Love = Packing a Healthy Lunch

My daughter’s preschool is cutting costs and offsetting an annual tuition increase by discontinuing its hot lunch program. This means I will now have to pack her healthy and appealing lunches.

When I was in school, I used to look forward to buying my lunch instead of brown bagging it. Unfortunately, the lunch line choices were not healthy ones. Pizza, Hot Pockets, Drumstick ice cream cones, chips, and soda were some of the only options. School lunches have come under scrutiny lately, and a movement to ban sodas and other unhealthy junk food in school cafeterias is growing.

Childhood obesity is on the rise. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that the percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 20 percent in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5 percent to 18 percent over the same period.

In January the USDA proposed the first new guidelines in 15 years for U.S. school lunches. Cutting salt and fat while adding more fruits and vegetables and whole grains and using non-fat or low-fat milk are some of the sought out implementations. Limiting the amount of starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas and lima beans to one cup per week would essentially rid cafeteria lines of french fries. This House-approved bill should be headed to the Senate soon, and if passed will take effect next summer.

By packing your child’s lunch you have control over what they eat. This can help them get the nutrition they need to stay energized and focused in school. Some schools, like my daughter’s, are nut-free. Peanut and other dangerous nut allergies are on the rise among children. This lands the quintessential peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the restricted list.

Packing a wholesome and appetizing school lunch can be easy with a few creative strategies.

Variety is key to getting children interested in and excited about the contents of their lunch boxes. Easy to eat foods and small bites are also crucial. Hasty children would rather run to the playground than sit long enough to peel an orange or cut up a big portion.

Imagination can transform an ordinary sandwich into a happy face or other cookie cutter creation. Treats don’t need to be large to make a big impression. A few M&M’s or a cookie or two is sufficient to give kids motivation to eat up.

Finally, a surprise like the note your mother left in your lunch bag, still resonates with children today. Knowing that mommy or daddy packed their lunch with love lingers on long after your child gulps down his or her milk box.