• Quick Tips
• Healthy Lunches

Lunch Tips

For kids, lunchtime is about more than feeding hunger. It has many social implications too.

The following tips can help you pack a healthy lunch they'll eat.

1. Let kids help pack their own lunches.
2. Make it easy: Use foods that are cut, peeled, and ready to eat.
3. Make it fun: Use cookie cutters on sandwiches.
4. Remember the basics: low-fat protein, whole grains, fruits and veggies.
5. Substitute fresh fruit for gummy fruit snacks or fruit roll-ups.
6. Instead of desert, surprise them with a note, a cool new pencil, or a sticker.
7. Hummus is a fun, healthy dip with carrots, celery or crackers.
8. Try string cheese; it's kid-friendly, full of protein, and lower in fat than most cheeses.
9. Say "No" to sugary drinks and "Yes" to water or real fruit juice.
10. Keep perishables cool by packing a frozen water bottle or carton of juice.