Follow these simple tips and suggestions for lunches that are yummy AND nutritious.
Find out what your child really likes
You can pack a lunch full of healthy foods, but if your child doesn't like it, she won't eat it – period. Look for acceptable alternatives to food she doesn't like. If she won't eat apples, for example, try fruits like melon, oranges, kiwis, or persimmons – all of which have vitamin C and other fortifying substances.
If you want to encourage her to try something different, tuck in new foods along with familiar favorites. Don't overdo it, though: Too many unfamiliar foods might put her off her lunch entirely.
If your child is picky, try doing a taste test at home to select "winners" for her packed lunches. Set out a few vegetable options, for example, or types of dip and have her sample each to see which she likes best. Look for good options in the same food group: If she won't eat chicken, try turkey or tuna. Or if she won't drink milk try low-fat yogurt or cheese.
Encourage your child to help make her lunch
Children who set their own menus are more likely to eat when lunchtime rolls around. Take your child shopping with you, and let him pick out fresh fruit, vegetables, and snacks. Invite him to help you pack his lunch and snacks.
Preparing food together is a good opportunity to teach him about balanced meals. Check out the federal nutritional guidelines for children at ChooseMyPlate.gov for guidance.
Not everything your child eats has to be packed with vitamins and minerals. Treats are fine. Just make sure you tuck at least two wholesome items into every lunch bag.
Along with the main dish, add a piece of fruit, a box of raisins, or a handful of sliced carrots, edamame, or other vegetables. Include a container of water, milk, or 100 percent fruit juice.
Reimagine the sandwich
If your child is tired of conventional sandwiches, ditch the bread and try pitas, tortillas, bagels, or even lettuce wraps.
Try making pinwheel sandwiches. Spread low-fat mayonnaise, cream cheese, or creamy dressing on a tortilla or flatbread and add sandwich toppings. Roll up tightly and cut into slices.
Or use a bento box to deconstruct the classic lunchbox sandwich. Place mini chicken sausages, rolled up lunch meats, cheese cubes, olives, pickles – whatever your child likes – in separate compartments.
Another option is a bagel sandwich. Split a mini bagel (or half of a whole bagel), and layer sandwich toppings. Try an apple bagel sandwich with cheddar cheese, apple slices, and cinnamon. Or you could stir some jam into light cream cheese and spread it on a bagel or even toasted whole wheat waffles.
Have dinner for lunch
Last night's leftovers make an easy lunch. If your child devoured spaghetti tossed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese last night, she'll probably eat the leftovers the next day. You can freshen it up by adding a few meatballs, olives, or cooked vegetables.
Mix leftover veggies with rice or pasta for a fast, "new" meal, or turn them into soup or stew. Roast chicken can be shredded and served with salad, soup, or noodles. Stir-fried vegetables get a fresh treatment rolled up in a whole wheat tortilla.
Keep favorites fresh
Use your child's favorite foods to lead her to new tastes. If your child loves yogurt, for example, start with her favorite kind – vanilla is usually a hit – and then add low-fat granola or another crunchy cereal with a tablespoon or two of raisins or sunflower seeds. Stir everything together, or keep the crunchy mix-ins separate for your child to stir in at lunchtime.
Try flavored yogurt as a dip with fruit, or freeze a low-fat yogurt tube and pack it in her lunch. (It will thaw by lunchtime.) For an extra protein boost, try substituting low- or nonfat Greek yogurt.
Start with your child's favorite yogurt — vanilla is usually a hit — then stir in half a cup of low-fat granola or another good-munching cereal. Add a tablespoon or two of raisins, chopped walnuts, peanuts, or sunflower seeds. You can seal it all in a plastic container or leave the yogurt in its carton and pack the mix-ins in a sandwich bag. (Don't forget to slip a spoon into the lunch bag.) For a special weekend lunch at home, serve crunchy yogurt with fresh melon or a sliced banana.
Offer small portions of different foods. You can make a meal out of appetizers if they're healthy: grapes and strawberries, cherry tomatoes and chunks of low-fat cheese, cut-up melon, olives and chunks of cooked chicken, and firm tofu cubes are just a few options.
Pack whole wheat crackers with deli meat, cheese slices, and vegetables. Tuck in a few quesadilla wedges, a hard-cooked egg, or a sampling of fruit and cheese.
Offer hummus or low-fat ranch dressing and cut-up vegetables for dipping. Include familiar favorites – perhaps baby carrots and celery – and throw in a surprise, like jicama. She just might eat it!