Victoria Lawlor, MS, CNS is a long time HMN member and volunteer Community Organizer for our New Haven County (SW) CT Chapter. Below she provided us with some great information on how to pack healthy school lunches!
To pack a balanced meal or snack it must contain all the macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. Every cell depends on protein, it helps build muscle and is used for immune function and tissue repair. Protein can come from animal or plant sources. Carbohydrates are the main source of fuel for muscles and preferred source of energy for the brain. They are made up of fiber and starch as well as sugars. Inadequate carb intake can cause fatigue and tiredness, depression, anxiety and constipation. Fats provide long lasting energy and satiety. We need fats in our diet to absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K. Fatty acids can be converted into energy and some like Omega 3 EFA’s have an anti-inflammatory effect. Inadequate intake of fats can cause fatigue, liver and kidney disorders.
This magical food combination of all three, protein, carbohydrates and fats provides sustained energy. You can see on the graph below how different food categories alone help with hunger control over time.
What these combinations look like:
Fruit slices + almond butter (carb, protein, fat)
Cottage cheese/yogurt + pineapple (protein, fat, carb)
Yogurt + granola (protein, fat, carb)
Whole wheat crackers + cheese slices (carb, fat, protein)
Cup of lentil soup (carb, protein, fat)
Sandwich wrap with tofu, hummus, vegetables (carb, protein, fat)
Dark chocolate + nut butter (carb, pro, fat)
You can also customize these combinations to your child’s tastes. Use a category chart like the one below and have kids help you pick items from each group to include with lunch.
| FRUITS | VEGGIES | PROTEIN & HEALTHY FATS | CRUNCHY |
| Apple (whole) | Bell Pepper | Beans (cooked) | Crackers – W/G |
| Applesauce | Broccoli | Cheese | Crispy chickpeas |
| Banana (whole) | Carrots | Edamame | Granola |
| Blueberries | Celery | Egg (hard boiled) | Nuts – Almonds, macadamias, pecans, pistachios, walnuts |
| Clementines | Cherry tomatoes | Guacamole | |
| Grapes | Jicama | Hemp Seeds | |
| Kiwi | Pickles | Hummus | Pita chips |
| Orange | Radishes | Jerkey | Plantain chips |
| Raspberries | Shelled Peas | Meat (deli slices) | Popcorn |
| Strawberries | Sugar Snap Peas | Meat (ground) | Pretzels |
| Watermelon | Sweet Potato | Nut/Seed butter | Rice Cakes |
| Tuna | Sunflower seeds | ||
| Tofu | Tortilla chips (baked) | ||
| Yogurt | Veggie Sticks |
Here are some more tips for success with school lunch:
- Involve the kids
- Create a 2-week rotating lunch schedule
- Keep a list of proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables for easy packing
- Eat a rainbow
- Finger foods
- Include something you know they will eat and love
- Skewers
- Bake healthy recipes into donut shapes
- Use cookie cutters to make fun shapes
- Continue to offer your child new foods on a regular basis along with your good old standby options
- Follow school lunch calendar
Contact Victoria for more information here:
Victoria Lawlor, MS, CNS
UrWellnessWay
lawlorvictoria7@gmail.com