Pack School Lunch?
At the beginning of school health conscious parents ask: “What should I pack in my child’s school lunch?” According to research the question perhaps should be “Should I pack it or should I purchase it?” The body of research shows kids who eat school lunch have overall better diets than those who pack a lunch from home (or worse yet, kids who skip lunch, eat from the vending machine or fast food). School lunch kids drink more milk, eat more vegetables and fruit, and have lower percentage of fat in their diets than home packed lunches - and they do it at a lower cost. So what are the key principles used by schools? In order to qualify for national school lunch program school meals must meet the following criteria (use the same guidelines for your child’s home packed meal, add variety and do it for $1.25-$2.00 per meal):
- Include milk, fruit, vegetable, whole grain, lean protein
- Meet 1/3 the daily requirements for Calcium, Iron, Vitamin A and Vitamin C, and calories
- Less than 30% of the calories from fat (averaged over one week) and less than 10% saturated fat
- Safe Temperatures (below 40 degrees or above 140 degrees F)
- Less than 1,000 mg sodium (Utah)
For parents who prefer to pack lunch, following are 5 tips to help meet the nutrition and safety guidelines:
- Create a menu: Prepare a menu or list of foods with your child that he or she likes and you find acceptable. Keep the list handy and add to it as the year progresses. More detail fosters variety. Selecting foods from each of the groups below will help ensure key nutrients are consumed. This list serves as a reminder and will help time crunched parents plan ahead. It is similar to a cycle menu used by school lunch. Start with the list below, mix and match foods from each group, add your own. (See end for menu suggestions)
|
Milk / Dairy |
Fruit |
Vegetable |
Protein |
Whole Grain |
|
8 oz daily Flavored or white Buy milk at school Milk in a thermos Frozen milk cubes Freeze milk bottle Shelf stable milk Yogurt Cheese slices (1 oz) Frozen yogurt
|
Frozen grapes Fruit cups Sliced kiwi Sliced apple Orange segments Frozen fruit juice Fresh berries Frozen berries Frozen peach slices Apricots Melon medley Raisins, Craisins Pineapple chunks
|
Carrot sticks Grape tomatoes Cucumber slices Jicama sticks Sweet potato sticks Fresh string beans Frozen peas Spinach salad Tomato/Pasta sauce Broccoli florets Sugar snap peas Water chestnuts Chow Mein veggies Pickled beets |
Skim Milk Yogurt Cheese Peanut Butter Tuna Hard cooked eggs Canned chicken Nuts Frozen sliced beef Frozen pulled pork Cooked dry beans Taco meat Grilled beef/chicken |
1/2 all grains whole WW Bread WW Crackers Flat bread Multi grain muffins Tortillas Pita bread Bagels Thin buns WW cooked pasta Chow Mein noodles
WW = whole wheat |
- Make it easy, but appealing: Slice and dice foods when possible. As needed, place sliced fruit in pineapple juice or orange juice or treat with Fruit Fresh to prevent browning. Include dips to encourage eating veggies. Make it flavored milk to encourage milk consumption. According to 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans a small amount of added fat or sugar is a big payoff to get kids to eat nutrient rich foods (it isn’t healthy if they don’t eat it).
- Keep it safe: Use insulated lunch bags, boxes, thermos and ice packs to help keep foods cold. Surround perishable foods with ice packs. Create simple ice pack by freezing water in pint size freezer bags. Create edible ice packs by freezing milk, meats and some fruit & vegetables (partially freeze milk to ensure it will thaw by lunch time, or freeze milk ice cubes and drop in milk bottle). Prepare thermos by warming or chilling well before adding food: ie add boiling water 10 minutes to warm the thermos (then empty) before adding hot foods; add ice water 10 minutes to cool (then empty) before adding cold foods. Check efficiency of thermos before sending with children to school.
- Reduce morning rush: Pack ahead when possible. The night before or over the weekend prepare individual bags and containers of cut veggies and place in the refrigerator; freeze milk cubes, meats and fruit individual bags and containers; pre-proportion crackers, nuts or other foods to be used during the week.
- Balance nutrition: Follow USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans to lower fat, sugar and salt. Read labels and analyze home recipes. Focus on the entire meal not individual foods; average fat, sugar and salt over a week (or at least a couple of days) rather than focusing on a specific day or individual foods. Balance high fat meals with low fat, high sodium meals with low sodium, high sugar meals with low sugar. Watch for “added” sugars not naturally occurring sugars. Consider nutrition trade-offs.
- For additional help go to www.MyPlate.gov and www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ Use a recipe analysis program. Here is a link to several analysis programs. Prices and features vary www.per-serving.org/links.asp
Using the table above, see 7 sample menus:
Menu Idea #1: Chow Mein
- Chow Mein veggies (pack in thermos)
- Chow Mein noodles in sandwich box
- Mandarin oranges cup
- Milk
- Fortune Cookie
Menu Idea #2: Homemade Lunchies (Lunchables copycat)
- Ham slice quarters
- Cheese slice quarters
- Whole wheat crackers
- Crosscut carrot slices
- Ranch dressing dip
- Chocolate milk slush
- Strawberries
Menu Idea #3: Taco Salad
(child will need to assemble all or part)
- Torn lettuce
- Frozen cooked taco meat
- Kidney beans
- Tomato, diced
- Shredded cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Salsa dressing
- Fat-free chocolate milk
- Pineapple chunks
(NOTE – for convenience – freeze crumbled together kidney beans, taco meat and cheese)
Menu Idea #4: Pizza Sticks
- Pizza dipping sauce (spaghetti sauce pack in thermos)
- Bread sticks
- Cheese stick
- Melon Medley w/ fruit juice slush
- Milk
Menu Idea #5: Peanut Butter Dip
- Peanut butter to go
- Celery sticks
- Apple slices dipped in orange juice
- 7 Grain bagel
- Shelf stable flavored milk
Menu Idea #6: Chicken Fajita Wrap
- Chicken Fajita Wrap
- Grilled chicken strips, frozen
- Peppers and onions
- Black beans and corn
- Tortilla
- Cheese slice
- Salsa cup
- Strawberry milk w/ milk cubes
- Sliced kiwi
(NOTE: to make wrap for younger children - place tortilla on flat surface, line with cheese slices, add veggies and beans, add frozen chicken strips, season to taste; tightly roll and wrap.)
Menu Idea #7: Pulled Pork Sandwich
- Southern Style Pulled Pork (frozen)
- Thin multi grain buns
- Frozen peas
- Frozen peach slices
- Milk
- Frozen yogurt
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