Parents Sound Off About School Lunches

What This Means to You

School lunches can certainly be convenient — you give your kids money or buy them a lunch card and they're good to go. But getting a well-rounded lunch may not be as simple as just holding out their plates.

To help make your kids' cafeteria experience as wholesome as possible:

• Look at the weekly menu together, asking what a typical lunch includes and which meals they like and recommending the healthiest options.
• Ask your children if, when, and where less-nutritious foods (like chips, soda, candy, cookies, and ice cream) are available at school. Talk about why none of these is an OK option — or substitution — for lunch.
• Help them make informed, healthy choices — more fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and calcium-rich foods, and far fewer sugary or fried foods. Emphasize that the little things count, too — whole wheat rather than white, ketchup and mustard instead of mayo, and milk or water versus soda.

Of course, regularly packing lunches helps you exercise a little control over what your kids put in their mouths. That's not to say they won't trade their bags for their buddies', but you can at least send them off with a little slice of home — and a meal you know is nutritious.

To make packed lunches a little more alluring:

• Get your kids involved in the school-lunch process — let them help you shop for and then help pack their own healthy fare.
• Don't rely on standby, prepackaged items (like snack bags, cookies, and mini meals), which are often higher in fat and sugar and more expensive to boot.
• Stray from the norm and try these nutritiously tasty options instead:
  • whole-grain cracker sandwiches filled with plain or flavored cream cheese
  • pitas or wraps stuffed with grilled chicken or veggies
  • flour tortillas filled with low-fat cheese and lean deli meats
  • hummus and pita bread
  • fresh fruits
  • homemade trail mix or air-popped popcorn
  • veggies and dip
  • soups (in a snazzy thermos)
  • yogurt topped with cereal, almonds, or dried fruit
  • flavored water

Sure, kids may initially balk at the thought of lunches without their favorite treats. But the more you instill the fundamentals of eating well, the more likely they'll start making healthy decisions for themselves, even when you're not there.

Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD Date reviewed: August 2007