Healthy Lunches For Our Children!!

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It's no surprise to any of us, by now, that children who eat a healthy lunch will learn better in school. By packing a healthy lunch for your child, you are helping that learning process along. Here are some tips to make this a little easier: Choose 1-2 oz. meat, fish, poultry, eggs or cheese. A slice of sandwich meat, one or two hard-boiled eggs, or a small wedge of cheese will do. If you are making sandwiches, you can assemble them all at one time for the week and freeze just the bread and cheese. Veggies and condiments should be packed fresh at the last minute so they stay fresh and don't get mushy. Choose 2-3 servings bread, cereal, rice, pasta, or potatoes. Sandwich bread counts, along with muffins, bagels and other baked goods. Pasta salad is great, and a healthy dry cereal can be packed for a snack in plastic bags. Use the kind of bag with a zip top so the cereal stays crispy. Choose 1-2 servings of vegetables. Baby carrots, celery sticks and broccoli florets are great for finger food, and you can include non-fat or low-fat dressing for dip. Lettuce, bean sprouts, and tomato slices can be packed separately to top sandwiches. Choose one serving of fruit. Fresh fruit is great, but if your child is tired of bananas and apples, pick banana chips, dried peaches or apricots, or dried apples. Include one serving of milk. Bear in mind, yogurt, milk-based pudding, and cheese all count for this category. Cottage cheese, too. If you pack treats or dessert, try making one of the other groups double up. For example, use flavored yogurt or pudding, and you'll cover the milk serving right along with the treat. Same goes for banana chips and the like.