Back to School: Tips for Delicious, Healthy Lunches

Kick off this school year the healthy way by packing nutritious and delicious meals for your kids! The right foods and beverages will help maintain the energy and focus your child needs throughout the day. Encourage your kids to help you prepare their lunch, which may entice them to try foods they avoided in the past. These delicious, kid-friendly meals will help them ace their way through school all year long!

Taking the time to prepare your child’s lunch the night before will save you a few extra minutes during the morning rush hour. The following guidelines will help you make easy recipes that your kids will love.

Sensational Sandwiches

Sandwiches are easy to make and go over well with the young ones. Make sure to include a freezer pack in the lunch box to keep perishable items like eggs, meats, and dairy products cold. Your healthiest choice is whole grain rolls, breads, pitas, and wraps—but if your child prefers white bread, try using whole grain bread that still has the texture and flavor of white bread.

Chomping Champions:  Try these tasty kid-friendly combinations:

• Natural peanut, almond, or cashew butter + sliced fruit on a whole grain English muffin

• Sliced turkey, chicken, or lean roast beef + sliced avocado + lettuce  + tomato on a whole grain roll

• Salmon + sliced cucumbers + low fat mayonnaise on whole wheat bread

• Egg salad made with chopped red bell peppers + low fat mayo spread on whole wheat pita

Tasty Sidekicks

Toss the chips and can the juice in favor of these healthier sides to accompany your kid’s sandwiches.

• Prepackaged, low-fat unsweetened yogurt

• Trail mix of your child’s favorite dried fruit, nuts, and seeds

• Fresh fruit salad

• Baby carrots + small container of hummus or bean dip

• Cherry tomatoes + sugar snap peas

• Farmer’s cheese, lowfat ricotta cheese, or fresh mozarella

• 1 eight-ounce container of almond milk, low fat milk, or water

• Small container of guacamole or salsa

Word to the Wise: Avoid packaged luncheon meats and hot dogs that are full of unhealthy nitrates and fat.

Portion Patrol

Remember to make kid-friendly portions when packing their lunch. It is important to provide your kids with the right amount of nutrients without going overboard. The following guidelines will help direct you to grade school lunch portion sizes:

• 1 eight-ounce cup of milk or other beverage

• 4 ounces of yogurt

• 2–3 ounces of meat or cheese

• 1–2 slices bread or half a cup of grain like rice or pasta

• 1 cup of fruit

I hope your kids will enjoy these tasty lunches all year long! You can discover more healing and longevity foods in The Natural Health Dictionary, a comprehensive guide that answers all your questions about natural remedies, healing herbs, healthy foods, vitamins, and supplements. You may also be interested in Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, which is now available on Kindle.

I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.

May you live long, live strong, and live happy!

—Dr. Mao

This blog is meant to educate, but it should not be used as a substitute for personal medical advice. The reader should consult his or her physician or clinician for specific information concerning specific medical conditions. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that all information presented is accurate, as research and development in the medical field is ongoing, it is possible that new findings may supersede some data presented.