If you see one more shriveled pickle in your lunch box, you’re going to scream right? Never fear, you don’t need to rely on mom or dad to pack you a healthy—and fun—lunch. Brown bag doesn’t have to be boring, and experts say that packing a lunch will almost always be healthier than cafeteria or fast food, as far as calories and fat. Brown-bag is also usually more economical, so you can save your hard-earned money for the movies or amusement park. And the cafeteria’s Mystery Meat? It won’t be on your tray today, because you brought your own cool eats.
Top lunchbox tips include:
- Think Smoothie: Zap up a shake or smoothie in the blender—you can add fresh or frozen fruits, yogurt, milk or soy milk, and other ingredients. Experiment until you find a flavor you like, such as strawberry and banana. You can even add some tapioca to the bottom. The result? A trendy, nutrient-packed drink. Oh, yea, it tastes good too. You can bring it to lunch in a thermos.
- Salad Bar Take-Out: Your local whole foods store has lots of lunch options, from sushi to burrito wraps. Just be sure to keep your food refrigerated – a small ice pack or insulated lunch box can help – and make sure it stays cool so it doesn’t spoil.
- Bento Boxes: Have you heard of bento boxes? That’s what the Japanese call a packed meal, a carefully presented arrangement of cuisine that usually has different kinds of foods stored in separate small compartments, a sort of a TV dinner on-the-run. Get yourself a multi-section container and divvy up leftovers, such as fruit, cheese, and pieces of sliced meat. If you can’t find “real” bento boxes at an Asian food store, just use storage containers from your local supermarket. Itadakimasu! (Let’s eat.)
- Made-to-Go: If you haven’t gone shopping lately, check out the aisles for packaged food made especially for quick, nutritious meals. You’ll find small baby carrots in sealed packages; tuna and cracker combinations; peanut butter in a squeeze pack; cereal in a cup, and more.
- Fancy Water: Plain old water is good enough, but if you want to go fancy (and cost isn’t a problem, since mom’s paying), then try the new versions of water, found on your local grocery shelves. Just check the sugar content to make sure that you’re not drinking lots of syrupy carbs.
Other lunchbox ideas:
- Juice Box Popsicle: Freeze a 100 percent juice box and eat it like a popsicle, or wait till it partially thaws and enjoy a slushy drink.
- Slice It Up: Forget the white bread—it’s boring and doesn’t have as much nutritional value as whole-grain breads such as rye or wheat. Instead, why not mix it up and try whole-grain pita bread, bagels, a roll, flat bread, or a French loaf.
- Sweet Tooth: Got a craving for something sweet? You don’t need to hit the vending machine. Try packing a sweet piece of fruit, low-fat yogurt, apple sauce, or fruit-sweetened cookie. Or, go ahead – have those cookies, but limit it to one or two.
- Leftovers: Last-night’s pasta or even a slice of cheese pizza is an easy and fast way to pack a quick lunch.
- Bar None: Add a protein bar for to fuel those oh-so-important amino acids in the body, the building blocks of life.
Don’t Skip Lunch
No matter what you decide to add to your lunchbox, remember that if you’re like a lot of kids, school lunch is one of the most important meals of the day, providing 1/3 to ½ of nutritional intake. A healthy diet is important to help you grow, develop, and do well in school.
This article has been reviewed by BodiMojo expert Carolyn Butterworth.
Kids eat nearly twice as many calories at restaurants (770) as they do during a meal at home (420).
