Cooking Healthy for Kids: A Healthy Packed LunchIt's time to address the situation of school lunches. As mentioned in the earlier section, many schools do not have healthy lunches while other schools do. You can get involved in your child's school lunch program, which can be a challenge especially if the school is set in its ways. If this doesn't work, your best alternatives are to either teach your children healthy choices or to pack them lunch. Your child will probably want to choose their own lunches in school. Your first alternative is to talk to your children about the healthy choices they can make at their school cafeteria. If you know what your child's school will be serving then you can help them make the right choices. This will be easier if you had started them on healthy eating since they were little. If they already have the habit of healthy eating, they are likely to gravitate towards healthier choices. The second alternative, and definitely the healthier one is to pack them lunch. Brown bagging lunch has a lot of benefits for your child. You can highlight these benefits to them in order to convince them to take lunch to school. The major benefit, of course is healthy eating. Telling your child that their bodies will function better with their packed lunches can be an incentive to them, especially if they're at the age where they care about what they look like, or if they are into sports. The other incentive is money. If your child brings packed lunch to school then they can save the allowance you give them for other things that they would like to have. This also teaches your child the value of saving. If your children are embarrassed about taking brown bags to school, you both can sit down and come up with more stylish ways to bring in the packed lunch. There are some pretty stylish, non-kindergarten looking lunch boxes or bags these days, some of which even look like cute accessories for girls. Generally, guys don't seem to care, but you can invest in a simple looking bag for their lunch, and one that will fit in their backpack or attach itself to a part of their backpack. This way it doesn't stand out too much. Now, what do you pack into your child's lunch? You can pack whatever you would put in a regular lunch. Pack them some vegetables, fruits, and a bit of protein and grains. You can try old favorites like ham and cheese sandwiches with lettuce and tomatoes then a fruit cup on the side. This simple lunch includes all five of the food groups, and most children won't object to it. Go healthier and choose turkey ham, which is leaner than pork. Last night's dinner or other leftovers can also make a good packed lunch, and is a great way for you to clear out your fridge. If you had grilled chicken the night before, try making your child a whole wheat pita wrap with grilled chicken, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onions. You can also put in some vegetable sticks and dressing as a side dish. Packed lunches are just like regular lunches only you prepare it ahead and pack it up! Never forget to add water or juice to your child's lunch. This will keep them from buying a soda or other forms of sugary drinks from the school vending machine. |
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How To Get Your Kids To Eat Healthy Food - Without A Fight!
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