wolfe places every food item in a separate container to avoid cross-contamination of flavors or moisture.<\/p>\n

She also recommends wiping out your child\u2019s lunch box with an antibacterial wipe every night to avoid contamination. For kids who don\u2019t get a chance to wash their hands before lunch, she also recommends including a sanitary wipe for them to do so before eating.<\/p>\n

When shopping for lunch-bag worthy food items, she urges parents to avoid foods with high sugar content, or to find foods packed with protein. She often buys single-serving size items.<\/p>\n

\u201cRead labels,\u201d she advised, \u201cand always check expiration dates.\u201d<\/p>\n

All the lunch ideas can apply to after-school snacks as well, she said.<\/p>\n

And what about starting the day right? Kids need fuel to do well in school, and it starts with the morning meal.<\/p>\n

Because she, like many others, is a working mom, she needs to get breakfast on the table quickly.<\/p>\n

If your kids like eggs, they are an ideal high-protein quick fix in the mornings. But her daughter doesn\u2019t like eggs. So she might make a smoothie with a cup of low-fat milk with protein powder and some fruit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhey protein a good addition to a smoothie,\u201d Wolfe said. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t know what kid won\u2019t drink a shake in the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes she\u2019ll make whole-grain pancakes or French toast and spread them with peanut butter (and freeze the rest for another day). Or, if she is really busy, she\u2019ll give her daughter a bowl of high-fiber, high protein cereal or oatmeal with high-protein milk.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s OK to have some sugar and carbs if you can get some protein with it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Packing your child\u2019s lunch \u2013 one they really like \u2013 is cost-effective, too, she said. If they eat it, then it is money well spent. If not, it\u2019s just cash in the trash.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Students have been back to school for a few weeks now, but families may still be discussing whether children should take a brown-bag lunch to school or purchase a meal at the school\u2019s caf\u00e9. School lunches, improving in recent years, may offer some healthful options and some not-so-healthful ones. Given the choice, many kids will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":18604,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[276,351,9187],"class_list":["post-18602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-nutrition-services","tag-primary-care","tag-readysetco"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nChoosing healthful school lunches and snacks - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Healthful school lunches should include plenty of good choices like lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy products like milk or cheese.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Choosing healthful school lunches and snacks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Healthful school lunches should include plenty of good choices like lean protein, whole grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy products like milk or cheese.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-09-24T21:45:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-16T15:38:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2018\/09\/24153542\/schoollunches-sized.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"UCHealth Writers\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"UCHealth Writers\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"UCHealth Writers\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b42635b22028b4761efa8849bfec3811\"},\"headline\":\"Choosing healthful school lunches and snacks\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-09-24T21:45:47+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-16T15:38:54+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1336,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/choosing-healthful-school-lunches-and-snacks\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2018\\\/09\\\/24153542\\\/schoollunches-sized.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Nutrition services\",\"Primary care\",\"Ready. 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