Back to School Nutrition

The new school year is the perfect time to think about ways to fight lunch bag boredom while encouraging healthy eating habits for your children.

Proper nutrition for children is critical for growth and development, and it’s no surprise that it also plays a role in behaviour, mental function and school performance. In other words, healthy snacks and lunches should provide a child with enough energy and nutrients to help them stay active and help them concentrate throughout the day.

While packing a lunch that is enjoyable and healthy may seem daunting, a little planning and know-how can make things a lot easier.

Plan Ahead

Organizing healthy lunches for your child doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task, particularly if you put a few simple things together ahead of time. Instead of tossing whatever’s handy into their lunch boxes as they are running out the door, consider some of the following tips:

* Plan for leftovers. When cooking dinner, plan on making extra for an easy lunch the next day.

* Do some food preparation ahead of time. For example, peel and chop enough fruits and vegetables to last the whole week (to prevent the fruit from going brown, sprinkle it with lemon juice). Better yet, package them ahead of time so that they are ready to throw in a lunch bag.

* Encourage your kids to help with the planning, shopping and preparing. This will allow you guide them in making their own healthy food choices.

* Keep all lunch supplies together. If your child is old enough to pack their own lunch, dedicate one cupboard or shelf to lunch and snack foods. This will take the guesswork out of what to pack and give them a sense of independence, but you’ll still be sure they’re getting nutritious food.

* Keep the house stocked with healthy foods that your child likes, and don’t keep unhealthy snacks stacked in the pantry. If junk food isn’t easily available, they will be less likely to eat it.

* Pack lunches the night before — this will help with the morning rush and get everyone out the door on time.

What to Pack

Ensure that the healthiest foods from a variety of food groups are included in your child’s lunch. That means plenty of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, milk products (or calcium fortified alternatives), and protein from lean meats or alternatives such as legumes. If your child has a favorite treat, let them enjoy it in moderation by adding it to their lunch box once a week.

Mix things up a bit and make lunchtime something your child looks forward to during the day — that way, they’ll be less likely to trade their lunch for something less wholesome. For younger children, consider making things fun by engaging their senses with brightly coloured bite-sized pieces of fruit and vegetables, sandwiches cut into shapes using a cookie cutter, or foods they can stack, dip, or roll.

To avoid the sandwich blues, here are some healthy meal and snack ideas that are lunchbox appropriate:

* Pita pockets: Pack tofu or chicken, lettuce and tomatoes in a container so your child can fill their own pita pocket at lunch.

* Use a wide-mouth thermos to pack warm foods such as macaroni and cheese, chili, stew.

* Tortilla roll: Spread hummus on a whole-wheat tortilla and cover with veggies before wrapping into a roll.

* Pasta salad: Combine whole-wheat pasta (wagon wheels or ABCs) with flaked tuna, chopped veggies, and low fat salad dressing.

* If your child is used to regular sweet peanut butter, add honey to organic unsweetened peanut butter and slowly decrease amount of honey over time to wean them off of the excess sugars.