Today’s hot/cold containers come in a variety of cool colors, shapes and sizes. Packing a school lunch can be easy and tasty, too. When shopping for school lunches, look for phrases such as “whole grain”, “lower sugar”, “low-fat” to help add healthy fiber and avoid high fat foods. Lower fat milks such as 2% are a good choice. Watch out for juices. One 8-oz serving of juice has the same amount of calories as two fresh fruits, yet lacks the fiber. Four small cookies contain approximately 260 calories and 24 grams of fat. Instead, pack a delicious fresh fruit, that’s loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals and only 25% of the calories of four cookies.
“Wrap up lunch” with peanut butter and banana or turkey and cheese. Pack meatballs in a thermos and send a bun with cheese for a meatball sub. 2% cheese and reduced fat crackers, turkey hot dogs, and fresh fruit. Don’t forget the veggies. Kids like to dip fresh vegetables, but avoid the high fat salad dressings for dipping. Instead, try hummus or low-fat yogurts for dipping. Taco salads are yummy…send the taco meat in a thermos to be placed on a bowl of lettuce, add 2% cheese, avocados, and low-fat salad dressing. Plain yogurt with blueberries or strawberries is yummy, as well. Serve the yogurt with a hamburger made from lean ground beef.
