Making your kid’s lunchbox healthier
Dr. Oz recently looked into the lunchbox of a regular kid and found some pretty scary stuff. I hate to think that this is what the average young person is eating these days, but little Anthony’s lunch box included such treats as French toast bagels with maple syrup, a “cream filled cake” and orange soda, which together provided him with a whopping 171 grams of sugar — that’s about 43 teaspoons.
Somehow this child is not obese, and actually might have been a little skinny.
Healthier options
Dr. Oz offered him real French toast made with whole wheat bread, which he said he “kind of” liked, and said he should also eat turkey sausage for protein, an orange instead of an orange drink, tiny bananas and grapes.
The meal had one-sixth of the sugar, or about 7 teaspoons, that the original meal had. While Anthony didn’t seem completely sold, there are things parents can do to make their packed offerings for kids a little healthier.
First off, consider upgrading your hardware; using an insulated lunch bag is a better way to keep food at the right temperature until lunchtime than a paper bag or a metal lunchbox.
The best choices for kids are meals with protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables and calcium. A tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomatoes, carrot sticks or an apple and low-fat milk would be a good option, for example.
Good old peanut butter and jelly is fine if they’re spread on whole wheat (even if it’s white whole wheat) bread and a 100 percent fruit spread with no sugar added.
Beyond sandwiches, think about things like pasta salad, soup, leftover casseroles, lasagna or stir-fried vegetables. Wraps are another great choice. If you want to make foods more interesting for kids, think about rolling, making things bite-sized and using cookie cutters to make sandwiches fun shapes.
More mealtime inspiration
If you’re looking for more specific help packing your child’s lunch, check out Healthy Lunchbox, a blog that hasn’t been updated in more than a year but still includes plenty of cute, tasty and healthy ideas for young and old alike.
Vegan Lunchbox is another great inspirational blog, even if you’re not vegan. The meals presented here are always beautiful and crave-worthy, though they’ll take a lot more time than just making a sandwich or wrap.
Check out more interesting healthy lunch options (yes, including deserts) at Eating Well.
(By Sarah E. White for CalorieLab Calorie Counter News)
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