Tips for Healthier Lunches

If you dread packing school lunches—or your child dreads eating them—it's time to team up to pack some healthier, more enticing options.
Here are some tips to get you started.

Variations on a PBJ theme.

   If your child really likes peanut butter and jelly, try some healthier variations. First, start with whole-wheat bread (for white-bread diehards, they sell white whole-wheat sandwich bread). Instead of jelly, add fresh fruit like bananas, apples or grapes. Tip: To avoid soggy bread, spread a thin coat of peanut butter on each slice of bread and put the fruit in the middle.

Snick-snack lunch.

   The Urban Dictionary defines snick-snack as a small snack. So on snick-snack days, skip the sandwich and pack a bag full of fun—and healthy—finger foods. Some options: fresh fruit, like apples, berries, pears, grapes, melon balls or cubes, bananas and oranges; low-fat string cheese or other low-fat cheeses cut in cubes or rolled up; nuts (did you know they may promote brain health?), sunflower seeds or granola; rice cakes or whole-wheat crackers; celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese and raisins on top (ants on a log); and other fresh veggies like carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets, with low-fat dressing for dipping. Tip: If your child won't eat a whole apple or pear (because of braces or preference), use an apple slicer/corer to quickly cut it into eight slices and toss in a plastic zip-top bag with a squirt of lemon or lime to keep the sections from browning.

Salad days.

   Many children, especially preteens and teens, love salads, so why not pack one for lunch? Prepare the basic ingredients the night before (some takeout containers make good salad bowls) and pop the salad in the fridge till morning. For a basic salad: salad greens, cherry tomatoes, celery, carrots and cucumbers. Then let your child choose some favorite add-ons: low-fat cheese, fresh or dried fruit, bell peppers, toasted nuts, croutons, artichoke hearts, avocado, olives, sliced turkey or canned tuna. Put crunchy toppings in a separate container to add at the last minute. Tip: If you use bottled dressing, choose low-fat. Better still, make a jar of simple vinaigrette; then put what you need in a small, sealable plastic container for the lunch bag—and put that container in a zip-top bag for good measure.

Fruits and veggies, front and center. 

    Use an eight-section slicer/corer to quickly cut a whole apple or pear, and put about 2 tablespoons of peanut butter in the middle to hold the sections together. Pop it in a cute plastic apple container (available online), and it will be the hit of the lunch table. If your child likes veggies, give them center stage. Spread whole-wheat bread, pita or tortilla wrap with hummus, tapenade or pesto—or a tasty blend of pesto and plain yogurt. Top with your child's favorite shredded or chopped veggies: tomatoes, peppers, squash, pickles, celery, carrots, sprouts, lettuce. Tip: Add low-fat cheese, nuts or hard-boiled egg if you want extra protein.