By Helena Atwater
University of
Georgia

Pack nutritious, homemade lunches for your child this school year. The key is to keep lunches simple and plan ahead, says a nutrition specialist with the University of Georgia.

“Try to include a protein source, grain, fruit and/or vegetable and a dairy product in each meal,” said Connie Crawley, a UGA Cooperative Extension health and nutrition specialist.

For the main course, a sandwich is a quick, easy option that usually includes two or more items from each food group. However, if kids get tired of sandwiches, Crawley suggests a few other foods:

* Whole grain crackers or pitas with hummus or natural peanut butter.

* Low-sodium corn tortilla chips and bean dip with shredded cheese.

* Reduced-fat mozzarella cheese sticks with toasted flat bread broken into pieces.

* Hard-cooked eggs with whole grain crackers or toasted whole wheat pitas.

Salads or leftovers from previous dinners are good, too. Raw vegetables are a good choice for a side item. Include a low-fat vegetable dip to add a little flavor and fun, Crawley said.

Kids can buy milk at school or bring a juice box from home.

No food items are off limits. However, there are some items that should seldom be included in a lunch. “Avoid giving children candy, cookies and cakes in their lunches,” she said. “They are just too high in trans fats and saturated fat.”

Crawley recommends fruit yogurt, pudding or canned fruit. Oatmeal or fruit muffins made at home, not store bought, are also good options.

Don’t introduce a child to a new food every day. Crawley recommends limiting new foods in a child’s lunch to about once a week. When new foods are included, make sure to pack enough familiar food for the child to become full, in case they dislike the new food.

Prepackaged meals, like cracker combinations, should be packed only as a last resort, Crawley said.

“They are full of sodium, fat, preservatives and sugar,” she said.

It helps to make extra lunches when time permits. This will allow a quick, nutritious lunch to be packed when time is short.

Sandwiches can be made ahead and stored for several days in the refrigerator or freezer, she said. Lettuce and tomato can be added the day the lunch is packed. Soups can be made ahead and poured into a thermos in the morning. Salads and cut-up vegetables can be prepared two to three days ahead.

Remember, if you pack foods that need to be kept cold, pack a frozen cold pack in the lunch box.

“Kids like simple, so keep lunch simple,” Crawley said.