Now that we are a few weeks into the school year, packing lunches for school can start to seem daunting. We wanted to share a few tips on creating a healthy and yummy lunch for your kids to keep them engaged throughout the day. A healthy diet improves children’s ability to focus, along with memory, brain function, behaviors, and moods. Packing a nutritious lunch for your child can boost their daily energy levels and personalize the meal according to their likes and dislikes. 

• For a filling and well-rounded lunch, a little rule that we like to use includes adding one protein, one to two fruits, one vegetable, one dairy item, one crunchy snack, and one small sweet to their lunchbox.

• For proteins, we recommend making sandwiches with lean cuts of meat like ham or turkey or salad sandwiches (tuna, egg, chicken). A fun way to mix up a boring sandwich is to roll the fillings up in a tortilla (maybe even with a hidden veggie)! If your child is vegetarian and/or more adventurous, hard-boiled eggs, yogurt with granola, fried rice, roasted chickpeas, or hummus can be great protein sources. 

• For fruits, you can add whatever fruit is in season or whatever your child insists on having that day, like berries, apples, bananas, oranges, grapes (halved), pear, mango, dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots), and dates.

• Getting your child to eat veggies can be a fight, but we recommend adding cucumber, celery, carrots, bell pepper, snow peas, or cherry tomatoes. Adding a tasty dip or spread, like ranch or hummus, can encourage your child to eat those pesky veggies.

• For dairy, our favorites are yogurt with fruit, mini bagels with cream cheese, cheese sticks, and baby bells. If your child or family doesn’t eat dairy, you can swap any of these options with a dairy-free version.

• A crunchy snack isn’t usually part of most suggested lunches, but adding various textures and flavors can be fun for your child. We suggest crackers, pretzel sticks, dry cereal, tortilla chips, goldfish, Pirate Booty, animal crackers, or veggie straws. These are all good alternatives to potato chips, which are full of unhealthy fats.

• Adding a small sweet to your child’s lunch excites them to sit with their friends and start eating. This is optional, but it is perfectly okay to add a small sweet to their lunch. Some good options are dark chocolate-covered raisins or almonds, granola bars, yogurt or chocolate-covered pretzels, fruit leather, a small piece of candy (especially after Halloween), and mini cookies.

• If your child often sends home their lunch fully uneaten, you can try to get them involved and ask them what they want in their lunch. You can guide them to healthier options while also letting them voice their opinions and wants. Mixing up lunch items and including various choices from day to day can motivate your child to eat lunch every day.

Lunchtime can be a great time for your child to explore new foods while refueling themselves for the rest of the day of learning! If you want any more suggestions, feel free to contact us. 

--Blog post written by Maggie Rietze, Centennial Pediatrics of Spokane Summer Intern Extraordinaire