When summer ends, there’s more on a parent’s mind than shopping for back-to-school supplies. School days bring the monumental tasks of getting your child up, dressed, fed a good breakfast, plus make sure your young one has a healthy packed lunch – a lunch that will actually make it to the cafeteria and be eaten! Our tips make it easy for you to earn an A+ in one of life’s most challenging lessons: How to Pack the Best (and Healthiest) School Lunches.

Research has shown that most often, when a hungry person breaks their fast with tasty and nutritious food, the next time they are hungry they will crave tasty and nutritious food. 
Likewise, if you satisfy your hunger in the morning with sugar-laden cereal and soda, it’s quite likely you will crave a sugary-sweet lunch. So, it makes sense to offer your child a healthy, nutritious breakfast. 

But for many kids, going back to school means morning grumpiness and a breakfast battle. And because fixing breakfast isn’t your only responsibility on school mornings, it’s a good idea to have several quick, easy options on hand. 

Oatmeal is a super-nutritious grain that will satisfy hunger and fuel the body with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Old-fashioned rolled oats takes just a few minutes to prepare and is gluten-free. Instant oatmeal cups, available in a variety of flavors, are ready almost instantly. Let your child toss in some fresh, frozen, or dried unsweetened blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or other fruit, and then sprinkle on a handful of walnuts, almonds, or trail mix, and voila! 

Your child may prefer breakfasts that resemble after-school snacks. Try offering hummus and whole-grain crackers, last night’s dinner leftovers, or a smoothie. Ultimately, a grab-and-go meal of fresh fruit and a high-quality nutrition bar, chased with a glass of milk, may be a peace-keeping alternative to a sit-down morning meal.

There are endless healthy options for breaking your child’s fast. Key points are:

• Try to incorporate as many of the 5 food groups as possible.
• Make a good breakfast easy for your child and you.
• Keep sugars and other sweeteners as low as possible. 
• Set a good example for your kids: eat your breakfast.

A brief trip down Memory Lane includes the joy of selecting a new lunch box during the annual back-to-school shopping. Your lunch box was a point of personal pride, perhaps even more than what was packed inside! And if the back-to-school budget couldn’t manage a new lunch box, a brown bag that Mom or Dad decorated in some way, or tucked a happy note inside of, made a positive difference in the day. 

Many of today’s children still delight in selecting a lunch box, and using one of their own choosing makes their afternoon meal away from home feel special. Older children may shun a Miss Kitty set, but if eco-conscious, they may appreciate one of the many Bentology and ECO options today. Yes, brown paper bags are still available, yet becoming even more popular with the middle- and upper-level school-age set are reusable lunch bags. And if you want to help keep plastics out of landfills and keep your child smiling through lunch, consider purchasing reusable fun sandwich bags, beeswax food wraps, and bamboo utensil sets.

Here are some ways to help make your child’s lunchtime special:

• Make it personal; within your budget, allow them to choose their lunch bag, box, or set
• Talk with your child about their eco-friendly options, so they can feel good about doing their part for a healthier environment
• Thank your child for bringing their reusables home every day

For a well-balanced and nutritional meal, the USDA recommends that parents and caregivers offer school-age children a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy or fortified dairy alternatives. Look for options that are nutrient-rich and limited in added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. 

Like adults, most kids like a variety of foods at a meal. Just as with breakfast and dinner, try to incorporate as many of the five food groups as possible in their lunch. Some children prefer a specific type of sandwich every day, or only like one type of fruit, and they will turn their noses up at any variation you surprise them with. That’s why it’s always best to get your child involved in lunch packing. Plus, it takes some of the pressure off you.

Keeping the five food groups in mind and the USDA’s “My Plate” guidelines, here are a few quick, easy, and nutritious foods to consider adding to your child’s afternoon meal.

• A protein: A PBJ sandwich used to be the lunch box standard. With today’s ice packs, protein options have expanded. And for kids who simply don’t have the patience for a sandwich, consider trail mixes, additive-free all-meat sticks, and protein bars.
• A fresh fruit: Kid faves include apples, grapes and bananas, but with today’s convenient snack containers, fresh berries and other fruits can be transported without turning into mush. Don’t rule out unsweetened dried fruits as a healthy option. What they lack in hydrating water content they make up for in condensed nutrition and fiber. Think figs, pineapple, pear, apple, mango, raisins…
• A fresh vegetable: Modern lunch boxes and containers expand the possibilities to include a complete salad of your child’s favorites, with dressing on the side! In the keep-it-simple spirit, carrot and celery sticks, and grape tomatoes are also easy-peasy favorites.
• A dairy or vegetarian alternative: Dairy is packed with essential vitamins A and D, and minerals (including calcium) that will help your child build strong bones and prevent some bone-related diseases. Cheese is a popular go-to option. The latest nutritional guidelines suggest lower-fat (rather that full fat) cheeses are the best choice for children over two. Low-fat yogurt without sugary add-ins, cheese curds, and other pieces of cheese, or a serving of reduced-fat milk fit the requirement.

Remember the juice box craze? Times have changed! Today the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting how much juice your child drinks. Their current guidelines suggest that children ages 4 through 6 should consume no more than 6 ounces of fruit juice per day, and children ages 7 through 18 should consume no more than 8 ounces of fruit juice per day. This is because even 100% fruit juice is not as nutrient and fiber rich as a piece of fresh fruit, which is the preferred nutrition source. 

A single serving of unsweetened fruit juice should be restricted to a single meal a day, or as the occasional treat. Good old-fashioned water is the healthiest alternative. Here are some helpful hints to get your child to drink more water:

• Explain the importance of adequate hydration to your child, and provide them with their own reusable water bottles for school and home.
• Use frozen fruit in place of ice cubes, or freeze fruit in your ice cubes.
• Infuse water with a little flavor; add berries, cucumbers, lemons or limes.
• Involve your child. Ask for their suggestions on how to flavor their water.
• Be a good role model; have your own reusable water bottle on hand and drink from it often.
• Still can’t get your child to drink water? Try adding a drop of a hydration enhancer. These stevia drops add fruit flavor and a bit more excitement to water.

After a long day of schoolwork, plus after-school sports or other activities, children will naturally come home hungry. Be prepared to fill the void between lunch and dinner with nutritious, healthy snacks for kids. 

Don’t buy junk food! If it’s not an option, your child will choose a healthier alternative that is easy and accessible. Designate a section of a shelf or a drawer in your fridge for after-school snacks. Stock it with ready-to-eat sliced fruits and vegetables, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs (peeled), hummus, and nut butters. 

A pantry shelf or some counter space can also be reserved for healthy snacks. Keep on hand a supply of dried fruits, whole-grain crackers, mini bagels, or protein bars. A hefty bowl of plain popcorn can be drizzled with olive, avocado or coconut oil and sprinkled with tasty nutritional yeast, instead of drowned in butter and salt. 

Kids appreciate knowing that you care about what they eat, and about what they think. Ask them about the breakfast, lunch, or after-school snack they had that day, avoiding questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no. So, instead of “Did you like the lunch I packed you today?” try asking “What did you like best in your lunch today?”  That may open the door to a broader conversation about what else they liked, and what may have bombed. 

If you are introducing your child to new foods or a new way of packing lunches, you will get some negative feedback. It’s important to reward their honesty with a “Thanks for sharing that with me,” or “Hmmm, great point!” rather than becoming defensive. Acknowledging and accepting your child’s feedback, and asking for their suggestions, will earn you a big gold star on top of your A+ in Best (and Healthiest) School Lunch Packing.