Foods for Kids' Lunch Boxes
Packing a nourishing lunch for your child is a good way to ensure that he receives the nutrition he needs to be healthy and to remain focused while in school. The lunch box you prepare can provide enough wholesome food for your child to have a lunch as well as one or two healthy snacks. Send your child to school with food that provides good nutrition and is appetizing enough to appeal to even picky eaters.
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Bread, Bagels, Pitas and Wraps
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Whole grains should form part of your child's diet. An egg or meat sandwich with lettuce, green or sweet bell pepper and cheese, made on a whole grain bun or with bread provides good nutrition. Similarly, a peanut butter sandwich made with 100 percent fruit spread is also a good choice. Alternatives to bread and buns are whole grain bagels, wraps, and pitas. All of these can be paired with hard boiled eggs, hard cheese, deli meat, cream cheese, purple onions, pickles, lettuce, peppers, tuna or leftover meat from yesterday's dinner. While it is never good to pack the same sandwich every day, there is nothing wrong with these foods and they can be alternated for variety and interest.
Cold Foods
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Foods can be kept cold in a child's lunch box, especially if the box is insulated and it contains either an ice pack or a frozen juice box. Foods other than whole grain items include cheese, fruits, fruit kabobs, salsa with tortilla chips, green salad with dressing in a separate container, potato salad, cheese sticks, banana bread, pasta salad, vegetables with dip, cole slaw, whole grain crackers, dried fruit, nuts, chickpeas, yogurt and cottage cheese.
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Hot Foods
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If you have an insulated food jar, hot foods can be included in your child's lunch box. Before filling the jar, heat it with very hot water so it remains hot until lunchtime. Ideas for hot foods include chili, stews, casseroles and homemade soup.
Desserts
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There are many kid-friendly desserts that are also nutritious. These can consist of pudding, fruit- flavored yogurt, oatmeal cookies containing dark chocolate and dried fruit and homemade granola bars. There is no need to pack sugar-laden desserts in the lunch box when nutritious choices are available.
Lunch Box Drinks
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One hundred percent fruit juice, milk, soy milk, water and yogurt drinks are all good options for kids' lunch boxes. It is definitely important to stay away as much as possible from sugary drinks. If you keep drinking boxes of juice in the freezer you can add one to the lunch box in the morning to keep the cold items cold. Include a spoon and your child can have it as a slushy.
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References
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