Whether the cafeteria-bound container is festooned with Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank Engine or tastefully monogrammed, it’s what’s inside that matters most to school nutrition experts. The USDA My Plate nutrition icon suggests half should be filled with fruit and vegetables, one quarter a lean protein and one quarter a whole grain starch.
Check the photo sharing website Pinterest for school lunch ideas and you’ll find myriad ways to creatively pack healthy choices in bento box style containers.
“It’s kind of like making your own ‘lunch-ables,’” said Sandy Nissenberg dietitian and author of “Brown Bag Success: Making Healthy Lunches Your Kids Won’t Trade.” “You buy a plastic container and fill the compartments with fun lunch options like cherry tomatoes, cheese cubes on a kabob, or turkey tortilla roll ups. Add a fruit on the side, get milk at school and you’re good to go.” Nissenberg likes this mix-and-match small bites approach because it appeals to child-sized appetites and short lunch periods. “By the time a child finds a seat, talks to his friends, and finally pulls out his lunch, there may be only 15 minutes to eat.”
Eat your veggies research
It’s no surprise that vegetables win as the least-liked food category by children. But don’t give up. Kathleen Keller, professor at The Pennsylvania State University, writes in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “The number and timing of exposures is still up for debate, but recent studies suggest as few as five exposures were sufficient.” Other ways to win, according to Keller, include serving veggies raw vs. cooked, pairing with foods kids like such as hummus dip or giving them cool names such as broccoli “power flowers.”
Liz Weiss, registered dietitian with www.mealmakeovermoms.com and co-author of "No Whine With Dinner" suggests variety for veggie snack offerings. "Add cucumber wheels, red or orange bell pepper strips, sugar snap peas or snow pea pods. Include salad dressing for dipping because the vegetable oil actually helps kids absorb more nutrients from the veggies," she said.
Food safety patrol
School lunch from home can linger in the bacteria friendly “danger zone” between 40 and 140 degrees for too long.
Researchers at the University of Texas in Austin found that 95 percent of packed lunches were at an unsafe temperature.
That’s why insulated lunch containers with a space to add an ice pack get an “A” from food safety experts.
About the Author
