Healthy Easy Lunches for Kids
Childhood diets that are high in fat and low in nutrition, combined with lack of exercise, can result in childhood obesity. Many parents find that lack of time, combined with their children's fussy eating habits leads to the use of convenient, prepackaged foods when preparing lunches. The problem with many of these foods is that nutrition comes second to convenience which in turn results in children consuming empty calories day after day. Being a responsible parent means providing healthy nutritious food for your children. However, having the food available is one thing, getting your child to eat it is another. By employing the use of nutrition together with flavor and color, you can create lunches that are easy, appealing and healthy.
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Easy Take to School Lunches
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Healthy sandwiches are a good idea and easy to prepare, but to create more interest, make wraps. You can wrap a lot of nutrition, color and flavor with a large whole-wheat tortilla. Include such fillings as hummus, lettuce, lean meat, tuna, colored peppers, grated cheese, carrot slivers, pickles and whatever condiments your child enjoys. Alternative wrap ideas include peanut butter with any combination of either banana, raisins, honey or sliced apples. Make sure your child's school doesn't restrict peanut butter due to student allergies. Whole grain bread with cream cheese and sliced strawberries might be enjoyable for your child; the dairy and vitamin c content makes good sense in addition to good taste. Kids love to dip, so make a yogurt dip to send with sliced apples or grapes; or include a yummy veggie dip accompanied by green, red, yellow or orange pepper slices, carrot or celery sticks, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, or broccoli.
Healthy Make-at-Home Lunches
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If you want to try making something other than wraps, dips or sandwiches, healthy whole-wheat pancakes are often a hit for lunches at home. Add apple chunks, raisins or blueberries to the batter for variety. French toast made with whole grain bread is another suggestion that many children enjoy. Instead of serving with sugary syrup though, top with organic jam and fresh berries. Serve a banana dog by spreading peanut butter on a hot-dog bun, place a peeled banana on top of the peanut butter and if you'd like, you can drizzle some jam on top to look like ketchup.
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Fun Ideas for Snack or Lunch
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Most kids love drinking beverages through a straw. Delicious, creamy smoothies are a great way to get kids to enjoy fruit. Whip fresh or frozen fruit such as berries, bananas, oranges and pineapple together in a blender with ice and yogurt to create nutritious beverages. Some things are more fun to eat when they are on a stick. Purchase or save Popsicle sticks and use them to spear cored apple halves or bananas creating a fruitsicle.
Tips For Easy Healthy Lunches
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You are more likely to present your child with nutritious snacks and lunches if foods are readily available. Clean your vegetables as soon as you get home from the grocery store and store them in plastic bags in your refrigerator. Make sure to have healthy convenient snacks on hand such as cheese sticks or organic fruit-flavored yogurt. If you have healthy veggie sticks, yogurt or cheese prepared and ready to go, you are more likely to refrain from giving your children processed foods like cookies, crackers and bakery items.
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- Photo Credit child eating image by jeecis from Fotolia.com
