Healthy School Lunches: Guest Post from Kelly @ Choose Health

I am so excited to share with you a guest post by my friend Kelly from Choose Health.  She is a mother to two beautiful children, works a full time job, and still finds time to keep herself and her family healthy.  She is always posting the lunches that she packs for her kids and I thought you all would benefit from her tips and ideas for packing your school lunches.

Summer is right around the corner so now is the perfect time to test the waters and start making healthy lunches for your kids.  Get a good process down now and then you can take the summer to plan and evaluate your plans for next year.  Or perhaps your kids are going to summer camp that requires you to pack a lunch.  It doesn’t matter when you start, just that you do start!  So Kelly…take it away…

“Do you want to buy your lunch tomorrow or take it?” Those are words you will never hear in our house.

Our family’s nutrition is super important to me. And my kids’ lunches are no exception. I take great pride in packing them healthy lunches that are chock full of nutritious, yummy food. Notice I said FOOD and not PRODUCTS.

“…we eat whole, real food as much as possible.”

As a family, we focus on clean eating. This means we eat whole, real food as much as possible. It also means we strive to stay away from all the processed junk that’s available these days. Does that happen 100% of the time? Absolutely not! We pretty much live by the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time we eat as clean and healthy as possible. The other 20% we eat what we want. (As a side note, it’s interesting how even in our 20% we prefer healthy stuff. For instance, if we are craving ice cream, we will make our own so we know exactly what’s in it. Or if we want chips with our sandwich, we find a clean version instead of buying a bag of Doritos. I’ve found that the longer you eat clean, the more this becomes the case.)

I work full time in TV News and I am also an online health and fitness coach. My kids are 3 and 5 years old. I tell you all this to say that there is not a lot of extra free time in our world right now. But, as crazy as things get, I always make time to pack their lunches. If you’re smart about it and have healthy foods in the house already, making their lunches doesn’t take that much time.

Here are a few tips to help you decide what to pack:

~Fruit. (REAL Fruit). You will always find at least 3 or more different kinds of fresh fruit in our house. AVOID the pre-packaged fruit in cups. Most of them are full of sugar. And even if you find one that’s labeled “Low Sugar”, it doesn’t mean that it is. It most likely has an artificial sweetener in it. They are also packed with preservatives.

~Healthy Fats. Cheese. Olives. Nuts. These are all little things you can throw in with just about anything. Sufficient fat intake plays a big role in growth and development. Kids need a certain amount of fat to help the brain and nervous system develop correctly. Fat supplies fuel to the body, it is the building block of hormones and it helps in the absorption of vitamins.

~Protein. I always try to make sure there is some protein in each lunch. Our protein sources vary: Eggs. Peanut Butter. Veggies high in protein (spinach, cucumbers, green peppers). It might be Boar’s Head lunch meat. (This is processed and it’s not the best option, but we do it sometimes.) **Sara’s Note: Applegate make some good versions of deli meats. Try to look for ones that are nitrate free

~Veggies. This is something I do every day! Some veggies my kids love: Spinach. Carrots. Celery. Cucumbers. Tomatoes. Peppers. Green Beans. If you struggle to get them to eat veggies, try to make some dip. I make ours with Greek yogurt and whatever spices you like.

~Mix It Up. Every couple of days or so I throw in a little treat. Sometimes it’s a few dark chocolate chips. Maybe some organic corn chips (Trader Joe’s carries a version).   Just something that’s not an everyday thing that will be exciting for the little ones.

Here are some examples of our typical lunches:

So, you may be thinking, “My kids would never eat a lunch like that.”

 Are you sure about that? You never know until you try, right? I am a big believer in getting kids involved in the kitchen. Our saying is “Everyone who eats, cooks.” They know their help is appreciated and, when they have a sense of pride (because they helped prepare the lunches), they are more likely to eat it.    

-Here are some ways the kiddos can help:

~Wash produce

~Slice fruits and veggies

~Put things into the lunch box (Nuts, fruit, whatever isn’t too messy)

~Stir “mix-ins” into yogurt

~Make your own dip (Greek yogurt with whatever flavorings/ spices you want)

 Now let’s be realistic here. This is not something that you may be able to do every day! Having the kids help takes a lot of time and patience. Letting them help a couple times a week is great.   And if you can only handle little helpers once a week, that works too. The whole point is just to get them involved and let them experience the thought that goes into it.

 I find that it is also good to give my girls choices. “Do you think you’d like carrots or cucumbers tomorrow?” “I was thinking of putting apples in your lunch tomorrow. Does that sound good? Or would you prefer grapes?” I know it sounds so basic but giving them the choice of two items (that you will be happy with them eating) really does work. It’s just another way of involving them and encouraging them to think and make healthy decisions for themselves.

 Finally, I want to share a few of the tools I use with you.

~Divided Containers. I love these divided containers. They are Ziplock brand and available on Amazon (Pack of 2 Ziplock containers (4 total containers). They are disposable but they last us about 3 months or so. The different compartments allow you to pack different things without worrying about leaking. In fact, I feel like they encourage variety. These containers have NEVER leaked for me.

 ~Dressing. If your kids eat salads, a little travel shampoo bottle will be your best friend! It is leak proof and reusable. The one I have is from The Container Store and cost less than $2. You can also find a pack of six on Amazon (Darice Clear Plastic Empty Bottle with Flip Caps, 2-Ounce).

~Silicone Muffin Cups. These are good to just divide up the containers a little bit more. Plus they add color which is always great! You can get these on Amazon too (4″ Large Muffin Cups, Set of 6).

 Remember your attitude about food will rub off on your little ones. Show them that food is fuel for the body. Teach them why real food is important. Make time to cook. Let them see you eating healthy. With one small step at a time, your kids will be eating healthier and thanking you 20 years down the road.

Here are some great recipes that would make the perfect addition to school lunchs:

Graham Crackers (Gluten free and Vegan)

Wheat Thins

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Hummus

Strawberry Banana Oat Muffins (made a lot and freeze them)

Apple Crisp Yogurt (make a big batch and have it all week)

Kale Chips (seriously…kids love these)