Kids� Lunches, What to Pack

School is starting soon and has started in some cities.  What should you pack for your kids� lunch?  What are some of the more healthier options?  In Japan, they have these cool lunch packaging containers with compartments for essentially each food group.  When packing a kids� lunch keep MyPlate in mind.   

• 2 fruits/veggies � yes, 2 servings � one of each is good or 2 fruits, 2 veggies � carrot and celery sticks, a juice box and an apple 
•  Grains � whole grains are best but it is often not easy to get a child to like whole grains.  They do have whole grain white bread or whole grain crackers.  They even have whole grain Goldfish.
•  Dairy � if it can be kept cold, yogurt is a great option as long as it is not the child�s versions loaded with added sugar and artificial flavorings.  Or have your child buy milk at school.
• Protein � lean meats, peanut butter, 2% cheeses.

MSN, Healthy Foods That are Perfect for School Lunch, had some great suggestions for healthier kid lunch options.  They noted too many kids are filling up on �empty� calories rather than calories packed with nutrients.  Here are some of their suggestions:

1. Happy Squeeze Apple, Kale, and Mango � so many parents stuff some applesauce in a child�s lunch.  While applesauce can be healthy, too many options are loaded with sugar.  These squeeze packs are 100% whole fruit and some kale.  Kids get fruit and a vegetable in one pouch. 
2. Organic Beef Hot Dog � hot dogs have a bad wrap because of the nitrates and nitrates they often contain.  These hot dogs have no antibiotics, no fillers,  and are not high in sodium. 
3. Peanut Butter is a healthy choice and for kids without a peanut allergy a good choice.  MSN recommends SunButter Organic Sunflower Spread.  This spread is made with sunflower seeds and isn�t loaded with sugar.  It is also allergy-friendly as it doesn�t contain nuts.
4. Water � some parents think water is the healthiest choice for a beverage.  But a child needs dairy.  If yogurt is packed in a lunch, then the beverage can be a juice box or water.  Hint Pineapple Water is a fun choice to pack, a hint of flavor without the added sugar and artificial flavors. 
5.  Nature�s Own Double Fiber Wheat Bread � getting a child to eat any food that is whole grain is a challenge.   This is one bread they may be willing to try.  It is also a healthier choice in that it is free of high fructose corn syrup, has no artificial colors or flavors and no artificial preservatives.
6. Cheese sticks � a fun way to get in some dairy and a good source of protein.  Reduced fat Sargento cheese sticks are a great choice.  Each cheese stick offers calcium and protein.  The Sargento Cheese Stick brand has no additives. 

So when packing your child�s lunch this school year, include some healthier options.

 

Sources:  Healthy Foods That are Perfect for School Lunch, MyPlate,  Image source:  Cheese

The Case for Carbs By Jackie Kunstmann (Guest Author)

Which carbs are good for your health?  Introduction:  In the nutrition class I teach, students were asked to respond to and prepare a convincing argument to counter the myth, Carbohydrates are bad for you.  One of those students, Jackie Kunstmann, has been asked to be a guest author on this blog site.  Her paper on The Case for Carbs is below.

Carbohydrates, or �carbs,� have been given a lot of bad press lately.  Many people I know are very quick to jump onto the Atkins or South Beach Diets with their low carbohydrate ways when wanting to lose weight. I even had leanings this way until this Nutrition class.

 The DRI Committee has determined that all persons need to have a diet composed of 46 to 65% of carbohydrates(with only 10 to 35% for protein and 20 to 35% for fat) to adequately meet their energy needs and reduce the risk of chronic disease.(1)  The USDA�s current dietary recommendation, My Plate, features the plate being filled with over half carbohydrates.(2)  When researching heart-healthy ways of eating (since heart disease is the leading cause of death among adults(3)), you will be directed to diets that feature carbohydrates.  The Mediterranean Diet is one you hear much about lately.  The base of the Mediterranean Diet�s pyramid is carbohydrates.(4)  The DASH diet, recommended for lowering blood pressure, features carbohydrates predominantly.(5)  If you search foods which are good for your heart, you will find them to be mainly carbohydrates.  WebMD lists 25 of the top heart-healthy foods, and 21 of them are carbohydrates!(6)

 When choosing foods to eat, we should not be considering whetherto include carbohydrates into our diet (that is a given), we should be considering which carbohydrates to include.  There are �good carbs,� and there are �not so good carbs.�  In determining if a carbohydrate is �good� or �not so good,� you simply need to determine if the food is refined or processed.  Sugars, added sugars, refined grains, and items which include these  (such as candy, baked goods, white bread or rice) would be less than desirable carbohydrate choices; whereas, whole or minimally refined carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, or whole grain products would be optimal choices for carbohydrates.(7)

Sources:   (1) Dietary Reference Intakes  (2) MyPlate  (3)  CDC  (4)  Mediterranean Diet (5) DASH Diet  (6) Top Heart-Healthy Foods  (7) Carbohydrates   (8)  Nutrition  Image Source:  carbs