How to Plan Healthy Snacks for School Lunches

Insulated lunch box

Planning healthy snacks for kids school lunches can help them focus. During the school day your children need energy and stamina to make it until the last bell rings.

The hot breakfasts and lunches provided by the school district may keep your child's hunger partially at bay. Even if you serve a delicious home breakfast, and pack a great lunch, it may not be enough.

Things You'll Need

• Reusable lunch bag
• Thermos

Instructions

1. Your growing child after a day of learning and play may be completely famished when school is over. Even though, they did have a lunch and breakfast at school. How nutritious is the school' s lunch, really? Here are some tips to pack healthy snacks for kids that your child can eat anytime they need a boost of energy during the school day.

2. 

   High protein snacks such as cheese travel well in insulated snack bags. Cheese can be cubed or cut lengthwise to resemble cheese string. Ham and cheese with a whole wheat tortilla. There are many different choices of snack sized cheese that are already in small portion size. Look for clear plastic packages with string cheese. Circular portions of cheese are in a bright wax package in red or orange. These are located in the dairy section of any grocery store.

3. 

   Healthy snacks like apples, bananas, pears, oranges are good healthy lunch ideas. Some great ideas are pairing hummus with carrot sticks. Apple slices with peanut butter dip, carrot and raisin salad, or apple sauce cups without corn syrup. Home made vegetable soups and pasta can be brought to school in a thermos.

4. Boxed drinks of 100% fruit juice, water, or milk are good choices. To save on costs and to control to prevent your child from drinking sugared drinks, pack your own drink. Thermos made out of plastic or stainless steel can easily be brought to school. A kids stainless steel thermos is a great investment. If you purchase your child's drinks choose drinks that do not contain corn syrup.

5. 

   Not providing your child with a nutritious drink and healthy snacks may leave them unable to concentrate in class. It is hard to face learning on an empty stomach. These snacks are in addition to their lunch. You can add these snacks into a separate insulated bag. Or simply mark the snacks with a special sticker or colored marker. If you are too busy to make snacks, choose healthy prepackaged snacks.

Tips & Warnings

• Prepackaged cheese is a great snack.

• Buy healthy single serving snacks in bulk, to always have on hand.

• Always have at least one snack and drink with your child, teen, or tween at all times.

• School cafeteria lunches are often unhealthy.

• The school is trying to feed your child as inexpensively as possible.