ParentingHub

Bought or ready-made lunches for kids are popular and convenient, but they're also expensive and often less than nutritious. Instead, create your own packable lunch using healthier ingredients. Consider these components and pack them in plastic containers, resealable plastic bags, or colorful plastic wrap:

Cold-cut roll ups (lean, low-fat turkey, ham, or roast beef with low-fat cheese on whole wheat tortillas)

Cold pizza (shredded mozzarella cheese with pizza sauce on a flour tortilla, whole wheat pita, English muffin, or mini pizza shell)

Cracker sandwiches (whole-grain crackers filled with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly)

Peanut butter and celery sticks

Veggie sticks with low-fat dip or dressing

100% Fruit juice box or bottle of water

Optional dessert (choose one): flavored gelatin, low-fat pudding, oatmeal raisin cookie, graham crackers, fresh fruit

Be sure to check with the school to make sure that there aren't any restrictions on what kids can pack in their lunches. And don't forget to involve your kids in the process so that healthier lunches can become a goal they strive for, too.

Safe Packing

A packed lunch carries the added responsibility of keeping the food safe to eat. That means keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold. One study found that fewer than a third of parents included a cold pack when packing yogurt, deli-meat sandwiches, and other foods that need refrigeration.

Here are some suggestions to keep lunch foods safe:

Wash your hands first.
Use a thermos for hot foods.
Use cold packs or freeze some foods and drinks overnight. They'll thaw in the lunchbox.
Wash out lunchboxes every day or use brown paper bags that can be discarded or recycled.
Toss in some wet wipes to remind kids to wash their hands before eating and to clean up after.