Packing a Healthy Lunch for Your Child
By Sara Butler
School means busier times for everyone -- parents and kids alike. It’s easy to look for shortcuts to save time, especially when it comes to packing lunch for your child. But this often leads to unhealthy options being sent to school with your little angel. These can create bad eating habits that plague your child for their entire lives. So, you know, no pressure to get it right.
There are some simple tips you can use to pack a nutritious, healthy, and delicious lunch for your child -- and you don’t have to channel your inner Jamie Oliver to do it, either.
Look at Drinks
What kind of things are your children drinking during the day? Are they drinking sugar-laden juices and soda? If they are, then you could be setting your child up for an energy disaster when they crash from that sugar rush.
The best thing you can do is skip the liquid sugar send a refillable water bottle instead. It saves time and money as it gives your child’s body the water it needs to work optimally. You can jazz it up with sliced fruit if you want or go with low-fat milk if your child wants -- just watch the servings.
Beware of Serving Sizes
Speaking of serving sizes, this is something parents tend to go a little overboard on. Your child is not an adult, so they don’t eat the same servings of foods as you do. They need appropriately portioned meals to get them through their day.
Get Creative
You may admire your child’s creative flair, but they had to get it from somewhere! Let your creative juices flow as you create healthy lunch options for them. If you make it fun, they may be more inclined to eat it!
You can include a variety of finger foods, dips such as hummus or yogurt for vegetables and fruits, or create silly faces on sandwiches or wraps to let your child have a little fun as they eat.
Think Outside the Pre-Packaging
One of the downfalls of many lunches is the prepackaged, highly processed convenience foods that tend to get thrown in. Sure, your child may like these things, but they’re not nutrient-dense. Instead, send some popcorn, edamame, and chopped up fruits and vegetables with them instead.
Sending your child to school with a healthy lunch isn't tough if you know the shortcuts!
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