Well the kids are back to school (YES!!)… and that means prepping and making lunches on a daily basis (Not so exciting, lol). I often get people saying to me, My kids are sick of sandwiches, what else can I pack, or how much should I be packing in their lunch?

Below are some popular questions I get and my answers.


What are some good suggestions on what to put in a good, nutritious lunch? What are foods to avoid?

Parents don’t have to pack wheatgrass shots and stick of celery to make their child’s lunch healthy. Many times it is a matter of switching out some products for healthier ones and balancing the lunch better. Best tip I can give parents is to start feeding your child fruits or vegetables at lunch from the get go!
Other tips: Cut up fruits and vegetables and portion out snack foods when you get home from the store to make packing lunches easier.
Pack lunches the night before. (I often prep the next night’s dinner at the same time as packing lunches to save a few steps when I get home from work).

Some healthier swaps:

White bread to 100% whole grain or 100% whole grain white bread.
Pre-sliced lunch meat to no nitrate fresh lunch meat from deli
Snack foods with Red Dye #40, and excess sugar to snack foods with less sugar and dyes
Juice boxes/pop to 100% fruit juice, milk or chocolate milk
Chips, cookies and juices making up 90% of the child’s lunch vs adidng in a piece of fruit or a yogurt

I suggest aiming for each of the food groups
Dairy- milk or yogurt. (and yes, chocolate milk is fine once a day!)
Protein- lunch meat on sandwich, ham and cheese rollups, cottage cheese, grilled chicken strips, HB egg, nuts (if allowed at school)
Produce- baggie of grapes, berries, apple/banana, carrots or green peppers and hummus to dip
Whole grains- Recommend 100% whole grain bread, wraps, or crackers

Not to say, children can’t have some “fun” lunch items but try and balance them out. Trust me, teachers DO NOT like children eating tons of refined carbs and sugar and lunch!

How do you keep lunch ideas new and interesting, and not pack the same lunch over and over again?
I love the website and lunch planner Momables (momables.com). She has a great book on fun lunches for kids.
Switching up the sandwich or Pb & J is essential for keep kids interested in lunch. Here are a few ideas.
Try rollups, wraps, pitas instead of regular bread.
Soup or smoothies in a thermos
or
Try making a homemade lunchable. (Cut up slices of lunchmeat, whole grain crackers, cheese cubes, cut up fruit with a side)

What is the best way to keep cold foods cold? (or, is that really necessary? How long can some foods go without spoiling?)
Food safety first! Insulated lunch boxes help maintain food at a safe temperature until lunchtime. Perishable lunch foods, such as cold cut sandwiches and yogurt, can be left out at room temperature for only 2 hours before they may become unsafe to eat (Foodsafety.gov). Suggest a insulated lunchbox and a freezer pack.

Stuck in a rut? Email me to help or Check out www.KidsEatRight.org! A great resource for up to date info on nutrition for kids and families including some great recipes!

The Devine Nutrition on the Go Menu Planner Launches September 1st! Check it out here! http://www.kellydevinenutrition.com/monthly-menu-planner/

Kelly Devine Rickert MS RDN CSSD LDN- devinenutrition@hotmail.com

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