Healthy School Lunch Ideas

As a dietitian, one of the things I hear most often are kids saying they feel hungry when they get home from school. Due to this, they will eat large amounts of food and then not be hungry for dinner which causes some frustration from parents.

As we talk more, I usually find out they skip breakfast, lunch or maybe even both. Reasons can vary from not having enough time in the mornings to pack or grab food before the bus comes or not liking what is offered in their school cafeteria. Ensuring your child has a balanced breakfast and lunch every day is essential to provide needed nutrition for daily activities, concentration in school, and their overall growth and development.

It is important to discuss with your child if they like and will eat the food offered at school. Sometimes parents are unaware their child is skipping meals at school until they come to clinic and we discuss a typical day of eating (when, where, and what their child typically eats). Some families find it helpful to look up the school menu in advance to decide what days their child wants to pack lunch and what days they would rather have school lunch.

When packing lunches, it is important to always include 3-5 of the food groups, which are fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Always make sure to include a high protein food and a high fiber food. Protein and fiber take the longest for our bodies to break down and help us stay fuller for longer. High fiber foods include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid packing juices, sodas or other sugary drinks; they provide a lot of energy with little to no nutrition. Although juice provides some vitamins, it is best for your child to get them from eating the whole fruit or vegetable instead. Juice is all the sugar with none of the fiber that the whole fruit provides. It’s always best to offer water first for thirst.

Lunch box meal ideas:

• Peanut butter apple tortilla wrap, baby carrots, and milk
• Veggie wrap with cucumbers and cream cheese, apple slices with peanut butter
• Hummus cup, sliced bell peppers and baby tomatoes, whole wheat crackers, grapes and milk
• Yogurt parfait (yogurt cup, strawberries, granola) with ants on a log (celery, peanut butter, raisins)
• Mini bagel with peanut butter and banana, cheese stick and baby carrots
• Homemade lunch kit- turkey slices, cheese cubes, piece of fruit, whole wheat crackers, baby carrots

Other helpful tips:

• Look for granola bars with 10g of protein or more, 6g of sugar or less and 3g of fiber or more
• Choose yogurts with 12g of sugar or less and where the grams of protein are greater than the grams of sugar
• If you pack fruit cups, avoid fruit cups that have syrup. Choose ones that use 100% fruit juice or water instead.
• Before including peanut products in your child’s lunch, make sure to check your school’s policy as some prohibit these foods due to allergies.